Implementing Mindfulness in the Mainstream: Making the Path by Walking It.
Mindfulness 2017 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-016-0632-7 (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Ethics Implementation Intervention integrity Mainstream Mindfulness-based programs Teacher competence |
| Key points | Argues that implementing mindfulness-based programs in mainstream settings creates tensions between contemplative and Western empirical traditions, and that the field must develop its theoretical framework, ethical consensus, teacher training and supervision, governance structures, and access strategies while conducting this work in ways consistent with mindfulness values. |
Abstract
There is expanding interest in mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) within the mainstream. While there are research gaps, there is empirical evidence for these developments. Implementing new evidence into practice is always complex and difficult. Particular complexities and tensions arise when implementing MBPs in the mainstream. MBPs are emerging out of the confluence of different epistemologies-contemplative teaching and practice, and contemporary Western empiricism and culture. In the process of navigating implementation and integrity, and developing a professional practice context for this emerging field, the diverse influences within this confluence need careful attention and thought. Both contemplative practices, and mainstream institutions and professional practice have well-developed ethical understandings and integrity. MBPs aim to balance fidelity to both. This includes the need to further develop skillful expressions of the underpinning theoretical and philosophical framework for MBPs; to sensitively work with the boundary between mainstream and religious mindfulness; to develop organizational structures which support governance and collaboration; to investigate teacher training, supervision models, and teaching competence; to develop consensus on the ethical frameworks on which mainstream MBPs rests; and to build understanding and work skillfully with barriers to access to MBPs. It is equally important to attend to how these developments are conducted. This includes the need to align with values integral to mindfulness, and to hold longer-term intentions and directions, while taking small, deliberate steps in each moment. The MBP field needs to establish itself as a new professional field and stand on its own integrity.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 24
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
- Mindfulness in migraine: A narrative review Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics January 14, 2020
- Mindfulness and Behavioural Insights Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change November 30, 2022
- Next‐generation mindfulness: A mindfulness matrix to extend the transformative potential of mindfulness for consumer, organizational, and societal wellbeing Journal of Consumer Affairs April 1, 2023
- The benefits of a mindfulness program for university students: A qualitative exploration on intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships The Journal of Humanistic Counseling October 20, 2022
and 19 more in the library
Cites 13
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Mindfulness training and problem formulation. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Training Teachers to Deliver Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Learning from the UK Experience Mindfulness April 26, 2010
- When mindfulness is therapy: Ethical qualms, historical perspectives. American Psychologist 2015
and 8 more in the library