I often get asked about the difference between mindfulness and meditation. Sometimes, my college students worry about taking my course, Mindful Choices, because they envision us sitting on cushions and meditating together for three hours.
While the two are related, meditation is one of the tools of mindfulness by which we develop the qualities of non-judgment, curiosity, openness, equanimity, compassion, present moment focus, etc. … the tenets of mindfulness. With both meditation and mindfulness, we are being aware or “noticing,” as Ellen Langer, professor and mindfulness researcher, says.
Meditation is a practice of quieting and focusing the mind, while mindfulness is a quality of being. We bring this quality developed by meditation to all other activities we do in and outside of class.
Besides meditation and breathing exercises, mindfulness covers activities like journaling, using our senses in nature, making art, having dialogue, and intentionally savoring moments, for example. We don’t have to sit on a cushion to be mindful; we can do this anywhere at any time.