comparison
As you embark on your own journey of mental wellness, you will come across new concepts and terms. Like learning a new subject, I hope this page helps explain meditation, mindfulness, guided instructions, meditation apps, Zen, mantra, and more.
mindfulness vs meditation
There are many meditation techniques. To me, to meditate is to sustain a particular technique over a period of time, in order to cultivate a positive mental quality. This can be concentration, relaxation, and even memory!
Mindfulness, Transcendental, mantra, Zen or Qigong – which technique is suitable for you?
popular meditation
From research, you will find many meditation techniques. For example, Transcendental Meditation and Zen meditation. There’s also meditation for Christians and Buddhists. Others prefer to meditate using music or mantra. Even Qigong is considered a movement-based meditation. As you will notice, each approach has specific instructions to achieve a desired state.
mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness is about the awareness that arises as a result of paying attention to the present moment. Therefore, mindfulness meditation seeks to habituate the mind to be aware of what’s going on right here, right now. This can include sensations from our body, our thoughts and emotions, and even our surroundings. In popular media, a common shorthand for the mental training is just the term “mindfulness”, which can add to the confusion.
experience mindfulness for yourself.
spot the difference
To illustrate my point about meditation, I’ve compiled a simple table comparing meditation techniques of mindfulness, Transcendental and Zen below. I hope it will help you appreciate the similarities and differences between the approaches.
Note: My intent is to aid understanding. I have attempted to ensure the accuracy of the content based on direct experiences, generally-accepted principles, and speaking with practitioners. If you spot a glaring mistake, please highlight it to me.
technique | mindfulness | transcendental | zen |
|---|---|---|---|
| origins | India | India | China |
| other names | awareness, focused attention | TM | zazen, chán |
| religion | none | none | Buddhism |
| basic instruction | paying attention to the breath | chanting a silent mantra | paying attention to the breath |
| expected outcome | insight into reality | relaxation, stress reduction, self-development | insight into reality |
| posture | sitting, lying down, standing, walking | sitting | sitting |
| suggested duration | >40 mins per practice | 20 mins per practice, twice a day | >40 mins per practice |
| self-taught | yes | a TM teacher needs to share a mantra with you | yes |
mindfulness vs mindfulness
The term “mindfulness” generally appears in two areas: as a therapeutic approach, and in Buddhism. When popular words are used interchangeably in mainstream and religion (e.g. “fellowship”, “guru”), there is potential for confusion. And an opportunity to clarify.
As a therapy, practitioners see it as a way of improving awareness in their lives, especially noticing the well-worn patterns of thoughts, beliefs and behaviours. The habit of being aware then gives us an opportunity to choose a more deliberate course of action. Mindfulness-based interventions are used in psychiatry, with strong evidence of effectiveness in managing stress, depression and anxiety.
The mindfulness referred to in Buddhism is sama sati, grounded on Buddha’s teachings. Instead of being a standalone skill, it is about understanding the nature of the mind; living skillfully through thoughts, speech and action; and actively choosing the path of non-suffering.
apps and guided instructions
Meditation apps on mobile devices offer convenience. The better ones are easy to use and provide access to a library of guided instructions, relaxing sounds such as ambient music or sounds of nature, plus tools to keep track of time and connect with like-minded users.
I’ve sampled many apps and settled on simpler ones like Buddhify and Insight Timer. I also have the Muse 2 headband which measures real-time mental and body activities.
These are innovative ways to support your practice. In other words, they are technological companions to progress your journey. Notice if you are becoming reliant on them. Will your mental training remain disciplined without your device? Can you notice the quality of your practice without soothing music and guided instructions? What shows up in your body and mind? Are you able to observe such reactions with curiosity?
understandnow