Mindfulness & Meditation: The Differences, Benefits, and How-To’s
Mindfulness and meditation embody many similarities and can overlap, but they are not the same. Here’s a closer look:
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. Here are some examples:
Mindfulness meditation
Loving-kindness meditation
Breath-awareness meditation
Body scan or progressive relaxation
Mantra-based meditation
Visualization meditation
Guided meditation
Meditation is an intentional practice where you focus inward to increase calmness, concentration, and emotional balance. It is all about letting go. You cultivate the power of surrender. That gives your body deep rest, and with it, the ability to heal itself.
Benefits
Here are several scientifically proven ways meditation rewires your brain for happiness, peace, and success:
Meditation Reduces Stress Through Relaxation – The Harvard Medical School has been one of the pioneers in scientific studies of the benefits and healing impact of meditation. Relaxation can change our body’s chemistry, balancing the body to its natural state with no stress or agitation.
Meditation Improves Focus – Research shows that meditation improves cognition and increases your ability to performs tasks requiring focus.
Meditation Improves Relationships – It improves your ability to empathize, and it hones your ability to pick up on cues indicating how others are feeling. Meditation also increases your emotional stability, making you less likely to be influenced by any negative people in your life.
Control of Emotions, Less Agitation – Meditation and being focused in your mind can help you better control emotions. A relaxed mindset leads to less anxiety and reduces the intensity of mood swings and anger episodes.
Meditation Increase Your Sense of Well-Being – Mindfulness meditation increases your psychological functioning and, in the process, improves your sense of well-being. Yoga and tai-chi have been found to do this also.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is all about being aware, which of course, includes the practice of meditation. It’s noticing and paying attention to thoughts, feelings, behavior, and everything else. We can practice mindfulness at any time, wherever we are, whoever we are with, and whatever we are doing by showing up and being fully engaged in the here and now.
Mindfulness also releases ‘happy’ chemicals in the brain; it lowers blood pressure, improves digestion, and relaxes tension around pain. It is simple to practice and wonderful in effect.
Mindfulness and meditation are mirror-like reflections; mindfulness supports and enriches meditation, while meditation nurtures and expands mindfulness. While you can apply mindfulness to any situation throughout the day, meditation is usually practiced for a specific amount of time.
Mindfulness is the awareness of “some-thing,” while meditation is the awareness of “no-thing.”
Schedule your complimentary 15-minute Assessment today and learn how to improve the quality of your health and well-being.
If you are a yoga practitioner, you know that yoga means “yoke” or “union.” Thus, yoga is the practice that aims to join the mind, body, and spirit. The ultimate goal of yoga is to achieve liberation.
Yoga is not a system of beliefs but of techniques and guidance for living a more enhanced life. It is a set of principles for well-being on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Yoga works primarily with the energy in the body through the science of pranayama or energy control. Prana also means ‘breath.’ Yoga teaches how, through breath-control, to still the mind and attain higher states of awareness.
It is not a religion, nor does it come from Hinduism any more than gravity comes from Christianity.
The word Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” or “disk.” The Chakra System refers to the seven main individual spinning wheels of energy located throughout the body, containing bundles of nerves and major organs and our psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being.
In her book, Chakra Yoga, Anodea Judith states, “As a yoke, the chakra system is a bridge between polarities: heaven and earth, inner and outer, above and below, matter and consciousness, mind and body.”
Yoga is not only a path to higher consciousness; it is also a path for bringing divine energy down into us, ultimately leading us to realize that our inner and outer worlds are one. The goal of the chakra system is wholeness and integration, and the arrangement of the chakras provides a map for the journey to awakening the Divine within you.
Chakra yoga is more about the inner world than the outer. It is focused more on the subtle energy than on the mechanics of a pose. It embraces the chakras as a profound path to divine awakening within your inner temple, which is what yoga has always been.
A Chakra Yoga workshop is about focusing your yoga practice on the chakras and how to use yoga to access your subtle energy by using postures, pranayama (breath control), mantras, imagery, and meditation. The practice and postures are categorized according to the chakras, although postures for one chakra may help open another. And many poses influence several chakras at once.
The Chakras are:
Root (First) Chakra—Root Support—Earth; Grounding; Poses: The base of every pose but especially relevant to standing poses
Sacral (Second) Chakra—One’s Own Place—Water; Flowing; Poses: Hip openers, forward bends, splits.
Third Eye (Sixth) Chakra—Perceive, Command—Light; Radiance; Poses: Sitting, balancing, inversions
Crown (Seventh) Chakra—Thousandfold Lotus—Consciousness; Stillness; Poses: Sitting still, Savasana, headstand, inversions in general
The poses start with the Root Chakra and work their way up to the Crown Chakra—this is called Liberating the Chakras. When you liberate the chakras, you can work from the Crown Chakra down through the Root Chakra—this is called Manifesting Through the Chakras—and another workshop altogether.
The point to remember is that you cannot manifest through your chakras until you liberate or balance them.
