Contemplative practices: The body as therapeutic site linking health and place.
Health and Place May 30, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102826 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Autoethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | The author(s) practicing daily contemplative practices at home |
| Interventions | yoga meditation |
| Duration | 3 months of daily practice |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Embodied contemplative practices can be a therapeutic counterpoint, connecting health and place by nurturing an appreciation for the immaterial, interdependent aspects of life. |
Abstract
During times of upheaval, supporting stability, health and wellbeing on all levels is essential. While literature regarding 'therapeutic landscapes' has burgeoned over the last 30 years, to date no studies have considered the therapeutic potential of embodied contemplative practices (CP), such as yoga and meditation, within the most accessible, ordinary environment - the body at home. Equally, the field of mobilities appears to have overlooked the spiritual and political nature of these deliberately immobilising acts of resistance. Our paper draws on narrative data collected over the course of three months of daily CP. We interpret the resulting autoethnography through thematic analysis. We conclude that within a fast-paced, hyper-connected world, CPs can be a therapeutic counterpoint, connecting health and place by nurturing an appreciation for the immaterial, interdependent aspects of life.