Although some people use these three vital pathways to healing, there are some differences.
Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a mental state made possible by focusing on one’s awareness of the present moment while calmly accepting one’s feelings, bodily sensations, and thoughts.
Prayer. Prayer is A spiritual communication with a higher power that includes thanksgiving, adoration, and sometimes confession. Prayer is a way to acknowledge that there is something more significant than the self and to allow that presence to relieve the pressures of day to day living.
Meditation. Meditation is a technique for allowing the mind to rest and to attain a state of consciousness that is different from the normal waking state. In meditation, the mind becomes clear, relaxed, and focused on the internal self instead of the world and what is going on around you while remaining fully awake and alert.
The Many Benefits of Mindfulness, Prayer, and Meditation
Mindfulness, meditation, or prayer when practiced one half an hour every day over eight weeks, has shown a difference in several brain regions that control learning, emotions, memory, and the fear response. These regions include the amygdala and the hippocampus, regions that control the fight/flight/freeze/fawn response.
In regulating these regions of the brain survivors of childhood trauma and anyone who was exposed to a traumatic event learn to control their reactions to events that trigger flashbacks.
According to the American Psychological Organization, there are many benefits to practicing mindfulness, prayer, and meditation, including all of the following:
- Better sleep
- Calmer emotions
- Increased ability to focus
- Increased memory
- Greater self-awareness
- Increased resiliency
- Enhanced ability to safely experience feelings
- Reduced stress levels
A study conducted on medical students studying to become physicians found that participating in an eight-week meditation-based stress reduction intervention had lowered self-reported anxiety and a reduced amount of depression.1
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