Meditation vs Mindfulness
- Alisha Matthews
- Feb 1, 2023
- 6 min read
The difference between the two, the benefits of being mindful and doing meditation, what are some of the reasons people don't meditate, how to get around them, the misconceptions about meditation and why you, as a beginner, can not meditate or have trouble starting a meditation practice.
Meditation has finally become a "thing" and it is more known than mindfulness. From my own experience, mindfulness is easier than meditation. To a degree. But everything is different from people's own perspective.
Let us dive in and ask “what are some of the reasons you feel you can not meditate?” I've had people tell me over the years things like
their brains won't turn off
they can't sit still,
they can't handle the quiet.
Some? can't handle noise.
Most recently, I've had a couple people share with me, and this one surprised me, they don't even know what Meditation is. If you google it, you can find many answers, workshops, scientific facts. You can find free stuff, paid stuff, volunteer programs all revolving around meditation and what it is.
I've also been asked recently what mindfulness is. Which surprised me even more because the woman who asked is smart and she takes care of her health, fitness, and spirit. But that also showed me….. If this smarty in front of me doesn’t know what mindfulness is….how many other humans do not know about mindfulness?! How many people do we have walking around our planet like Zombies not being mindful?
So! Let's start there. What is meditation? And what is mindfulness?
Meditation is a state of DOING and turning inward. When we meditate, we are turning inward.
Mindfulness is the practice of you BEING aware, conscious and present without passing judgement.
Meditation is a tool which can be used for mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the state of becoming and/or being. When we are mindful, we are turning outward while remaining present of our inward selves.
There are great benefits to practising mindfulness or meditation proven by science.
Mindfulness has proven to create changes in violent behavior, high risk behaviors, suicide/self harm, chronic disease management, tobacco use, eating disorders, substance abuse AND! shows better cognitive functions in older people.
Meditation has proven to lower stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health, enhance self awareness, lengthen attention span, improve sleep, can help with substance use, help control pain, generate kindness.
So! Now that you know the difference, let's explore some of the issues that have come about with trying to meditate.
Why won’t my brain turn off?
Did you know? Your brain is not designed to turn off. Neither is your heart. They require each other to keep you functioning.
There’s also a difference between your mind and your brain. The brain is not designed to turn off, no. The Mind? You can learn to control that, at the most. That is what's acting up in your head; the mind. But at the end of day….it takes a long time for anyone to get to a mind that just does not pass thoughts. It's what the mind is designed to do. By being mindful of this, you can train yourself to think a little less or differently. Over time, you can become skilled at having thoughts pop up and you do not actually think about them. Just see them and let them pass by.
I can’t sit still.
Ha! Neither can I. Well… I used to have trouble so don’t worry! There are mindfulness practices and meditations you can do while moving. Don’t be afraid to ask a teacher to look into these for you. They will happily appreciate your honesty and your desire to keep growing, FOR YOU! If they can’t help, guaranteed they know of someone who can. A few examples would be? Running, walking, dancing, bouncing/shaking. Yes! Bouncing n shaking can be a moving meditation and is actually really good for you. Who knew, eh?! Obviously there is a bit more to it which is why I suggest finding a teacher to give you some guidance to start a moving meditation practice.
IT’S TOO QUIET!!!!!!
Oh you lovely extroverts!!! There is a place for you as well. Mindfulness or meditation do NOT need to be silent. I do encourage you to eventually try it again but for now….stick to what works with you and practice meditation with sound. There could be music, counting, focused meditation where someone guides you, mantra meditation which is actually one of my personal favourites.
Pssst! It's too loud.
Welcome!! It’s too loud out there for me as well. Let us sit in silence together or have some soft calming music. Silent meditation is usually the one people want to stay away from but for some of us…..it is an absolute MUST! Especially for thinking types, professionals who deal with loudness all day, workers in high traffic work spaces that just aren’t for them but pay the bills. I get it. I've been there.
Those are just a few issues people have mentioned to me.
So now we know anyone can be mindful or meditate, no matter their concern. What about some of the misconceptions that go along with meditation and mindfulness?
It takes years to get good.
You need to think about nothing.
It takes too much time.
Meditation is for religious or spiritual people.
I don’t have a nice space to meditate.
There is only one type of meditation.
Meditation won’t make my problems go away.
And so on…..
Seeing as we now know meditation and mindfulness are not about not thinking or not moving, let's look at some of these other issues.
It takes years to get good?
Pfft! There is no being good or bad at meditating or being mindful. You are wherever you are at. Sometimes it's easy. Sometimes it's hard. Even the most experienced meditators have bad days. We are human. Be kind to yourself.
It takes too long.
It could……if you choose it to. But uhh? Who said you HAD to meditate for X amount of hours?! You’re a human? Living a human life? With human obstacles? Maybe today you have 5 mins to meditate or be mindful. Guess what? That's 5 mins more than you did before. Tomorrow you have an open schedule. Maybe it's better to get a long one in.
Maybe you're the type who requires short practice times? Maybe you're someone who needs more time? Sometimes….I sit for 5 mins. Other times….all day. It just depends on what I need at the time. Same goes for you. So! If you are worried about time, start with 5 mins. Hell! Start with ONE. The point is….just start.
You need to think about nothing.
That is not the goal. The goal is to just be, noticing the thoughts but letting them go. When I started, I used to say to the thought that popped into my head, “I see you but I am choosing to focus on my breath” and come back to my breath, mindfully focusing on the breath count.
Meditation or mindfulness is for religious or spiritual people.
Looky here ducky.... You are reading from the most non religious person you could meet. Haha truly. Mindfulness and meditation are for people who want to grow in some way, shape, or form. You do not need to follow a single religion or spiritual practice. Hey! Did you know RUSSELL BRAND meditates?! Yup! That bad ass rock star meditates!!!! AND! Will even teach meditation every now and again.
I don’t have a nice space to meditate.
Really? This is real life. Not Instagram. I started meditating in my bed before I went to sleep when my babies were little. As they got older, my partner and I separated. I continued to meditate in my bed before sleep learning to work with my breath. My daughters and I eventually needed to move again. We moved into the smallest shit box ever. It was falling apart, it was so costly to heat, we literally had stuff on top of each other looking like a hoarder and I still managed to learn to meditate. The only thing I would suggest is a pillow to sit on to keep your spine in proper alignment. You can find pillows in your home, at thrift shops, the dollar store or on sale dirt cheap at places like Walmart and Giant Tiger. You do not NEED anything. You require yourself and a few minutes. Hell! If you have a 30 mins bus ride, you can set a timer on your phone or watch and meditate while travelling. I love to do that.
There is only one type.
As mentioned above….there are MANY types of meditation and mindfulness practices for all types. If you are unsure of what might work for you, find a teacher to give some guidance. It's what they are there for. It's what they train for.
So! As you can see, there really is nothing to be concerned about when it comes to either practice.
With that….I hope I have eased some of your concerns with meditation and mindfulness. I hope you find what works for you.
Remember! Yoga teachers, mindfulness practitioners and fitness coaches are here to guide you so you don't hurt yourself and so you can move forward for yourself and your path. Don’t be afraid to find one that works with you. There are ALL kinds of meditation, mindfulness types out there. There are some that truly are so soft and gentle, some that are very spiritual, some that are rough around the edges for you stubborn MoFos, some religious and some you’d never see step near a church for fear it might explode when they stepped too close. There are many types of teachers so do not hesitate to try a few different ones out.
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