Shared mindfulness practice in an online community during the COVID-19 pandemic may foster pillars of connection and interbeing, including improved mind-body awareness, trust, collective alignment, and a sense of common humanity. These findings, from semi-structured interviews, are discussed through interdependence theory, leading to exploratory propositions for creating a mindful community of practice. The study calls for more research and invites testing of these propositions in workplaces, educational settings, or neighborhoods.
A pilot Team Mindfulness Training (TMT) program, blending individual mindfulness meditation with collective mindfulness principles, was compared to a standard 8-week MBSR program in high-stress military work populations. TMT was no less effective at improving individual stress management skills and may better build collective capacity to handle stress and unexpected difficulty. The results suggest interdependence between individual and collective mindfulness development. The study argues for moving beyond individually focused, clinically adapted mindfulness training toward a prosocial, team-oriented approach in workplaces.