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lived experience and transformational potential of 5 Rhythms dancing meditation

Zsofia Maurer

Consciousness, Spirituality & Transpersonal Psychology August 18, 2021 DOI: 10.53074/cstp.2021.23 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Sample size 9
Population 5 Rhythms dancers
Intervention 5 Rhythms dancing meditation
Topics Meditation
Keywords Dancing meditation Movement meditation Embodied meditation Meditative dance Personal transformation Self-growth Psycho-spiritual transformation Spiritual growth Personal development Embodiment Mindful presence Conscious awareness Spiritual practice Inner spirituality Spiritual development
Citations 3
Key findings Embodiment, interconnection, mindful presence, self-compassion, freedom, spirituality, creativity, and the interplay of surrender and control facilitate psycho-spiritual transformation in 5 Rhythms dancing.

Abstract

Forms of dancing meditation have been popular choices for self-development in the Western world, yet they continue to be under-represented in the academic literature on mindfulness and transformative practices. The present study explored the lived experience and transformative potential of 5 Rhythms, a dancing meditation practice developed by Gabrielle Roth (1998). Anderson’s (1998) qualitative research method, intuitive inquiry, was applied in order to engage both intellect and intuition, enabling the researcher to tap her own embodied knowing of 5 Rhythms practice. The research progressed through 5 hermeneutical cycles, allowing a process of reappraisal, transforming the researcher’s original understanding of 5 Rhythms through in-depth engagement with nine participants, all of whom were 5 Rhythms dancers. Following semi-structured interviews and transcription, a Thematic Content Analysis yielded eight core themes. Overall, the findings suggested a number of processes and conditions that facilitated and accompanied psycho-spiritual transformation in 5 Rhythms dancing, including embodiment, interconnection with others, self and the world, mindful presence, self-compassion, freedom, spirituality, creativity, and the interplay of opposing forces such as surrender and control. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed at the end.

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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Cites 3

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