Mindfulness vs Meditation and Manifestation

Manifesting, Meditation, and Mindfulness are three “M words” that most people mis-understand (another M word), and often shy away from.

What is it about these 3 words that make people skeptical? Is it a fear of the unknown power of the mind? Is it pure skepticism? Or is it simply that there’s a stigma attached to all 3 of these words, and that most people are ignorant of the true meaning behind what mindfulness, manifesting, and meditation actually mean.

These are all “yoga buzz words”, and as yoga has begun to “go mainstream” in the western world, many of it’s teachings have become ‘watered down’ and mis-construed.

Here’s a brief overview before we dive into the details.

Manifesting is the practice of knowing what you truly want in life, setting goals, and then repeatedly thinking of strategies in your head to achieve those goals. No Magic.

Meditating is the practice of deep focus and deep thinking to gain a deeper understanding.

Mindfulness is the practice of controlling your thoughts and being ‘present’ in the moment with-out any distracting thoughts.

In this article we’ll explore the differences and similarities between Manifesting, Meditating, and Mindfulness. And we’ll look at expert opinions for the benefits and tips on how to do all 3.

Let’s Dive In.

What Does It Mean To Manifest Something? Manifesting Explained

Manifesting is the act of attracting both tangible and intangible things into your life through your actions, beliefs, and thoughts.

To be clear, manifesting is not some form of pseudo-science, or genie-in-a-bottle magic that makes things appear. Manifesting is much more related to determination and strategic thinking, mixed with hard work over time, in order to get an opportunity.

Author and life coach, Angelina Lombardo, says that “manifesting is making everything you want to feel and experience a reality… via your thoughts, actions, beliefs, and emotions.”

Most of us would agree, that hard work pays off. But manifesting adds another dimension to this concept. By manifesting, your hard work become more strategic and planned.

Manifesting Example

The Story of NFL Running Back Herschel Walker.

Herschel was a poor, overweight teenager with a stuttering problem, who got picked on in school. But Herschel had big dreams. He manifested a future where he was strong, didn’t get bullied, and could go to college. Everyday, he thought about how to create the life that he wanted, and then he took action.

Herschel dedicated himself to getting stronger both physically and mentally by doing hundreds of sit-ups, push-ups, and running everyday.

Eventually Herschel became the star of his High School football team, got a college scholarship, and eventually got drafted into the NFL.

Herschel started with a dream, became obsessed with that dream, manifested ways to achieve that dream, took action everyday towards his manifested dream, and eventually he manifested his dream into reality. And that, is how manifesting works.

How To Manifest (Manifesting Tips)

1. To truly manifest correctly, first you must know what you really want in life. And we don’t mean “a big pile of cash”
   
   If it’s money that you desire, then you must manifest ways to achieve more money. For example going back to college, or creating a stock investment strategy, or building a business plan.
   
2. Once you have decided exactly what you want in life, then you must ask for it out-loud, plan for it, think about it, strategize how to get it (manifest it). Literally speak what you want out-loud into the universe. Get it outside your head
   
   Manifestation can be done through meditation, prayer, visualization, journaling, deep thought ,etc. Writing your ideas and intentions down is one of the best ways to manifest. By writing down your future manifested goals it helps to encode your goals deep into your sub-conscious and unconscious minds.
   
   The general principle behind manifesting is not “voodoo” or pseudoscience. Manifesting is the idea that ‘repetition and desire’, over time will lead to an understanding on how to achieve smaller goals, which then will lead to bigger goals of achievement.
   
3. After asking for yourself and writing down your goals, you must work toward them in order to manifest them.
   
   During this process, it is imperative to practice gratitude and remove any limiting thoughts and beliefs.
   
4. Finally, as you work towards your goals, you must be calm, mindful, and trust the process. And by “the process” we mean staying laser focused and taking small steps towards what you really want.
   
   There will be bumps in the road, hard times, and probably small failures. But bumps and small failures are in the road in order to make you stronger. As long as you stay the course and continue to manifest solutions to problems, then eventually you’ll be able to manifest anything.

