Are mindfulness and meditation the same thing?

While both mindfulness and meditation bear some similarities, they have distinct differences in what they ask of participants and how they guide experience.

Meditation

The task of meditating is usually to change your experience of the present moment in some way.  That may be accomplished through guided imagery specific to a certain scene, clearing the mind through mantras, focusing on the breath, or connecting to a higher power.  Meditation originated from Hinduism, so many of its forms are religious or spiritual in nature.  It often requires the participant to be in a quiet setting, lying or sitting comfortably, eyes closed, and is sometimes focused on reducing mental chatter.  For example, meditation for someone may be imagining a long walk on a beach or through the forest.  There’s usually a good amount of flexibility where meditation can take you.

Mindfulness

In mindfulness, the goal is only to be aware of the present moment.  Instead of eliminating thoughts or mentally traveling to another experience, the goal is to notice and allow whatever emotions, sensations, and thoughts are part of the here-and-now without clinging to them or attempting to escape them.  You don’t have to be in any particular place or doing any particular thing to use mindfulness; you can use this anywhere at any time.  Mindfulness can be focused on a certain element of your immediate experience, such as breathing, sensations of the body, food taste during a meal, gratitude, etc. 

Paying attention to the present moment also doesn’t mean that worries, anxieties, sadnesses, or irritations don’t exist, but rather that they are just part of our experience at that time.  For example, you can practice mindfulness during a conflict with your partner—noticing the emotions and thoughts that show up and maybe the urges present to react or attack.  Mindfulness can help to put space between the initial reaction and how you choose to respond.

Benefits

Meditation and mindfulness share many of the same benefits.  Both can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, increase self-awareness and insight, increase tolerance for emotions, and move us toward self-regulation.  The biggest plus with meditation and mindfulness is that they give the brain (and body) a break from being stuck in the past or anticipating the future. 

Youtube, Calm, Headspace, and websites such as www.mindfulnessexercises.com are all some great places to check out different variations of both.  Just do what feels best and right for you!