This study investigated the effects of two novel forms of 8-week mindfulness meditation training, focused attention (FA) and open monitoring (OM), relative to an established training, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), on early emotional reactivity to negative emotional images as assessed by electroencephalography (EEG). Data on the late-positive potential (LPP) were analyzed to address whether the three mindfulness interventions attenuated the LPP from pre- to post-intervention, and if significant differences existed between groups in LPP at post-intervention. Rather than an attenuation, results indicated an average increase in LPP amplitude from pre- to post-intervention. No significant differences were found in the LPP between the training conditions at post-intervention. These results provide preliminary evidence that mindfulness training in novice practitioners may heighten initial emotional reactivity. Further, well-designed research is needed to examine a wider range of neural responses to better understand emotion regulation process effects of different forms of mindfulness training.

Negative emotions can be challenging to regulate, and for some individuals can lead to failures of behavior regulation. The present study is an initial effort to explore the role that mindfulness may play in fostering effective behavior regulation among those prone to high negative urgency (NU). Eighty undergraduate students were recruited based on their high or low scores of NU. First, participants completed a self-report measure of mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale; MAAS), an Emotional Go/No Go task in an fMRI scanner, and then reported alcohol consumption. Results showed that those with high in NU had low levels of mindfulness compared to those low in NU. Mindfulness predicted substance use at the one- month follow-up after controlling for the predictive roles of NU and gender. Further exploration of the underlying neural mechanisms of mindfulness is needed to better understand its impact on emotion- and self-regulatory processes, especially during difficult emotional experience.

While a significant amount of research illustrates the positive effects of therapists’ use of mindfulness, few studies have addressed whether therapists’ mindfulness actually improves psychotherapy outcomes. Additionally, no existing research has examined whether therapists’ use of a mindfulness exercise immediately before meeting with a client could also have a positive impact on the following session. The purpose of this study was to test whether engaging in a centering exercise 5-10 minutes before a session could have a positive impact on therapy, in particular on the therapists’ ability to remain present in session. Results indicated that the trainee therapists did not report changes in mindfulness after the brief mindfulness training program. Results also indicated that completing the centering exercise before a session did not appear to impact client ratings of therapeutic presence and session outcomes. The results suggest that more intensive training in mindfulness may be necessary to impact psychotherapy outcomes.

This thesis is an exploration of the concepts of what the spirituality of consciousness means in several key areas of the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual self. Many students and professionals walk through their educational and professional careers filled with confusion, lack of self-understanding, a yearning for something more but never discovering it in the places we find ourselves for most of our day-to-day interactions. My hope is that this thesis will give insight to how students can overcome obstacles and fears in their lives in order to move forward, and, when necessary, to move past themselves. As a young, Black, immigrant woman who is a first-generation college student and student affairs professional, the methodology of Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) appeals to me the most in exploring the spirituality of consciousness. Therefore, I will be using SPN to highlight a portion of my journey through three lenses: mindfulness counseling, religo-spirituality, and understanding what it means to unlock our minds and its complexities through a spiritually-enriched education. I will also highlight how we can disseminate the knowledge of self-awareness and self-awakening as life teachers, educators, and learners to those who come after us--the next generation. The holistic preservation of self and mind is a vital stage in our human existence. As higher education administrators and teachers, we should be able to take the risk and accept the challenge to delve deeper within ourselves to be able to move beyond the curriculum and see the full humanity of our students, hopefully leading to more joyful, productive, loving, creative and brilliant minds. How do we do this? How do we awaken to life, to learning, to each other, in the midst of chaos? This thesis attempts to point the way.