This way, you will undoubtedly manifest all that you want! 

What Does Meditation Really Mean? Meditating Explained

When most people think meditation they think of a monk or ‘spiritual guru’ sitting cross legged on a mountain top in Tibet humming ‘om‘. But that’s not usually how meditation works in most cases.

Although meditation is ancient in its origin, it’s still practiced today by different cultures all over the world, as a means to create a sense of peace, calm, and inner harmony.

While there are many different types of meditation, in general, meditation is the act of deeply focusing your thoughts inward, while preventing your mind from getting disturbed by distracting internal “chatter”, or external distractions.

Most people who meditate today like to find a comfortable place, free of distractions, where they can find a moment of peace to just think clearly and calmly.

– Dr. Justin Laube, MD from EveryDayHealth outlines that scientific evidence has emerged which shows meditation can be a helpful tool in fighting chronic illnesses, including depression, heart disease, and chronic pain.

– According to MedicalNewsToday, meditation is a simple strategy that can help anyone obtain a better, healthier, and a happier life. Just like any skill, meditation takes time to master, but the benefits can be felt even after a single well dedicated session.

– A recent study done at Harvard University determined that by practicing meditation for as little as 8 weeks, you could start to rebuild the grey matter in your brain.

Your brain’s gray matter is responsible for your primary thinking, perceiving, and cognitive functions in your brain, which helps us to process information.

Meditation Example

There are so many types of meditation it can be overwhelming to understand as a beginner.

As someone’s who’s also a beginner, here’s what meditation looks like for me.

1. I am comfortable and fully relaxed
2. I pay close attention to my ‘baseline’ breathing pattern
3. I acknowledge the wandering thoughts in my mind
4. Sometimes I close my eyes, sometimes I don’t
5. I focus on deepening my breathe to slow down my heart rate
6. I recognize which muscle groups feel sore, starting at my feet and working my way to my head
7. I stretch (flex) those muscle groups as deeply as possible, using my deep inhales and exhales to send awareness, focus, and oxygen towards the outstretched muscle groups.
8. If my mind has started to focus on a particular thought has has been bothering me, I become aware of that thought and start to focus my attention on how to resolve that though so I can find peace and move on.
9. I continue to deepen my breath, sending oxygen and awareness to my muscles
10. I am aware of my surroundings, but also focused on one specific thought at a time.

What Does It Really Mean To Be Mindful? Mindfulness Explained

The practice of ‘mindfulness’ is focused on having control of your thoughts, or control of “not thinking” your thoughts, if you so please.

How much control of your thoughts do you think you have? Have you ever tried going to bed but your brain wouldn’t turn off? Thoughts racing, ideas jumping, things you need to do tomorrow, things you should have said to that bully in 7th grade, future goals, past mistakes, ect.

Practicing mindfulness is the solution to your overactive thoughts. 

Mindfulness is the practice of completely controlling your thoughts, turning off your thoughts, and just being ‘present in the moment’ with-out disappearing into your head, or getting distracted by passing thoughts.

In the age of technology, being ‘present-in-the-moment’, and focusing your attention is becoming a lot more important, and a lot more difficult than in times past. Especially in the new age of shrinking attention spans, internet addiction, and social media.

By practicing mindfulness you become more in control of your thoughts, your actions, your emotions, and your self-awareness.

Medical Experts agree that mindfulness benefits include lowering your stress levels, reducing patterns of harmful over-thinking, and protecting against both depression and anxiety. Newer research has even shown that practicing mindfulness can increase your ability to cope with rejection and deal with social isolation.

The good thing about mindfulness is that you can practice it anywhere. In the car on your way to work, while walking, or while falling asleep. 

Mindfulness Example

The goal of mindfulness is to try and control your thoughts, and be in the present moment. Trying to fall asleep with a racing mind is a great example fo mindfulness.

I personally used to struggle with falling asleep every-night until I learned 1 small trick.

