The difference between Mindfulness and Meditation
There is a distinct difference between mindfulness and meditation but there is a tendency for people to use the two terms interchangeably.
Emily Fletcher is one of the world's leading experts in Meditation for high performance and has invested years into the study of the effect of meditation on the mind. She recently taught at Google and is the go to meditation resource for Huffington Post LIVE. Fletcher succinctly defines the difference between mindfulness and meditation as outlined below:
Meditation is a large umbrella term that encompasses the practice of reaching ultimate consciousness and concentration, to acknowledge the mind and, in a way, self-regulate it. There are many different types of meditation that employ an array of techniques or practices to reach this heightened level of consciousness — including compassion, love, patience, and of course, mindfulness is another type of meditation.
Fletcher describes "It’s like pulling the lens back on your awareness versus focusing in, it serves to supercharge your energy to enhance your performance in all areas of life"
On the other hand...
Mindfulness is defined as "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations." Fletcher differentiates that "Mindfulness is a “directed focus” style of meditation — where you’re focusing on or counting your breath, doing a walking meditation or a guided visualisation, or focusing on a flame. Any time you have a focal point, this is mindfulness".
An example of mindfulness would include focusing completely on drinking a hot cup of tea, taking in its scent, warmth, and taste and therefore reducing or eliminating overpowering emotions from the mind.
There are numerous benefits to practising mindfulness that have been supported by an increasing body of research. To find out specific benefits please visit the following links: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/benefits-of-mindfulness/
https://psychcentral.com/blog/10-surprising-health-benefits-of-mindfulness-meditation/
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