Part 1 gave you a few ideas about where to begin your journey from where you are to where you want to be—meditation, setting your intention, clearing out limiting beliefs and blocks, and discovering your life purpose.
In Part 2, you learned that you need to communicate your vision or dream and were given SMART goals to clarify what you need to say by writing them in your journal. You now need to move your idea into the world of relationships.
Part 3 asks you to write down all the things you love about your dream, as well as questions to ask yourself to bring it to fruition successfully. When you create something beautiful, it will attract love.
Part 4 is where the rubber meets the road, so continue to visualize, sit in meditation, and ask for guidance. Here is where you must claim your personal power and use it for a higher purpose. You do this by strengthening your will by following through with what is necessary to move you closer to your dream.
In Part 5, your enthusiasm takes over as you begin to see the results of putting your plan into action, and your passion ignites a fire underneath you that fuels the momentum you need to continue. At this point in the manifestation process, an essential step to truly live the life you want is to take pleasure in everything you’ve done so far.
Going With the Flow
You know, when there’s enthusiasm in a room, it’s contagious. The same is true for your passion—it also ignites others. This is where you have fun and take pleasure in the process.
Sticking with your tasks and projects from the SMART goals you set, you’ve noticed you’ve begun to move, and you see results. And when movement happens, things seem to flow with ease.
But this doesn’t mean sitting back and watching. You want to create a big splash as you swim downstream, so you must get up early and do what needs to be done on your list. Now is not the time to lay back—when there’s momentum going, it’s the time to push. Ask for what you want, and you will attract what you need to make your dream come true. Find a way to make your daily actions fun and pleasurable so you can fuel your passion to the end. You are almost to your destination.
Being, Doing, Having
Here’s where you’ve gone from being (who you have to be to create your dream) to doing (what you have to do to make it come true) to having (you have your vision in the physical world). To have your dream become a reality requires two commitments. One, you complete each step of the process in body, heart, and mind; two, you allow the time to achieve your SMART goals, which are both time-based and measurable.
By being the person you need to be and doing the things you need to do, you will have what you want and desire in life. When you complete all the steps, you have brought your vision into physical form, whether it’s a finished book, a new business, or a new home. Your manifestation is complete.
For a deeper understanding of how you can create on purpose, contact me.
Many of the ideas and steps in this 5-part series, “Are You Where You Want to be in Life?” are taken from Anodea Judith’s, Creating on Purpose: The Spiritual Technology of Manifesting Through the Chakras.
Part 1 gave you a few ideas about where to begin your journey from where you are to where you want to be—meditation, setting your intention, clearing out limiting beliefs and blocks, and discovering your life purpose.
In Part 2, you learned that you need to communicate your vision or dream and were given SMART goals to clarify what you need to say by writing them in your journal. You now need to move your idea into the world of relationships.
Part 3 asks you to write down all the things you love about your dream, as well as questions to ask yourself to bring it to fruition successfully. When you create something beautiful, it will attract love.
Part 4 is where the rubber meets the road, so continue to visualize, sit in meditation, and ask for guidance. Here is where you must claim your personal power and use it for a higher purpose. You do this by strengthening your will by following through with what is necessary to move you closer to your dream.
How do you strengthen your will?
To become empowered and master the manifestation process, you must take charge of your reality by taking action now. Don’t wait for the perfect moment—it will never come. If you miss the mark, you can always readjust later. You will run into obstacles, but you strengthen your will and personal power by finding ways to overcome them.
Measure Your Personal Power
In your journal, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 in the following:
I control and focus my attention.
I manage my physical energy during the day.
I manage my money, finances, and resources.
I keep my word to myself and commit to my daily discipline.
I keep my word to others and say when I can’t.
I can manage my thoughts, beliefs, and reactions.
I am organized in my work and accomplish my goals.
Choose the area where your personal power is the weakest and dedicate a certain amount of time to strengthening it—a week, a month, whatever you decide. For instance, if you can’t manage your finances, talk to a financial expert.
You need the willpower to follow through to do what’s necessary to move you closer to your dream. To travel the road paved with good intentions, you need the fire.
To raise your fire, you need more energy. To have more energy, use more breath, dance, or rest. If you use too much, however, the fire will burn out.
Intention↓ goes down ↓
Energy ↑ goes up ↑ , and they meet—WILL.
To manifest your dream, you now take action on the SMART Goalsyou set earlier, which is where you put your plan in motion. Always begin with the end in mind. Step into your fear and do it anyway. What’s the worse thing that can happen? You fail, right? Big deal! You have to fail sometimes to succeed.
Take charge, and like Nike, the slogan says, “Just Do It!”
If you happen to come across an obstacle, keep moving forward—no matter what— and remind yourself of your intention. Clear each block as they come along; don’t let them build up. Ask for help, feedback, advice. Do whatever it takes, and the fear you have will be overtaken by your desire, energy, and fire.
Be willing to put it all on the line for your dream. It’s what you’ve always wanted, so go for it!
