How to create a mindful community of practice: exploring the social functions of group-based mindfulness practices facilitated via Zoom during COVID-19.

Jutta M Tobias Mortlock; Hotri Himasri Alapati; Trudi Edginton

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1356057

How to create a mindful community of practice: exploring the social functions of group-based mindfulness practices facilitated via Zoom during COVID-19.

Jutta M Tobias Mortlock, Hotri Himasri Alapati, Trudi Edginton

Frontiers in Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1356057 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Exploratory qualitative study Peer reviewed
Population	Individuals participating in online mindfulness sessions with an online mindfulness community since the beginning of COVID-19
Intervention	online mindfulness sessions
Topics	Meditation
Keywords	Covid-19 Community of practice Interbeing Interdependence theory Online Social connection
Citations	3
Key findings	Shared mindfulness practice may foster pillars of connection and interbeing, including improved mind-body awareness, trust, collective alignment, and a sense of common humanity.

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study was conducted to investigate the experiences of individuals who have been participating in online mindfulness sessions with an online mindfulness community since the beginning of COVID-19, i.e., during a period of heightened uncertainty and social isolation. The study's purpose was to better understand the social functions of regularly practicing mindfulness in this online community of practice. Analyses from semi-structured interviews reveal how shared mindfulness practice may foster several pillars of connection and interbeing in this community of practice. These include improved mind-body awareness, coupled with a unique sense of trust and connection, which may have helped cultivate collective alignment and a sense of common humanity among research participants. Findings are discussed through the lens of interdependence theory, resulting in several exploratory propositions on how to create a mindful community of practice. The study concludes with a call for more research in this understudied research domain and invites mindfulness researchers and practitioners to test these propositions further. Its overall aim is to stimulate debate among individuals and groups intent on creating a mindful community in their workplace, educational setting, or neighborhood.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan...	2017	Qualitative study with mixed-methods
The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Nurses in a hospital system	2004	Implementation study with mixed methods
An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care Primary care patients with recurrent depression or recurrent depression and anxiety	2006	Exploratory mixed methods study	n = 13
A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression Participants in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a mental-health context	2001	Qualitative study	n = 7
Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Meditators	2013	Qualitative study using grounded theory methodology

Citations in the library

Cited by 2

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