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A study on successful aging among middle-aged women through body sensation observation meditation

Kum-Soon Lim

Journal of Meditation based Psychological Counseling April 30, 2025 DOI: 10.12972/mpca.2025.33.8 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Sample size 18
Population Middle-aged women who participated in body feeling observation meditation
Intervention body feeling observation meditation
Topics Meditation
Key findings The analysis identified categories describing middle-aged women's perceptions of aging, coping responses, changes through body feeling observation meditation, and plans for successful aging.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of participating in body feeling observation meditation targeting middle-aged women and to obtain basic information on methods for successful aging. The research questions of this study to achieve the purpose of the study are as follows. First, what is middle-aged women’s perception of aging? Second, how do middle-aged women cope with aging? Third, what changes did middle-aged women experience through participation in body feeling observation meditation? Fourth, what is the successful aging plan that middle-aged women make after participating in body feeling observation meditation? For this purpose, interviews were conducted with 18 middle-aged women who participated in body feeling observation meditation and analyzed using consensual qualitative analysis. The results of the study are as follows. First, as a result of examining middle-aged women’s perception of aging, seven categories were derived in two areas. Second, as a result of examining middle-aged women’s response to aging, six categories were derived in three areas. Third, as a result of examining middle-aged women’s experience of change through participation in body feeling observation meditation, eight categories were derived in two areas. Fourth, as a result of examining the successful aging plan of middle-aged women after participating in body feeling observation meditation, 10 categories were derived in 3 areas. The significance of this study is that it confirmed the aging experienced by middle-aged women, their coping with aging, and the role of body sensation meditation in that process. The results of this study were able to provide basic data for developing measures to help middle-aged women successfully age through the use of body sensation meditation.

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

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