Experiencing mindfulness meditation - a client narrative perspective

TY - JOUR

T1 - Experiencing mindfulness meditation - a client narrative perspective

AU - Stelter, Reinhard

N1 - CURIS 2009 5200 050

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - The study was based on the non-participant involvement of the researcher in four six-to-eight weeks' mindfulness meditation training courses led by chartered psychologists. The participants suffered from stress/sleeplessness, depression or agoraphobia in the presented cases. They were selected on the basis of recommendations by the psychologist who was the course instructor, who described them as positive and suitable. The participants wrote diaries on a weekly basis, and they were interviewed at the beginning, middle and end of the course. An in-depth analysis of three individual cases will be presented in the form of narratives constructed from their own words. The narratives demonstrate the unique and embodied changes of the individual participant's experiences during the training course. The purpose was to illustrate richly what happens and how changes happen during these weeks of learning and practicing mindfulness meditation. It is not the intention to give evidence about the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in general, but to present the whats and hows of cases where mindfulness meditation appears to improve quality of life, health and well-being. Keywords: Mindfulness meditation; experience; embodiment; well-being; mental disorder; life change; narrative inquiry

AB - The study was based on the non-participant involvement of the researcher in four six-to-eight weeks' mindfulness meditation training courses led by chartered psychologists. The participants suffered from stress/sleeplessness, depression or agoraphobia in the presented cases. They were selected on the basis of recommendations by the psychologist who was the course instructor, who described them as positive and suitable. The participants wrote diaries on a weekly basis, and they were interviewed at the beginning, middle and end of the course. An in-depth analysis of three individual cases will be presented in the form of narratives constructed from their own words. The narratives demonstrate the unique and embodied changes of the individual participant's experiences during the training course. The purpose was to illustrate richly what happens and how changes happen during these weeks of learning and practicing mindfulness meditation. It is not the intention to give evidence about the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in general, but to present the whats and hows of cases where mindfulness meditation appears to improve quality of life, health and well-being. Keywords: Mindfulness meditation; experience; embodiment; well-being; mental disorder; life change; narrative inquiry

U2 - 10.1080/17482620903013908

DO - 10.1080/17482620903013908

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 20523884

SN - 1748-2623

VL - 4

SP - 145

EP - 158

JO - International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being

JF - International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being

IS - 3

ER -