Meditation & Mindfulness – Understanding the difference and how they work together
Mindfulness: The art of becoming aware of every action in your life, we currently are more robotic in our actions, mostly done out of habit. We only become aware when something is out of plan. Walking, driving, eating are some of the everyday activities we do without much thought, hence we are able to think all the time. If one becomes aware of each action, like for eg walking, if we become aware of placement of our foot, lifting each foot, leg movement then we would need to be in the present moment, we cannot be in thoughts else we will miss steps of walking, When we are eating – if we are totally aware then we know the action of our hands, chewing, the taste, more minute details of the food and that would require us to be in the present moment aware of the current activity and not in thoughts
This is what is referred to as mindful acts or mindfulness.
Mindfulness then helps you respond not react, some of the impacts as you can read everywhere “Mindfulness has been shown to have many positive impacts, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving focus and cognitive abilities, increasing emotional regulation, enhancing overall well-being, and promoting better sleep”
A beautiful saying –” If you are sad you are in the past, if you are anxious you are in the future and if you are peaceful then you are in the present”
If our aim is to be peaceful & happy then that can only occur in the now, in the present
Not in the past or the future.
We can start with small activities so as to not become disheartened, where we are doing it with complete awareness and then incorporate it as a habit into every part of your living
Living in the present is what all saints have asked us to do as life is only in the present.. you connect with Divine energy only in the present and hence life is in the present
Meditation on the other hand is the state of nothingness, where the I does not exist too
In mindfulness, the I exists and till the I exists ego exists, once the I melts everything melts and then you become one with the true self “The Divine “
Mindfulness is the way to live life, the art of living in the Here and now, without any judgement of right /wrong, good/bad
This will then lead to becoming a watcher of life as it flows and then when you go into meditation you are easily able to be no body, no mind and then no I, that is the state of samadhi
Now we need to remember we have a lot of conditioning, baggage and habits that are not easy to let go We need to understand the obstacles that will come in the path of mindfulness living or in the end reaching the state of meditation..
It cannot be done theoretically or intellectually but has to become a way of your being and for that proper guidance is the best way.
Finding the right meditation course, meditation programs or a place that shares a complete meditative lifestyle would be your first step towards this journey..
Enlightened circle is a beautiful platform that holds meditation programs in Delhi and the meditation practices are so easy for today’s contemporary man
Visit www.enlightenedcircle.in to know more about the upcoming meditation programs in Delhi and the registration process.