I realized that when I tried to go to sleep, my mind would wake up and start thinking about every little random thing. Sometimes I enjoyed letting my mind wander. It was like an undisciplined house cat escaping free to roam outside for the first time.

But I was having trouble falling asleep, sometimes ‘tossing and turning’ for hours, as my random thoughts seemed endless.

I was introduced to mindfulness by a friend, who made me realize, that all those random thoughts were pointless, because I couldn’t do anything about them while lying in bed, and I’d be better off getting a good nights sleep, and dealing with any fluttering thoughts after a good nights rest.

So I when I went to bed I started to focus on nothingness, just blackness. Every-time a though would pop into my head, I would acknowledge the thought and then visualize myself dragging the thought into the ‘recycle bin’ like on a computer desktop. And then back to blackness.

I would do this every-time a thought popped into my head, and after a few days of practicing I started to get better at it. Sometimes my mind would wander, but I always realize when it does and then re-set myself to focus on blackness.

Through this process I began to learn the power of mindfulness.

Manifesting vs. Meditating vs. Mindfulness

When it comes to manifesting, meditation, and mindfulness it’s all about your brain.

All three techniques are all about hacking your brain in order to produce physical, real results.

Can you combine manifesting, meditation and mindfulness…? Absolutely you can and should.

Manifesting during meditation is the best way to focus deeply on what you want in life and how to get it.

Practicing mindfulness will allow you to control your distracting thoughts for a deeper meditation practice, with out distractions.

Nothing’s worse than getting distracted by wondering if you changed the laundry while you’re trying to manifest a path towards your future goals.

In order to get the most out of meditation you must realize when your mind is wandering and force it back on track. 

Combining manifesting with meditation and mindfulness is a powerful practice that can literally change your life.

Just ask, Russel Simmons (founder of Def Jam Records) Oprah Winfrey, or Connor McGregor or Drake. All celebrities who manifested their goals before finding ways to achieve their dreams with hard work. 

7 Simple Tips How To Manifest Properly

1. Be Certain Of What You Want.
    Decide on your goals. List out all your wants. Most importantly, be specific.
   
   For instance, you want to buy your own home. Write down the specifics of the home you wish for, the finances you’ll need, the size, location, timeline — everything!
   
2. Ask For It Out-loud.The universe cannot grant you what you don’t ask for. You can do so in any manner you deem comfortable.
   
   The most common practices of asking are meditation, prayer, visualization, as well as vision boards.
   
3. Work Towards Your Manifested GoalsYou need to assist the universe in helping you achieve your goals.
   
   This process of co-creating will come to life only when you take the necessary action to achieve your wants.
   
4. Trust The ProcessThe process does not happen overnight. So, you need to be patient, persistent, and trust the process.
   
   Keep putting in the work. You must not question the process in any way. Have faith and keep working towards your goals.
   
5. Practice Gratitude.
   Always receive what the universe sends your way. Be mindful of growth and the tiniest signs of success.
   
   It takes you closer to your goals and helps maintain a positive mindset.
   
6. Raise Your Vibrations.When you manifest, you need to feel the positive energy and emit it.
   
   For this, you should dedicate at least 10 minutes of your day to making yourself feel good. Utilize this time to do something that makes you happy.
   
   Whether it is listening to music or watching a video, let the good vibes set the tone for a happy day!
7. Remove Resistance.
   
   Procrastination, anxiety, doubts, pains — these are human. However, make sure you try and keep these at bay when you manifest your thoughts and actions.
   
   So, make active efforts to remove these signs of frustration and reassure yourself that things will work out.

5 Simple Tips To Meditate And Be Mindful

Meditation plays a crucial role in manifestation.

And Mindfulness plays a crucial role in meditation.

So, here are 5 simple tips to help you meditate while being mindful.

1. Eliminate Distractions
   Find a place that is quiet and peaceful. A place with-out too many if any external distractions. 
   
