If you’re new to meditation and mindfulness, you may have wondered how these two practices differ. Many people use the terms interchangeably, and to make things even more confusing, they’re often combined in the phrase “mindfulness meditation.”

I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the nuances between these two closely related practices, and I’m often surprised by how many experienced meditators struggle to clearly define how meditation differs from mindfulness. Let’s break it down into key similarities and differences to bring more clarity to these foundational concepts.

What Meditation and Mindfulness Have in Common

1. Both Promote Well-Being

Both meditation and mindfulness help reduce stress, cultivate positive emotions, and develop qualities like compassion and forgiveness. They also help us break free from constant mental chatter, making space for greater clarity and calm.

2. Both Train Attention

At their core, meditation and mindfulness are about where and how we place our attention. Both practices help us become more aware of our thoughts, emotions, and surroundings, enabling us to respond to life with greater presence and intention.

Key Differences Between Meditation and Mindfulness

1. Meditation Turns Attention Inward, Mindfulness Turns Attention Outward

Meditation typically involves closing the eyes and withdrawing attention from the external world to explore the mind’s inner workings. This inward focus helps develop deep concentration and insight.

Mindfulness, on the other hand, is about being fully present in the external world. Instead of closing off sensory input, we become more attuned to our surroundings, observing everything as it unfolds in the present moment.

2. Meditation Builds Concentration, Mindfulness Cultivates Awareness

Meditation is a practice of selective attention—we choose a single object of focus (such as the breath, a mantra, or an emotion) and return to it whenever distractions arise. This focused attention sharpens concentration, a process known as dharana in Sanskrit teachings.

Mindfulness is a practice of open awareness—instead of focusing on one thing, we remain receptive to everything happening in our field of experience. It’s about noticing thoughts, sounds, sensations, and emotions without attachment or resistance.

Think of it this way:

Meditation: Like focusing on a single dot on a wall, ignoring everything else.
Mindfulness: Like observing the entire wall, including all the dots.

3. Meditation Is a Formal Practice, Mindfulness Is a Way of Life

Meditation is a deliberate, structured practice that we sit down to do—usually for a set amount of time. Most people meditate for 10 to 60 minutes a day, using a chair, cushion, or mat.

Mindfulness, in contrast, is an informal, ongoing practice that we integrate into daily life. You can practice mindfulness while brushing your teeth, driving, eating, or even washing the dishes. It’s about bringing present-moment awareness into everything you do.

4. Meditation Leads to Transcendence, Mindfulness Grounds Us in Presence

Mindfulness keeps us engaged in our everyday experience—it helps us become more “here and now.”

Meditation, however, can take us beyond ordinary experience. As concentration deepens, we may enter states of absorption (dhyana) and even transcendence (samadhi)—expanding beyond thoughts, emotions, and the physical world into a blissful state of stillness.

What Is Mindfulness Meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is a hybrid practice that blends aspects of both meditation and mindfulness. It combines the stillness of meditation with the open awareness of mindfulness.

We sit with eyes open or closed.
We choose a primary anchor of focus, such as the breath.
We maintain a broad awareness of all sensations, sounds, and emotions without judgment.

This style of meditation is widely used in therapeutic settings, particularly through Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It’s a highly accessible method for reducing stress and enhancing mental well-being.

Final Thoughts

Meditation and mindfulness are deeply connected, yet distinct practices. Meditation is about turning inward, developing deep concentration, and possibly transcending the everyday mind. Mindfulness is about turning outward, bringing awareness to the present moment in daily life.

Both offer profound benefits—whether you sit for formal meditation or cultivate mindfulness throughout your day, each practice has the power to transform your well-being.