I Stopped Meditation and Stayed Mindful
How I harness awareness to stay present
My acting technique teacher always starts the class with a very simple, one-minute meditation:
We are told to stand still and notice our thoughts. Whenever we have a thought, we lift a pinky finger.
Then he uses a singing bowl and asks us to raise our hands when the sound is gone.
Then, we open our eyes, focus on a spot on the floor, notice the details, and sit down for the class.
I incorporated meditation into my morning routine after graduation. On some really stressful days, I had to stop and meditate. Even for just 5 minutes.
Meditation helped me through my most difficult times, but I stopped doing it a while ago. I realized meditation is a means to an end — mindfulness, and I found it more powerful to achieve through cultivating self-awareness.
Awareness VS Mindfulness
- What’s the difference between awareness and mindfulness?
According to this journal, the difference between mindfulness and awareness is that, while both refer to states of mind, mindfulness involves a lot more introspection and thought process adjustment. Awareness is more sensory-based and is the mental concept that allows…