2. Decide On A Time LimitFor beginners, this might be a tough decision to make. Try starting with 10 minutes and see how you feel. You can always meditate longer.
3. Follow Your Breath
   “Follow your breath” is a term you hear a lot in yoga and meditation. The reason is, that by focusing on your breathing it anchors your mind from distractions, and brings your conscious awareness to your body.
   
   Take in full and deep breaths as you begin to meditate and if you mind wanters – come back to focusing on your breaking.
   
4. Keep A Check On Your MindYour mind is bound to wander while you meditate, especially if you’re just starting. Once you notice that your mind has wandered, accept the thoughts, and return your focus to your breathing.
   
   I personally use the “recycle bin technique”.
   
   Whenever I have a distracting thought I visualize myself dragging and dropping that thought in the recycle bin in order to avoid being distracted.
5. Open Your Eyes Slowly
    When you feel like you’re at peace and ready to close your meditation session, open your eyes slowly and steadily.
   
   Let the meditation soak in before you jump back into action. Acknowledge how you feel and the calmness that hopefully surrounds you. 

What Are The Benefits Of Manifesting, Meditating And Mindfulness .

Here are the leading benefits of meditating:

1. Relaxed mindset: Manifesting allows you to be more relaxed while you perform your daily tasks since you take more time out for yourself and your personal wants.
   
   Since your intentions are converted into actions, you tend to feel better about your future. (confirmed – this is true)
   
2. Prevents procrastination: When you manifest your thoughts, you are prone to engage more actively in the tasks that lead you to achieve your desires.
   
   Thus, it motivates you and prevents you from procrastinating since you feel positive and energetic.
   
3. Increases awareness: When you decide what you want and stick to it, you become more aware of your needs.
   
   You invite more creativity and balance into your thoughts as you work towards your goals.
   
4. Promotes self-compassion: It is quite normal to judge yourself or critique your actions when you’re unsure of where you are headed.
   
   However, when you begin to manifest, you become more sensitive to your needs and imbibe positivity within yourself.
   
5. Provides direction: Happiness and direction flow out of manifestation. When you are convinced that things will be alright, you become more confident and happy from within.
   
   This positive energy flows from you and attracts others towards you.
   
6. Helps understand problems and pain: Meditation allows you to see your pain and problems in a positive light.
   
   When your mind is calm and away from negative chatter, you acknowledge what you’ve learned from your pain instead of delving into it.
   
7. Reduces stress: When you meditate, your mind strays far from stressful situations and thoughts. Thus, it inevitably helps you beat stress and anxiety.
   
8. Manifest better: Manifestation comes from a calm and composed mind. Such a state of mind can be easily achieved through meditation since it brings back focus and balance and helps you remove distractions.
   
9. Improves focus: When you’re working towards achieving your goals, you need utmost focus and determination. Meditation is one of the key tools to regaining focus and driving away negative and intrusive thoughts. 

Can You Manifest While Meditating?

Yes, absolutely. Practicing mindfulness while meditating is one of the best ways to manifest.

It helps you visualize, be introspective, control your thoughts, and bring your affirmations to life.

Most importantly, meditation helps you become more aware of your surroundings and promotes the practice of gratitude. This way, you learn to think positively and work seamlessly towards your vision.

What Celebrities Practice Meditation and Manifestation?

From Hollywood stars to A-list rappers, meditation and manifestation have played a key role in shaping several successful people.

Here are some of the most popular celebrities who believe that the Law of Attraction has helped them pave their way in life.

• Oprah Winfrey
• Jay Z
• Will Smith
• Lady Gaga
• Conor McGregor
• Jim Carrey
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Drake

Summing Up Manifesting vs Meditation vs Mindfulness.

When it comes to mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting it’s all about setting up your mindset to be open minded, calm, relaxed, and accepting the reality you face in order to get what you want out of life.

Similarly, you need to put in efforts to bring your goals to life.

Meditation, mindfulness and manifestation are the ideal tools to help you shape your thoughts and, ultimately, your life.

So, take a deep breath, manifest all the good things that you deserve and go after it!