Experiences of a Community-Based Mindfulness Program Among Bedouin-Arab Participants: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis

Abstract Objectives Although mindfulness-based programs have been widely implemented across diverse populations, relatively little is known about how mindfulness is experienced within Arab and Muslim communities. The present study explored the experiences of Bedouin-Arab participants who completed a community-based mindfulness program, with particular attention to learning processes, perceived changes, cultural adaptation, and program evaluation.

Method: Twenty participants who completed a community-based mindfulness program in a Bedouin-Arab community in southern Israel participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis combined AI-assisted first-cycle coding with researcher-led second-cycle coding and thematic development.

Results: Analysis resulted in a hierarchical thematic framework comprising six overarching themes and 41 subthemes. The themes captured participants' motivations and expectations for participation, experiences of learning mindfulness practices and concepts, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral transformations associated with mindfulness practice, interpersonal and group processes, cultural and religious interpretations of mindfulness, and evaluations of the program together with intentions for future engagement. Participants described mindfulness as an experiential learning process that contributed to increased self-awareness, emotional regulation, intentionality, and interpersonal sensitivity. Mindfulness practices were frequently integrated into participants' daily lives and interpreted through culturally and religiously meaningful frameworks.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that mindfulness can be experienced as both personally transformative and culturally adaptable within a Bedouin-Arab context. Community-based mindfulness programs may be particularly effective when they emphasize experiential learning, group reflection, and opportunities for participants to integrate mindfulness practices into their existing cultural and spiritual frameworks.