Quote for March
“Heaven is not located on high, but where the good of love is, and this resides within a person, wherever he or she might be”. - Emanuel Swedenborg
March’s story
Meditation/Mindfulness
I decided to write about Meditation and Mindfulness, two concepts that lie closely together and about which I found loads of information on the internet to share with you. Years ago, when the term mindfulness became popular, I was wondering if the terminology (the difference) is easier to understand in English than in other languages. Therefore, this short “study”.
I discovered a long time ago that for me, within Spiritualism, meditation is a good way, a necessity even, to attune to the Spirit world, but also, that being mindful is a great good in this hectic world we live in.
Similarities
Meditation and mindfulness embody many similarities and can overlap, but the terms are not exactly interchangeable. Let’s take a closer look.
We live in a time when Eastern philosophy has seeped into the mainstream Western way of life. Words like meditation and mindfulness have become everyday terms in Western colloquialism, but these words aren’t interchangeable.
Because they’re often used in a similar context, confusion about the differences is understandable. There are many ways to define, describe, and practice both, and their practical applications are incredibly intertwined.
Meditation
Meditation typically refers to formal, seated meditation practice. There are many types of meditation. Those that focus on opening your heart, expanding your awareness, calming your mind, experiencing inner peace, and the list goes on.
Some examples:
Breath-awareness meditation
Loving-kindness meditation
Mantra-based meditation
Visualization meditation
Guided meditation
Meditation is an intentional practice, where you use focus to increase calmness, concentration, awareness, and emotional balance. Seated meditation usually begins with deep breathing in a comfortable position, bringing all your awareness to your breath and consciously guiding the mind toward an anchor, or a single point of focus. In meditation, you typically spend a focused amount of time, anywhere from a minute to an hour or more, tuned inward.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention and noticing and being present in whatever you’re doing. When you are being actively mindful, you are noticing the world around you, as well as your thoughts, feelings, behaviours, movements and the effect you have on others around you.
You can practice mindfulness anytime, anywhere, and with anyone by being fully engaged in the here and now. Many people go about their daily lives with their minds wandering from the actual activity they are participating in, to other thoughts, desires, fears, or wishes. When you’re mindful, you are actively involved in the activity with all of your senses, in the present moment, gently bringing yourself back to the conversation or task at hand, instead of allowing your mind to wander.
Mindfulness can be practiced both informally (at any time or place) and formally (during seated meditation).
Where meditation is usually practiced for a specific amount of time, mindfulness can be applied to any situation throughout the day.
It can be difficult for the human mind to stay in the present moment. In fact, a Harvard study found that people spend 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are doing. This kind of mindlessness is the norm, as the mind spends its time focused on the past, the future, or muddling in should have’s and what if’s. The study also found that allowing the brain to run on auto-pilot like this can make people unhappy. “A wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” the researchers said.
This is where mindfulness can help. Here’s an example of an informal mindfulness practice you can try at any time of the day:
5 Senses Practice
Any time you complete a simple task—like brushing your teeth or washing your dishes, tune into your five senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. For each sense, name two to three examples of the things you notice as you complete the task.
For example, when you’re brushing your teeth, you may notice:
The flavour of the paste on your tongue.
The smell of the paste coming through your nostrils.
The cooling sensations.
The way the toothbrush moves over your teeth and gums.
The sounds of the bristles moving back and forth in your mouth.
Your reflection in the bathroom mirror and the lighting in the bathroom.
The tingling sensation of the paste on your gums and teeth.
This practice will help you tune into your surroundings and increase your present-moment awareness. If you practice this with everyday activities—even those you have done a thousand times, you will begin to notice new things about the space you are in, and to inhabit your life and body more deeply.
Practicing mindfulness during formal meditation supports and enriches your ability to be mindful in your everyday life. When you practice formal meditation, you strengthen your focus, presence, and mindfulness in every other part of your life. They feed and support each other, but meditation and mindfulness are two different things.
With love,
Juliet Joan
