Meditation and the Group Process

Group Meditation 

Journal: A "Collective Effort to Make Yourself Feel Better": The Group Process in Mindfulness-Based Interventions 

Mindfulness based interventions (MBI) can be used to support people managing chronic pain, emotional distress, self management, and support people in care-giving roles. Multiple studies have found the group process positively impacts the experience of learning mindfulness, primarily during the initial weeks. This positive experience is facilitated through supporting learning, reducing stigma, and decreasing isolation. MBI in groups also creates a sense of accountability and a culture that values a sense of belong to the group, cohesion, and friendship. 

During this study, the participants expressed feeling less alone by developing a sense of belonging and connection with the group, which fostered the understanding of suffering as universal. They further found it supportive and motivating when group members shared each other's successes and this inspired mutual hope for the benefits of maintaining a mindfulness practice.  Group members were able to help each other make connections, develop new perspectives, find clarification, discover their own struggle, and find the ability to perceive their own position to be more manageable. The authors described relief from learning you are not alone in experiencing your difficulties, allowing one to feel normal and understood by others. This study concluded that learning mindfulness within a group is shown to enrich student's experiences and lead to a deeper understanding, motivation, and assimilation. 

For me, the most significant aspect of this article is the sense of community that arose from learning mindfulness in a group versus individually. Anyone who practices mindfulness techniques will typically agree that it is an uncomfortable practice to learn. Before reading this article, I assumed that mindfulness techniques would be easier to learn alone rather than in a group setting, to avoid the inevitable awkwardness and discomfort. Alternatively, teaching mindfulness in groups helps form a sense of normalcy that might not be developed individually, due to the comfort and relationships that are built during the group process. This is similar to almost every group process found during group therapy, no matter what the topic. I find it to be exceptionally important to acknowledge that the group process in MBI helped foster the understanding of suffering as universal. Often times, the feeling of being alone in our problem leads to more negative emotions and unhappiness. While in a group, members develop their own culture and understanding for each other that is unique in it's own. This reveals a sense of understanding that is crucial for healing and balance. 

Having read this article, I now understand the group process more than I have during the duration of this entire course. As a result, I now see a stronger value in the group process. This is because I have self taught myself mindfulness techniques and understand the discomfort that comes along with this skill. This makes me wonder if learning mindfulness would have been more effective for me in a group setting. This knowledge is essential to me as a learner because I better understand that the group progress helps members develop a sense of belonging and this helps me realize the necessity of group therapy. Being a student that aspires to work in the mental health field, I truly appreciate this newfound knowledge and understanding. 

References 

Cormack, D., Jones, F., & Maltby, M. (2018). A "collective effort to make yourself feel better": the group process in mindfulness-based interventions. Qualitative Health Research, 28(1), 3-15. doi:10.1177/1049732317733448

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