International Students and Spiritual Capital: Meditation as a Tool to Support Student Well-Being
Anna Grigoreva, Anna Lytkina
Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education August 1, 2026 DOI: 10.25035/jche.04.02.09 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Autoethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | International students in the American higher education system, as reflected in the authors' own experiences |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The authors argue that meditation, understood through spiritual capital and spiritual intelligence frameworks and neuroscience research on mindfulness and neural regulation, cultivates inner capacities such as attentional stability, emotional regulation, expanded perspective, and meaning-making that support international students' adaptation. They contend that universities and educators should integrate such contemplative practices into student life and academic support systems. |
Abstract
In a new academic environment, international students often face more than just academic challenges, as they also navigate cultural adjustment, identity shifts, digital overload and emotional stress. These multidimensional challenges are further intensified by performance pressures and rapidly evolving educational technologies. This article explores the role of meditation as a contemplative practice that may support international students’ adaptation within the American higher education system. The article focuses on how international students draw upon inner strength, purpose, and resilience to navigate and sustain themselves through periods of transition and difficulty. Using autoethnography as a primary methodological approach, the authors analyze their individual and collective experiences of meditation in relation to existing research on mindfulness and neural regulation. Drawing on frameworks of spiritual capital and spiritual intelligence, alongside insights from neuroscience, the study examines how meditation cultivates internal capacities such as attentional stability, emotional regulation, expanded perspective, and meaning-making. The research invites educators, teachers, policymakers, and universities to recognize and support international students by integrating similar practices into student life and academic support systems.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.