Contrasting Mindfulness and Meditation Practices
Mindfulness and meditation lead to clear mind and conscious thinking. It all seems as though you can’t have one without the other. Are they the same or are they different? Do you need to practice one to practice the other? Do they work together?
Mindfulness and Meditation
Meditation is an internal practice, where you are focused inward. You are looking for calmness. Meditation is generally practiced with deep breathing, relaxing music or quietness, being comfortable and alone. And Meditation brings you calmness and inner peace. It can help you find yourself when you are angry or anxious. It can soothe you when you are in pain or upset. However mediation is good for the soul on many levels.
Mindfulness is about being aware of feelings, behaviors, movements, emotions and how you affect the people around you. Mindfulness really is a simple act of paying attention. And mindfulness can be practiced almost anywhere, doing anything, around anyone.
It is often thought that mindfulness and meditation are the same thing, or that they mirror image of each other. While they have similar results and qualities, they are absolutely not the same thing. They can both have the same benefits of reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. However being mindful is focusing on something and making you more aware. While Meditation is focusing on nothing and entering a state of calm.
How and Why
Being mindful brings awareness to how you speak, behave, feel, think and impact others. Therefore to be mindful you must focus on your actions and think about what you are saying and doing. So start practice being aware of or paying attention to your daily activities and see where you can make changes in daily life.
Meditation is deep and peaceful. You focus on nothing, clear your mind and re-center your being. When you feel yourself beginning to focus on one thing you must redirect yourself. Soft music or sounds of nature, dim lighting, and deep controlled breathing are all important aspects of meditation. Meditating will erase all the thoughts in your mind and bring you back to a relaxed state of being.
Mindfulness and meditation both serve many healthy purposes. As a result they can both reduce stress, anxiety and depression, sharpen your memory and improve your general health and immunity. So being mindful and meditation can be done together or separately, they both will complement each other and remain effective when practiced alone.
Be Mindful and Meditate
Being mindful will make you a happier and healthier person, as will mediation. Let us also add that when you meditate and calm yourself you are more able to be mindful in a relaxed and calm state. When being mindful and meditation you are improving your physical and mental health greatly. So be mindful and of course meditate as well.