There are, generally speaking, two kinds of meditation: passive meditation, and active meditation.

Passive meditation would be something like Zen meditation. The goal of Zen is to sit quietly and do nothing. Have no thoughts, and simply accept the sensations in your body and the state of the world around you without judgment.

Active meditation includes Taoist visualizations. You may look like you are sitting and doing nothing, but on the inside you are actively picturing the movement of energy through your body, around your body, and in the world outside. Active meditation is about willpower, and your ability to maintain focus on one thing for an extended period of time.

Both kinds of meditation are important for a healthy mind, just like both strength and flexibility are important for a healthy body. To function at 100% during the day, your mind needs to be clear. Clear of worry when you are just resting (passive meditation), and clear of distractions when you are working (active meditation).

When it comes to sticking to your mind-body routine, both acceptance and willpower are needed. You need the willpower to get up off the couch, put down the potato chips, and do those workouts. But you also need acceptance and patience for when you don't do your workout, so you aren't beating yourself up about missing a day and giving yourself unhelpful stress.

Think about which side of the meditation balance you need to work on, and how your life, or the lives of people around you, might be different if you could do both equally well.