Written by: Kathleen Ginn
16th April 2025

What is the main difference between meditation and contemplation?

• meditation is a practice which focuses on reducing brain wave activity, relaxing the body, slowing down the thinking process and becoming mindfully present with awareness.

• contemplation is an analytical and reflective practice which involves thinking deeply and introspectively about a particular topic, idea or concept. Often with the end result of gaining a deeper understanding of the topic, idea or concept. Contemplation activates the ‘witness/observer’ within our psyche. Done with intention and focused awareness, the mind and body will relax into a receptive mode of intuitive enquiry and response.

Meditation – A Presence & Mindfulness Practice
Meditation is a presence practice. Meditation encourages expanded awareness through a quietening of mind and body. Meditation trains the mind-body to stop focusing and obsessing about specific thoughts. It enables an individual to expand the gap between one thought and the next. Meditation helps the mind, body and spirit to feel connected to Creative Intelligence / God / Source and to experience ‘inner peace’. Meditation is presence mindfulness.

Benefits of Meditation
These are widely written about and well documented. Meditation has been around for thousands of years and is well documented, particularly, in Eastern traditions. Meditation was originally mean to deepen one’s understanding of the mystical forces of life and bring an appreciation of the sacred nature of all life. Today, meditation is often prescribed and a mind-body tool under the label of complementary medicine. The process of meditation can help an individual to relax deeply, release obsession with over-thinking and promote better physical and emotional wellbeing.

Some of the physical and emotional benefits of meditation are known to include:

• Making you more self-aware of tension within the body.
• Making your more self-aware of obsessive thinking patterns.
• Bring your attention and focus into the present.
• Reducing feelings of overwhelm and negativity.
• Assists in building skills helpful in managing stressful situations.
• Deep relaxation which helps to lower resting heart rate.
• Deep relaxation which helps to lower resting blood pressure.
• Relaxation helps one to sleep better.
• Relaxation helps one become more creative and patient.

Contemplation – A Reflective & Mindfulness Practice
Contemplation is a reflective practice which helps to develop and evolve conscience and consciousness. Life can only be lived forwards and understood backwards. Contemplation is both a mental and spiritual exercise which helps an individual to reflect on their values, principles, beliefs and experiences of life, leading to personal growth and self-discovery. Contemplation is reflective mindfulness.

Benefits of Contemplation
These are not as well documented or as well-known. However, for those seeking the purpose of life and the meaning of it, contemplation is the ‘self-help’ tool which enables them to transform pain, apathy, grief and anger into higher states of thinking and emotional wellbeing.

The 1960’s and 1970’s saw empirical research into the health benefits of contemplation begin in earnest. Mindfulness is the result of the research which has principally focused on performance of ‘self’ in business, health and sports. Mindfulness is known to:

• Help an individual to find meaning and purpose in life.
• Help an individual to appreciate their existence.
• Help to reduce symptoms of stress.
• Assist with management and reduction of anxiety.
• Assist with the management and reduction of depression and improves mood.
• Increase feelings of happiness and considered an emotional state regulator.
• Improve self-knowledge leading to treating others with kindness.

Metaphorical Story of the Benefits of Contemplation and Meditation
In the heart of a bustling city, amidst the towering skyscrapers and the ceaseless hum of traffic, lay a serene oasis known as the Garden of Tranquillity. This was no ordinary garden, for its plants possessed the power to heal and rejuvenate, their very essence imbued with the secrets of contemplation and meditation.

At the centre of the garden stood the ancient Tree of Wisdom, its gnarled branches reaching towards the heavens, its leaves whispering tales of inner peace and enlightenment. Beneath its shade sat a young woman named Amber, her mind clouded with worries and anxieties, her spirit weary from the relentless demands of modern life.

Drawn to the garden by an inexplicable force, Amber sought solace amidst its tranquil beauty. As she wandered through the winding paths, she encountered the Whispering Willows, their delicate branches swaying gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling with the soothing sounds of nature. She paused to listen, and as she did, her mind began to quiet, her thoughts slowing down, her worries fading away.

Next, she came upon the Serene Lotus Pond, its surface as smooth as glass, reflecting the sky above like a mirror. The lotus flowers, their petals unfolding in graceful splendour, seemed to emanate a sense of calm and serenity. Amber sat by the pond, gazing at the lotus blossoms, and as she did, she felt a sense of peace wash over her, her body relaxing, her breath deepening.

Finally, she reached the Tree of Wisdom, its presence radiating a sense of strength and tranquillity. Amber sat beneath its shade, closed her eyes, and began to breathe deeply, focusing on the rhythm of her breath, letting go of all thoughts and distractions. As she did, she felt a sense of connection to the tree, to the garden, to herself. She felt her mind expanding, her spirit soaring, her worries dissolving into the vastness of her consciousness.

When she opened her eyes, Amber felt transformed. The city’s noise and chaos seemed distant, her worries and anxieties diminished. She had found a sanctuary within herself, a place of peace and tranquillity that she could access anytime, anywhere.

From that day on, Amber visited the Garden of Tranquillity regularly, practicing contemplation and meditation beneath the Tree of Wisdom. She learned to cultivate inner peace, to find stillness amidst the chaos, to nurture her mind, body and spirit. And as she did, she discovered the true meaning of health and well-being, not just the absence of illness, but the presence of harmony and balance within herself. Being present to what is.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
Both meditation and contemplation need to be an important part of a committed daily sacred practice.

• Both practices initiate shifting life experiences from feelings of powerlessness to feelings of optimism and conscious co-creation.

• They both promote direct experiences of heart-felt connection with Creative Intelligence, the Source of Life and to become present with what is.

By way of reminder, the root word of health or healing is “haelan” which means “to make whole, sound and well.” To truly heal (return to wholeness) one needs to be mindfully present, aware and reflective. Meditation and Contemplation are useful skills to achieve this.