The Value of Contemplative Practices: A Mixed Methods Approach Exploring Associations between Resilience and Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Older Adults

Achepohl, Grace; Heaney, Catherine A.; Rosas, Lisa G.; Moore, Jessie L.; Rich, Tia; Winter, Sandra J.

doi:10.3390/ijerph191610224

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 55 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Of the nine domains in WELL, six assess aspects of mental and psychosocial health: experience of emotions, exploration and creativity, purpose and meaning, sense of self, social connectedness, and perceived stress and resilience. Thus, positive associations with these domains echo the results from previous studies on contemplative practices and psychosocial outcomes [ 7 , 74 , 75 ]. Positive associations also emerged between CPB and three domains of well-being not traditionally included in measures of physical or mental health, including financial security and satisfaction (Hangzhou and New Taipei City), and physical health (CA/Bay Area and New Taipei City).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Contemplative Practices Behavior Is Positively Associated with Well-Being in Three Global Multi-Regional Stanford WELL for Life Cohorts

Rich

Chrisinger

Kaimal

et al. 2022

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Positive associations between well-being and a single contemplative practice (e.g., mindfulness meditation) are well documented, yet prior work may have underestimated the strength of the association by omitting consideration of multiple and/or alternative contemplative practices. Moreover, little is known about how contemplative practice behavior (CPB) impacts different dimensions of well-being. This study investigates the relationship of CPB, consisting of four discrete practices (embodied somatic-observing, non-reactive mindfulness, self-compassion, and compassion for others), with multiple dimensions of well-being. As with other canonical lifestyle behaviors, multiple contemplative practices can be integrated into one’s daily routine. Thus, it is critical to holistically consider these behaviors, extending them beyond a simple uni-dimensional measure (e.g., daily mindfulness meditation practice). We developed an integrative measure of four types of contemplative practice and found it to be significantly associated with a multi-dimensional measure of well-being. Importantly, our findings were from three large global multi-regional cohorts and compared against better-understood lifestyle behaviors (physical activity). Data were drawn from California/San Francisco Bay Area, (n = 6,442), Hangzhou City (n = 10,268), and New Taipei City (n = 3,033). In all three cohorts, we found statistically significant (p < 0.05) positive associations between CPB and well-being, both overall and with all of the constituent domains of well-being, comparable to or stronger than the relationship with physical activity across most well-being outcomes. These findings provide robust and cross-cultural evidence for a positive association between CPB and well-being, illuminate dimensions of well-being that could be most influenced by CPB, and suggest CPB may be useful to include as part of fundamental lifestyle recommendations for health and well-being.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Contemplative Practices Behavior Is Positively Associated with Well-Being in Three Global Multi-Regional Stanford WELL for Life Cohorts

Rich

Chrisinger

Kaimal

et al. 2022

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Post traumatic growth. The short Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-SF, Cann et al, 2010) was used to assess PTG (e.g., Achepohl et al, 2022;Cann et al, 2010). Prior to the administration of this measure, participants were asked to recall an event that caused them significant emotional stress during the previous year.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-traumatic Growth: The Roles of the Sense of Entitlement, Gratitude and hope

Confino

Einav

Margalit

2023

Int J Appl Posit Psychol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

People believe that they are entitled to well-being and safety, and their responses to unexpected traumatic events reveal individual differences. Their reactions vary, from feeling blocked and distressed to feeling proactive towards new growth, depending on their personal resources. The current study sought to identify the role of entitlement in explaining post-traumatic growth (PTG) while considering the role of gratitude and hope as personal resources. We used a community-based sample of Israeli adults (n = 182) who reported experiencing a traumatic event during the preceding year. The relationships between PTG and their sense of entitlement, gratitude, and hope were examined. A stepwise multiple hierarchical regression revealed that all the three variables were associated with PTG. However, the effect of hope turned insignificant with the inclusion of sense of entitlement and gratitude in the regression. Sense of entitlement and gratitude were independently associated with PTG. The theoretical contribution of these findings is discussed, as well as their interventional implications and future directions. Keywords Post-traumatic growth • Sense of entitlement • Hope • GratitudeThroughout their lives, most individuals experience some traumatic events, such as the unexpected death of a relative, a life-threatening disease, or an injury (Benjet et al., 2016). There is a high prevalence of lifetime exposure to potentially traumatic events, estimated at nearly 70% in community samples (

show abstract

“…Wellness, according to the World Health Organization (2023) , is a “state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” It is a “conscious, self-directed, and evolving process of achieving full potential” ( National Wellness Institute, 2023 ). As such, some persons engaged in various forms of contemplative practice for comfort and guidance as they learned to navigate the unique challenges of the pandemic ( Achepohl et al, 2022 ; Lekhak et al, 2022 ). Labyrinth walking practitioners turned to this unique contemplative practice as a means of coping, maintaining wellness, and cultivating flourishing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic

McGee,

Katzenmeyer,

Boddie

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionLabyrinth walking is an integrative contemplative practice that aims to engage the body, heart, mind, and spirit. In this article, qualitative findings from the first year of a mixed methods study on collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention are described. This form of labyrinth walking is distinct in that it is a social contemplative practice. It expands upon most of the labyrinth walking research to date which has been focused upon the individual. More specifically, practitioners walk labyrinths together in solidarity with the same intention in mind during collective labyrinth walking. This practice can be used locally (i.e. practitioners walk the same labyrinth together for the same reason) or non-locally (i.e. practitioners walk different labyrinths for the same reason together in different locations). The study is unique in that it took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic which was a time in recent history that evoked fear, uncertainty, grief, isolation, and disconnectedness for many persons around the world.MethodsThis sample in this study was comprised of 461 participants from 19 countries who collectively walked labyrinths together with a shared intention on World Labyrinth Day 2021. Most participants were women in middle to later life from the United States. Data was collected through an anonymous online survey and analyzed using the qualitative methodology of interpretive phenomenological analysis.ResultsThree predominant themes emerged from practitioners’ narrative accounts of their lived experiences: (1) multiple forms of connectedness (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, transpersonal, labyrinth connection) were cultivated through collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention; (2) practitioners reported qualities associated with “transcendent” experiences during this experience (i.e., boundlessness, ultimacy, transcendence, connectedness, positive emotions); and (3) practitioners had insights for compassionate action.DiscussionFindings suggest that collective labyrinth walking with a shared intention can contribute to individual and group flourishing during times of distress. Quasi-experimental and experimental research designs are needed to build on this exploratory developmental research and are described in this article.

show abstract

The Value of Contemplative Practices: A Mixed Methods Approach Exploring Associations between Resilience and Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Older Adults

Cited by 4 publications

References 55 publications

Contemplative Practices Behavior Is Positively Associated with Well-Being in Three Global Multi-Regional Stanford WELL for Life Cohorts

Contemplative Practices Behavior Is Positively Associated with Well-Being in Three Global Multi-Regional Stanford WELL for Life Cohorts

Post-traumatic Growth: The Roles of the Sense of Entitlement, Gratitude and hope

A sense of connectedness, transcendent experiences, and insights for compassionate action emerge through an international collective labyrinth walk with a shared intention during the COVID-19 pandemic

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About