The Quality of Zen Meditation- Bodily Experiences of Participants with Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Nursing & Primary Care October 30, 2018 Lu Chueh-Fen, Hung Ming-Kuo, S. Nancy
Twenty-one adults with generalized anxiety disorder participated in a six-week Zen meditation program at a Taiwanese medical center. Through interviews, field notes, and diaries, four themes emerged: bodily awareness (becoming more sensitive to muscle tension and other sensations), determining characteristics of the GAD body, being with the breath (a wholly concentrated state), and bodily resistance (the body disagreeing with physical activities during practice). Practicing Zen meditation helped participants feel close to their bodies, stay quietly with them, and gain bodily awareness. The study identifies the essence of good-quality Zen meditation as a factor that should be considered before examining its effects.