Aware or Mindful

A frozen bubble of air under sea ice on the local beach (temp -4C)

During a presentation last week, one participant constantly questioned the word mindful, saying it was simply awareness, was she right and is it worth thinking about?

The dictionary states that Awareness is 'knowledge or perception of a situation or fact', while Mindfulness is 'focusing one's awareness in the present moment while being concious of thoughts, feelings and emotions'.

So walking on the beach after a frost, I was aware of the ice under my feet, where the tide was, other people and what I could see, feel, in fact what all my senses were telling me. But seeing this bubble of air, captured in time triggered a whole range of responses. How amazing it looked, how was it formed, even being pleased I had my camera to capture it. To me this is the difference between mindfulness and awareness.

So it is worth thinking about, it is about being rather than doing, Awareness can happen by accident, being Mindful requires intention, practice, openness to our experiences whether pleasant or not. Having the camera with me wasn't an accident it was a concious thought, part of my own practice, having the tool that allows me to capture a moment in time. Then the thoughts and emotions, the wonder, were also part of the mindful process. Mindfulness allows me to engage fully with life, Awareness is simply noticing. Yes we may feel it better to be aware than unaware, but mindfulness in its fullness allows us to respond to what we face more effectively.