Meditation vs Mindfulness
Meditation vs Mindfulness: What’s the Difference, Really?
Meditation and mindfulness are two words that get used interchangeably — and understandably so. They’re closely related, but they’re not the same thing.
At MyndFit, we explain it like this:
Meditation is a practice.
Mindfulness is putting meditation into practice.
Mindfulness therefore is living what we call “a meditative life.”
Simple. Grounded. Practical.
Let’s unpack what that actually means.
Meditation: The Practice
Meditation is something you do.
It’s a deliberate practice where you set aside time to train your mind — often by focusing on the breath, observing thoughts, or tuning into bodily sensations. It usually has a beginning and an end. You sit. You practice. You finish.
Think of meditation as mental training.
Just like going to the gym strengthens your body, meditation strengthens your ability to:
Notice what’s happening internally
Stay present
Respond rather than react
Regulate emotions more effectively
Meditation builds capacity.
But — and this is important — meditation doesn’t end when you open your eyes.
That’s where mindfulness comes in.
Mindfulness: Putting the Practice Into Life
Mindfulness is how you live.
It’s what happens when the awareness you cultivate during meditation starts showing up in everyday moments:
Noticing tension in your body before it becomes stress
Catching a reactive thought before it runs the show
Feeling an emotion without needing to suppress it or act it out
Being present in a conversation instead of lost in your head
Mindfulness is awareness in motion.
You don’t need a cushion, silence, or a special environment. You can be mindful while:
Driving
Working
Parenting
Having a difficult conversation
Feeling anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed
In other words:
Meditation is the training ground.
Mindfulness is the real world.
Living a Meditative Life
When people hear “mindfulness,” they sometimes imagine something passive or abstract.
In reality, mindfulness is deeply practical.
Living a meditative life doesn’t mean being calm all the time or floating above life’s challenges. It means:
Being in actual reality, not a preferred one
Noticing what’s happening without immediately resisting it
Responding with intention instead of habit
It’s the difference between:
“I’m anxious — something must be wrong.”
and
“I notice anxiety arising — how do I meet this skillfully?”
That shift alone reduces a huge amount of unnecessary suffering.
A Helpful Way to Think About It
Meditation is like training a puppy — and your mind is the puppy.
By nature, a puppy wanders. And when it wanders, it might pee on the floor, chew your favourite shoe, or chase after whatever catches its attention.
The mind is no different. It’s not doing anything wrong — it’s simply acting according to its nature and its current level of training.
When this happens, it’s common to get frustrated or annoyed with the puppy. But yelling at it doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t help the puppy learn. It just creates more tension.
What actually helps is time, patience, and consistent energy.
With training, the puppy gradually learns to sit still, to follow you, and to stay present instead of chasing every distraction. The same is true for the mind.
Meditation is the training.
Mindfulness is how that training shows up in everyday life.
Why This Matters
Many people believe they’re “bad at meditation” because they still feel stressed or distracted afterward.
But meditation isn’t about stopping thoughts or eliminating emotions. It’s about learning to notice them.
Mindfulness is what happens when that noticing becomes part of how you live.
And that’s where real change happens.
The MyndFit Perspective
At MyndFit, we’re less interested in how long you can sit with your eyes closed — and more interested in:
How you relate to your thoughts
How you respond to discomfort
How much unnecessary suffering you’re carrying
Meditation helps build awareness.
Mindfulness helps you use it.
Both matter. Together, they support a calmer, clearer, more adaptable way of living.
If you’d like support learning how to apply mindfulness practically — not just conceptually — a Discovery Session is the best place to start. It’s a chance to explore where you might be getting stuck and what would actually help you move forward.