Meditation is an umbrella time period for all kinds of practices. Beneath this umbrella, practices embrace (however should not restricted to) loving-kindness meditation, mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, and affirmation meditation.
Some meditations contain a mix of practices, which may result in confusion about what’s what. Two varieties of meditation which are typically mixed however which are distinct practices are affirmation meditation and mindfulness meditation. On this article, we discover the similarities and variations between these two practices.
Whether or not you’re a private meditation practitioner or meditation trainer, having the ability to differentiate between practices is useful. As a practitioner, it helps you be intentional about what you’re practising and why. As a trainer, it lets you acquire readability round what you supply to your college students. Let’s dive in to find how these practices differ and the way they overlap.
Affirmations vs. Mindfulness: Key Variations
Let’s begin by looking on the core ideas of those two distinct practices.
First, now we have affirmation meditation. An affirmation (throughout the context of meditation) is a optimistic assertion that reinforces one thing we need to really feel, embody, or consider. Examples embrace:
Affirmation meditation makes use of a number of optimistic statements as the main focus of our observe. Typically, the approach is to repeat these statements internally and to really feel their vitality inside each thoughts and physique. The objective? To hardwire these optimistic beliefs into who we’re, cultivating a optimistic mindset.
Then again, mindfulness is about non-judgmental, moment-to-moment consciousness. It’s not about making an attempt to really feel a sure manner. Quite, it’s about opening to what’s proper right here, proper now – with care and curiosity.
Mindfulness meditation is a proper observe of sitting with ‘what’s’. It’s about cultivating caring, curious consciousness of any facet of our expertise – akin to respiration, the bodily physique, our ideas, or our feelings. The objective? To strengthen our capability to reside within the current second.
After we look at the core ideas, observe, and targets of every meditation outlined above, we are able to begin to perceive the distinction. Affirmation meditation is about cultivating or affirming a optimistic thought or expertise, whereas mindfulness is about cultivating consciousness of no matter our expertise is – proper now.
Although affirmation meditation can be utilized to reaffirm what’s already current, it’s most frequently future-oriented. It has us asking: The place do I need to go? Who do I need to be? What do I need to embody?
In mindfulness meditation, we could turn into conscious of future-oriented ideas, however we don’t take motion on them. We discover no matter is right here. We discover as issues come and as issues go, remaining anchored within the current second.
The Overlapping Floor: Similarities
Whereas these two practices are basically completely different of their objective and approach, there are just a few similarities. Think about the next factors of overlap between mindfulness meditation and affirmation meditation:
Combining Affirmations and Mindfulness
Many individuals who meditate really feel drawn in direction of each affirmations and mindfulness – and that’s nice! These two strategies will be interwoven fantastically, serving to us to be each absolutely attuned to this second and work with our goals of the longer term.
Listed here are 3 ways to mix affirmations and mindfulness:
1. Affirmations within the Physique
As you’re repeating an affirmation, get interested in the way it lands in your physique. What do you discover? Are there any physique components that tug at your consideration? Are there components of your physique the place the affirmation feels deeply true? Others the place there may be uncertainty? Maintain no matter you observe with care and curiosity.
2. Affirm the Current
Affirmations don’t should be future-focused. They’ll remind us of what’s already current and true for us. For instance, you would possibly work with a conscious affirmation akin to:
3. Mindfulness of Room to Develop
A 3rd method to incorporate mindfulness and affirmations is to start out with the previous earlier than shifting to the latter. In different phrases, use mindfulness meditation to deliver caring curiosity to recurring thought patterns. Be aware the thought patterns that don’t serve your progress and wellbeing. For a short time in formal mindfulness meditation, don’t attempt to change them. Allow them to be. Then, select an affirmation that will assist you to to ‘attempt on’ a optimistic thought to counter the limiting one.
As an illustration, in case you discover that you just’re typically doubting your skill to beat challenges, maintain this recognition in your consciousness with care and curiosity. Then, you would possibly work with an affirmation akin to “I’m resilient and might overcome all obstacles.”
Widespread Misconceptions About Mindfulness and Affirmations
When practising both mindfulness or optimistic affirmations, it’s useful to pay attention to frequent misconceptions associated to each practices. These are three of them:
Summing Up
As you proceed down a meditative path (or as you look to start one), understanding the variations and similarities between mindfulness and affirmations may also help you be extra intentional about your observe. When you train meditation, this consciousness may also help you to steer others with higher readability and precision.
Do not forget that there’s no proper or fallacious observe to decide to. What issues is that you’re practising strategies that serve you and people round you. Your observe of choice could change additional time – or you may weave your favourite practices collectively. Let your journey be as distinctive as you’re – and versatile to the unfolding street forward.
