Influence of Vipassana, Raja Yoga and Sudarshan Kriya Yoga on Well-being and Character strengths
Nikhil Mahindroo, Manjari Srivastava, Vidya Naik
Purushartha - A Journal of Management Ethics and Spirituality August 17, 2022 DOI: 10.21844/16202114201 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPractitioners of three Indian meditation traditions—Vipassana mindfulness meditation, Raja Yoga, and Sudarshan Kriya Yoga—report higher well-being than non-meditators. In a cross-sectional study of 168 healthy adults, meditators showed significantly greater satisfaction with life, positive affect, flourishing, presence of meaning in life, and character strengths (hope, gratitude, curiosity, zest, love), along with lower negative affect. Effect sizes were medium to large (Cohen's d: .572 to .955), and longer meditation practice was associated with stronger benefits. Flourishing was largely explained by satisfaction with life, positive affect, hope, gratitude, and presence of meaning. These practices are presented as evidence-based, universally accessible tools to promote mental health.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 168 |
| Population | Healthy adults in India, including 84 meditators (28 per practice) and 84 non-meditators |
| Interventions | Vipassana mindfulness meditation Raja Yoga Sudarshan Kriya Yoga |
| Key finding | Meditators reported significantly higher subjective and psychological well-being, presence of meaning, and character strengths, and lower negative affect, compared to non-meditators, with medium to large effect sizes and benefits increasing with practice duration. |
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages using evidence-based traditional yoga and meditation practices for the promotion of mental health and well-being. This study intends to examine the influence of three Indian meditation practices, i.e., Vipassana mindfulness meditation, Raja Yoga and Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, by employing a cross-sectional design. 168 healthy adults - 84 meditators (n=28 for each practice) and 84 non-meditators – had voluntarily participated. Meditators reported significantly higher subjective well-being (satisfaction with life, positive affect), psychological well-being (flourishing), presence of meaning in life, and character strengths (hope, gratitude, curiosity, zest and love), and significantly lower negative affect as compared to non-meditators. The medium to large effect sizes (Cohen’s d: .572 to .955), except for zest, were marked with a significant association (r: |.245 to .487|, p <.05) with the duration pof meditation, thereby signifying enhanced benefits of sustained practice. 60.2% of the variance in flourishing was explained by satisfaction in life, positive affect, hope, gratitude and presence of meaning. These evidence-based universal practices accessible across the globe and acceptable to people of all ages and backgrounds are worthy targets of rigorous research, adoption at the workplace and widespread dissemination to further SDG 3 – ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.