Exploring the Relationship Between Character Strengths and Meditation: a Cross-Sectional Study Among Long-Term Practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation
Tom Hendriks, Joshua N. Pritikin, Rajeev Choudhary, Chad Danyluck
International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology March 31, 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s41042-021-00052-0 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDaily practitioners of Sahaja Yoga meditation endorse seven character strengths more strongly than non-meditators: spirituality, forgiveness, gratitude, self-regulation, teamwork, appreciation of beauty, and hope. A survey using the VIA Inventory of Strengths 120 compared 310 daily SY meditators to a matched sample from the VIA Institute on Character database. The practice of SY meditation may be associated with a unique and broad set of character strengths, suggesting that meditation can foster specific positive traits.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 310 |
| Population | Daily practitioners of Sahaja Yoga meditation |
| Intervention | Sahaja Yoga meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Gratitude Strengths and weaknesses Character mathematics Forgiveness |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key finding | Practitioners of Sahaja Yoga meditation endorsed seven signature strengths—spirituality, forgiveness, gratitude, self-regulation, teamwork, appreciation of beauty, and hope—compared to non-meditators. |
Abstract
Abstract A growing body of research has associated the practice of meditation with the development of character strengths. Sahaja Yoga (SY) is a spiritual practice designed to help people develop a set of character strengths. The primary goal of the current work is to determine whether practitioners of SY meditation endorse signature strengths. Using the VIA Inventory of Strengths 120, we conducted a survey to measure character strengths among 310 daily practitioners of SY meditation and compared them to a matched sample from the database of the VIA Institute on Character. Practitioners of SY meditation endorsed seven signature strengths, relative to non-meditators: spirituality, forgiveness, gratitude, self-regulation, teamwork, appreciation of beauty, and hope. Findings suggest that the practice of SY meditation may be related to a unique and broad set of character strengths. The findings pave the way for research identifying signature strength development in other group contexts.