Ten Days Calm

Day 2: Mindfulness or Meditation

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What exactly are mindfulness and meditation? As words they are often used interchangeably and in a way have similar meanings, but are they different and can we use both to help calm our body and mind?

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Mindfulness is a word that has become very popular over the last few years, put it in front of any verb and you will find it being sold somewhere - Mindful colouring, mindful eating, mindful yoga.

By definition, being mindful of something means to do it with conscious awareness, to focus on the present moment. The practice of mindfulness seems to be internal - focus on the one thing you are doing in this moment, being present to daily life or tasks and shutting out all else around you. Being aware of the food you are eating; how it tastes, the texture, the temperature of the food, the process it went through to be on your plate, its nutritional value to you. Being aware of your body as you practice yoga, mindful of any injuries or areas of stress or tension. Being aware as you colour in a picture, mindful not to go over the lines or to mix the colours of the felt tip pens.

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Meditation for me is a more mental practice. Although the idea of walking meditations and eating meditations exists, typically you would sit or lie to meditate, and this may conjure up the image of a half naked man sitting cross legged on a cushion humming. The stillness of our body is to allow the mind the space and capacity to work.

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Meditation is often defined as the ability or the practice of concentrating on one single thing, and here is where the similarity with mindfulness comes in.

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You may meditate on a big decision you need to make or a problem you need to solve. You may have an external object to meditate on, such as a candle or a piece of chocolate. You may meditate on the sounds of nature or the feel of the rain on your skin as you sit outside. Yoga nidra can be considered a meditation type of practice and we will learn more about this later on.

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So I think my definition and differentiation of the two is that mindfulness is a practice you do while doing something else whereas meditation is the thing you are doing. But this may be different for everyone, and ultimately if you are spending time doing either and you make it your own personal practice then it doesn’t really matter what you call it.

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Have you ever thought to define these two words? What do you associate each with? And does it really matter what we call it? Write down a few ways you could be more mindful in your daily tasks, perhaps pick a chore you don’t usually enjoy such as the ironing and be really mindful of what you’re doing, what effect your effort has on the clothes you are ironing.

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Each Moment is Precious by Patricia A Fleming

Live in the moment, just take it all in.

Pay attention to everything, right there and right then.

Don’t let your mind wander to what’s coming next.

Cherish this moment and give it your best.

Don’t let tomorrow make you rush through today,

Or too many great moments will just go to waste.

And the person you’re with, in that moment you share,

Give them all of your focus; be totally there.

Laugh till it hurts, let the tears drop.

Fill up each moment with all that you’ve got.

Don’t miss the details; the lesson is there.

Don’t get complacent; stay sharp and aware.

It can take but a moment to change your life’s path.

And once it ticks by, there is no going back.

In just 60 seconds, you may make a new friend.

Find your true love, or see a life start or end.

You become who you are in those moments you live.

And the growth’s not in taking but in how much you give.

Life is just moments, so precious and few.

Whether valued or squandered, It’s all up to you!