What is the difference between meditation and mindfulness?

What Gurudev says

You know the feeling: you read about mindfulness, about meditation, about presence — and wonder if it's all really the same thing, or whether you're doing something wrong by only practicing one of them. Gurudev starts by giving a clear description of what meditation means to him.

According to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, world-renowned spiritual teacher and meditation master, “Meditation is the delicate and effortless art of doing nothing. It is the skill to take a deep rest while being conscious and alert. Beyond all the chatter and noise in our mind, there is a silent, peaceful, blissful, beautiful space that exists in all of us, a place that is intact and unbroken. Turning our attention to this silent chamber is meditation. This silence cleanses the mind, giving it a much-needed rest, and makes room for better perceptions and new ways of looking at life and its challenges.”

From the official Art of Living website — “Mindfulness Vs Meditation: Know Both Well And Pick The Best For You” (2021-04-13)

As for whether you call it meditation or mindfulness, Gurudev has a very practical answer. For him, the label itself isn't the point.

It does not matter what you call it; if you are doing it right, that is all that matters.

From the official Art of Living website — “Handling Criticism” (Jun 12 2016)

And what "doing it right" can really mean deep down, Gurudev describes in a passage where he talks about the actual goal of any inner practice: the experience that your feelings and mental noise are separate from the one observing them.

Your feelings as separate from you. The nonsense that is going on in you is separate from you. How many of you have had even a little glimpse of it in deep meditation? The nonsense goes on—and you still feel you are not that.

From a talk on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali — “Yoga Sutras (8)_Vibhūti Pāda 2_(58 min)”, 00:15:31

So for Gurudev, it's not about the right name, or drawing a strict line between two techniques — it's the same movement either way: turning your attention away from the surface of thinking and toward that silent space where you watch your thoughts instead of being caught up in them.

What you can do

1. Stop clinging to labels. Whether you call your practice meditation or mindfulness matters less to Gurudev than whether you actually practice it.
2. Practice effortless doing-nothing. Sit down without trying to achieve anything, and let your attention drift toward that silent space inside you instead of actively searching for something.
3. Watch your thoughts instead of fighting them. Try to notice that the inner noise can simply be there without you having to identify with it.
4. Give the practice regularity, not perfection. A short, honestly practiced moment of stillness counts for more, in Gurudev's view, than a technically correct but tense session.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Self in the spiritual sense? Gurudev insists that inner peace isn't a state you first have to reach — it's your very own nature, and nothing can take it away from you. For him, practice isn't about becoming stress-free, it's about recognizing that underneath the surface, you already are.

What does it mean to simply witness your own thoughts while meditating? Gurudev names that inner move — the one that instantly says "this feeling shouldn't be in me" the moment something unpleasant comes up — as resistance, and explains that it's exactly this resistance that makes a feeling stick around. His alternative: simply observe it and go deeper into it, instead of fighting it.

What can I do about stress? Gurudev's advice is to train the mind to live in the present moment and drop needless tension — once the mind stops racing, you experience total rest alongside complete alertness.

What is meditation, really? Gurudev draws a clear line between meditation and concentration, describing meditation as a deep relaxation we've all briefly touched before — in unnoticed moments of real happiness or real fulfillment.

Related questions

• What do I do when my mind keeps wandering during meditation?
• How do I build a daily meditation routine?
• What does meditation really do for you in the long run?
• How do I meditate correctly?
• How do I get started with meditation as a beginner?
• Meditation & Breathing Techniques — overview

Sources

The quotes on this page come from:

• Official Art of Living website — “Mindfulness Vs Meditation: Know Both Well And Pick The Best For You” (2021-04-13)
• Official Art of Living website — “Handling Criticism” (Jun 12 2016)
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali — “Yoga Sutras (8)_Vibhūti Pāda 2_(58 min)”, 00:15:31