Affirmations vs. Meditation: Unraveling the Variations

Meditation is an umbrella time period for all kinds of practices. Beneath this umbrella, practices embody (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 sorts of meditation which might be usually mixed however which might be 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 achieve readability round what you provide to your college students. Let’s dive in to find how these practices differ and the way they overlap.

Let’s begin by having a look on the core ideas of those two distinct practices.

First, we’ve affirmation meditation. An affirmation (inside the context of meditation) is a optimistic assertion that reinforces one thing we need to really feel, embody, or consider. Examples embody: 

Affirmation meditation makes use of a number of optimistic statements as the main target of our follow. Typically, the approach is to repeat these statements internally and to really feel their power inside each thoughts and physique. The purpose? To hardwire these optimistic beliefs into who we’re, cultivating a optimistic mindset.

However, mindfulness is about non-judgmental, moment-to-moment consciousness. It’s not about making an attempt to really feel a sure method. Slightly, it’s about opening to what’s proper right here, proper now – with care and curiosity.

Mindfulness meditation is a proper follow of sitting with ‘what’s’. It’s about cultivating caring, curious consciousness of any facet of our expertise – comparable to respiratory, the bodily physique, our ideas, or our feelings. The purpose? To strengthen our capability to reside within the current second.

Once we look at the core ideas, follow, and targets of every meditation outlined above, we will 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 might 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.

Whereas these two practices are basically totally different of their goal and approach, there are a couple of similarities. Think about the next factors of overlap between mindfulness meditation and affirmation meditation:

Many individuals who meditate really feel drawn in the direction of each affirmations and mindfulness – and that’s nice! These two strategies could be interwoven superbly, 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:

As you’re repeating an affirmation, get inquisitive about 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’s uncertainty? Maintain no matter you observe with care and curiosity.

Affirmations don’t need to 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 comparable to:

A 3rd solution to incorporate mindfulness and affirmations is to begin with the previous earlier than transferring to the latter. In different phrases, use mindfulness meditation to carry caring curiosity to recurring thought patterns. Be aware the thought patterns that don’t serve your development 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 might assist you to ‘attempt on’ a optimistic thought to counter the limiting one. 

As an illustration, should you discover that you just’re usually doubting your capacity to beat challenges, maintain this recognition in your consciousness with care and curiosity. Then, you would possibly work with an affirmation comparable to “I’m resilient and might overcome all obstacles.”

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:

As you proceed down a meditative path (or as you look to start one), understanding the variations and similarities between mindfulness and affirmations will help you be extra intentional about your follow. Should you train meditation, this consciousness will help you to guide others with higher readability and precision.

Do not forget that there’s no proper or fallacious follow to decide to. What issues is that you’re practising strategies that serve you and people round you. Your follow of choice might change additional time – or you’ll be able to weave your favourite practices collectively. Let your journey be as distinctive as you might be – and versatile to the unfolding street forward.