These days, mindfulness and meditation are often thought of as one and the same. It can get confusing. The two complement each other and often overlap. Let’s take a quick look at the differences…

Mindfulness is being aware, and non-judgmentally paying attention to the present moment. You can be mindful anywhere, anytime and with anyone you like.

Meditation, in contrast, is an activity; it’s a thing you do. To put it simply, meditation is when you intentionally set aside time to do something good for yourself. Often meditation means you’re sitting still and following a particular focus, such as noticing the sensations of the breath, and coming back, over and over again as you get distracted. You can think of meditation as an activity of focused mindfulness or focused attention. There are all kinds of meditations.

And here’s where the confusion comes in… One of the most popular types of meditation is Mindfulness meditation. Its intention is to teach unconditional presence.

So, to sum it up, mindfulness is both a general awareness of the world and also a formal meditation practice. It’s two things, not one.

Mindfulness supports and enriches mediation, while meditation nurtures and expands mindfulness.

Hope that helps! Xoxo!