Part 5 and the final blog post in this series will tie everything up in a neat little bow for you. Stay tuned; you won’t want to miss the end piece for creating the life you want. Namaste!
To learn more details in creating your dream on purpose, contact me for a complimentary 30-Minute Discovery Session.
Part 1 gave you a few ideas about where to begin your journey from where you are to where you want to be; meditation, setting your intention, clearing out limiting beliefs and blocks, and discovering your life purpose. In Part 2, you learned that you need to communicate your vision or dream and were given SMART goals to clarify what you need to say by writing them in your journal. You now need to move your plan into the world of relationships.
What Do You Love About Your Dream?
When you are passionate about your dream, you are opening your heart to all that is possible. Since the heart is the link between energy and matter and the mind and body, it is the foundation for unifying these opposing sides. It connects your energy (spirit) and matter, as well as your mind and body, enhancing their relationships.
As with anything in life, your dreams, visions, or goals will incur challenges and hurdles to overcome, making it vital for you to remember what you love about your dream.
Write down all the things you love about your dream.
Ensure they are in alignment with your core values, inspire you, and elevate your heart. Use the list to reaffirm your passion when you encounter hardships along the way.
An important element for obtaining your dream that it benefits not only yourself but includes others. In what ways does it serve other people? Are you helping, being of service—or is your vision all about you and what you want? This is the heart of relationships—emphasizing your service to others.
As a result of service to others, new relationships will be created that will help you attain your dream. You’ve communicated your needs, received support for them, and now the right connections will be formed. When you live in heart consciousness, the network of friends, family, co-workers, and others you’ve established will help you find the right relationships necessary for the manifestation of your dream.
Questions to ask yourself if you want to bring your dream to fruition successfully:
Who do I know? Who do I want to know?
How can I connect with more people? How can I make deeper connections?
Who knows me? Who should know me?
Who are my ideal clients or customers? What are their needs, wants, and desires?
Who would benefit from being connected to my dreams? How would my goal serve them?
Is what you are creating filled with beauty and love?
Beauty opens our hearts to love and connects heaven and earth, just as it is between mind and body. The act of creating something of beauty is a way of bringing good into the world. Infused with optimism, it says simply: Life is worthwhile. The effort to create enduring beauty is not dependent on style but truth. Beauty is resilient; it is life-affirming, it gives back to create more life.
Take time to add beauty to your creation—it will attract love—and what is truly loved becomes beautiful and is eternal.
Part 4 shares how your personal will is strengthened, plans your map to success, and handles all the challenges and obstacles to overcome them.
To learn more details in creating your dream on purpose, contact me for a complimentary 30-Minute Discovery Session.
Part 1 gave you a few ideas about where to begin your journey from where you are to where you want to be. After you have meditated, set your intention, cleared out any limiting beliefs(if you’re not sure how to, I can help), and discovered your life purpose, you now need to communicate it to others.
Telling Your Story
The words you choose when communicating your vision are vital to make it materialize. When you tell your story to others with enthusiasm, it may inspire them to help you achieve your dream by offering support or advice. Doing this gives you the necessary feedback to hone your vision to clarify what you want precisely.
What do you most want others to know about your vision, and why?
How do you want people to feel after you’ve told them about your vision?
What do you fear most about the response you receive from them? What is the best feedback you could hear?
Do you want others to help you after you tell them about your dream? How would you ask them?
Setting SMART Goals
SMART is an acronym used to set your goals, dreams, or visions in a measurable and timely manner so you can track if you’re on course to achieve them. What does SMART stand for?
S—SPECIFIC: What do you want to accomplish? Why is it important to you? What actions will you take? When will this be accomplished? Who, if anyone, needs to be involved?
M—MEASURABLE: How much (money, time, etc.)? How can you measure your progress? How will you know when you’ve accomplished it?
A—ATTAINABLE: Is your dream achievable? Do you have the necessary skills, talent, time, or other resources required?
R—REALISTIC: Is your vision meaningful and in line with the direction you are headed in life? Is it applicable to what you are working to achieve?
T—TIME-BOUND: Is there a specific deadline for you to complete your dream or vision?
Be clear about your vision by listing five goals essential for its completion. Write them down in your journal as a proclamation such as, “I will do whatever it takes to…” Next, place the order for completion timewise. Notice if one needs to be completed before moving on to another.
Once you know what it will take to create your vision, you now need to communicate it to bring it into form. If you need help with it, ASK! If you don’t ask, the answer is always NO! When you talk about your goals, visions, or dreams, they are at the forefront of your mind, and you place your attention on them.
Talking, sharing, speaking, dreaming all bring attention to whatever it is you’re creating. Writing affirmations and then sharing them with others keeps the focus on them and creates enthusiasm with others who may help catapult you in manifesting them.
Remember one thing—don’t die with the dream still inside you.
After setting your goals and communicating them to others, you now have the tools to enhance those relationships and enrich them. Part 3 focuses on the steps you need to take to fulfill your heart’s desires.
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