Examining the Effects of Jyoti Meditation on Stress and the Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

The authors examined whether Jyoti meditation (JM), a spiritually based meditation (Singh, 2012), influenced student counselors' (N = 60) level of stress and emotional intelligence (EI). Results from a randomized controlled trial and growth curve analysis provided a multilevel model in which JM reduced stress and EI moderated the effect.

Examining the Contributions of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Addiction Counselor Burnout

“…With regard to the experiences of mental health counselors and counselors‐in‐training, research supports the notion that an individual's level of EI may play a role in determining his or her resiliency to burnout (Gutierrez et al, , ; Gutierrez & Mullen, ; Testa & Sangganjanavanich, ). In a recent study, counselors‐in‐training with higher levels of EI reported lower scores of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, indicating that EI serves an important role in counselor burnout (Testa & Sangganjanavanich, ).…”

“…There is a growing body of literature that highlights the important role of EI in stress management and in the prevention of negative stress-related outcomes, such as burnout (Gutierrez, Conley, & Young, 2016;Karimi, Leggat, Donohue, Farrell, & Couper, 2014;Ullrich, Lambert, & McCarthy, 2012). EI is negatively correlated with perceived stress and physiological responses to stress and positively associated with adaptive coping strategies (S. K. Johnson & Blanchard, 2016;Mikolajczak & Luminet, 2008;Mikolajczak, Roy, Luminet, Fillée, & de Timary, 2007).…”

A Study of Student Counselors' Experiences With Meditation

“…Specifically, Leppma and Young () conducted a 6‐week experimental trial with 103 master's‐level counseling students using a compassion‐based meditation that demonstrated significant increases in students' cognitive empathy and a significant relationship between quantity of meditation and treatment outcomes. Gutierrez et al () had similar success using a randomized controlled trial with counseling students that resulted in significant decreases in stress. Because of the level of stress and emotional exhaustion accompanying the work of counseling, researchers have expressed a need for student counselors to identify and apply self‐care strategies that can address stress, sustain empathy, and prevent burnout (Roach & Young, ).…”

“…It is a meditation of looking. The mantra is intended to direct attention toward an inner spiritual connection and away from negative thoughts, emotions, and the physical body or sensations (Gutierrez, Conley, & Young, ; Michalsen et al, ; Singh, ). In JM, participants choose a mantra that has a spiritual meaning, close their eyes, and shift attention from thoughts to a centered point behind and between the two eyebrows (Michalsen et al, ).…”

“…The positive and lasting effects of meditation are helpful to a variety of client populations, community members, and counselors in practice. Research studies using experimental and cross‐sectional designs have shown that meditation practices helped student counselors exhibit more compassionate helping behaviors; reduced stress; and were associated with increased student attention, awareness, and counselor self‐efficacy (Greason & Cashwell, ; Gutierrez et al, ; Leppma & Young, ; Shapiro, Brown, & Biegel, ). Specifically, Leppma and Young () conducted a 6‐week experimental trial with 103 master's‐level counseling students using a compassion‐based meditation that demonstrated significant increases in students' cognitive empathy and a significant relationship between quantity of meditation and treatment outcomes.…”