Demands on physicians in the workplace are growing, as are the occupational and psychosocial stressors they encounter. However, there is scant research regarding physicians, their patient care, and strategies that enhance their well-being. Mindfulness, the ability to be present in the moment, is increasingly being encouraged among healthcare workers for personal benefits and possible positive effects for patients. Thus, the present study examined (a) the health, well-being, and patient care practices of oncologists, (b) the relationship between oncologists’ mindfulness and health indicators (general health and sleep problems) with three outcomes (satisfaction with life [SWL], job satisfaction, and suboptimal patient care), and (c) whether mindfulness moderated the relationship between health and outcome variables. Survey data were collected from oncologists who were members of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (N = 114, response rate of 29%). Participants were predominantly male (76%), Caucasian (78%), and married (84%), and featured a mean age of 52 years and an average work week of 58 hours. Half (51%) reported sleeping 6 or fewer hours per night and the mean sleep duration was 6.3 hours. Thirty-five percent reported not getting adequate sleep and 57% believed that lack of sleep interfered with daily functioning. They reported very good general health, high levels of trait mindfulness, and satisfaction with their lives and jobs. They reported engaging in occasional suboptimal patient care practices and attitudes. About 20% endorsed some degree of burnout, but only 12% were considering changing jobs in the next 5 years. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that general health predicted greater SWL, greater job satisfaction, and less suboptimal patient care, whereas mindfulness predicted greater SWL and less suboptimal patient care beyond the variance accounted for by general health. Sleep problems predicted less SWL, whereas mindfulness predicted less suboptimal patient care, beyond the variance accounted for by sleep problems. Finally, mindfulness moderated the relationship between oncologists’ sleep problems and suboptimal patient care; as sleep problems increased for oncologists with low mindfulness, they reported that their patient care actually improved. Possible explanations for findings are presented and implications for oncologists’ health, well-being and patient care are discussed.

Estimated rates of obesity are notably high in the United States and pose a significant public health concern. A number of deleterious physical and psychosocial conditions are associated with pediatric obesity and the cost of its treatment is considerable. Accordingly, the number of weight management treatments has increased to meet this growing public health challenge. Unfortunately, insufficient participation in weight management treatment, namely low adherence and high attrition, often impede the effectiveness of these programs. Although the barriers associated with inadequate adherence and elevated rates of attrition are documented, there is a dearth of research on the predictors of the low participation in pediatric weight management. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined whether psychosocial (e.g., motivation, mindfulness, depression), biological (e.g., anthropometric, biochemical), and demographic variables predicted adherence and attrition. A series of backward elimination regressions were modeled to identify the biopsychosocial factors that best predicted adherence and attrition in a pediatric weight management program. The study utilized a sample of parent-adolescent dyads (N = 143) from the T.E.E.N.S. program, a multidisciplinary weight management treatment involving behavioral, nutrition, and exercise components for adolescents with obesity. Several demographic characteristics were associated with lower adherence. Parent basic psychological need fulfillment was also significantly associated with six-month attrition. This finding underscores the importance of the parents’ role in the successful completion of a pediatric weight management program. This study contributes to an increased understanding of the factors related to participation in weight management programs, and can inform the refinements of interventions, such as T.E.E.N.S. and related programs.

Unpaid carers are known to be at heightened risk of poor outcomes (e.g. financially, physically and emotionally). Conversely it is known that carers can have positive experiences through their caring role and continue to experience good well-being even when distress is present. The study proposes that mindfulness, psychological inflexibility and valued living may moderate the relationship between distress and well-being in carers and therefore help ameliorate some of the potentially negative consequences of caring.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur förskollärare uppfattar yoga och de eventuella skillnader som framkommer i verksamheten efter yogaanvändningen, samt om den kan vara en metod för att motverka stress hos barn. Resultatet visar att förskollärarna uppfattade att det finns olika förhållningssätt till yoga i förskolan. Intervjupersoner ansåg att barnyoga ska vara roligt, spännande och lekfullt. Däremot uppfattades yogaanvändningen med barn i behov av särskilt stöd i somliga fall som komplicerad. Detta eftersom barnen, i vissa situationer, kan ha svårt att koncentrera sig eller utföra de fysiska rörelserna. Resultatet visar dessutom att yoga inte alltid prioriteras, på grund av tidsaspekt eller personaltäthet. I resultatet framkom yoga som estetik, i form av rörelse och språk, för att kunna praktisera yoga i linje med läroplanen. Barnen uppfattades även stärka sin fysiska förmåga såsom kroppskontroll och motorik. De uppfattades även som lugnare och tryggare efter yogapraktiserandet. Metoden som har använts i studien är kvalitativa, semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Sex förskollärare som arbetar med barnyoga i förskolan har intervjuats. Tre intervjuer utfördes i personligt möte och tre gjordes på telefon. I analysen, vilken gjordes utifrån en fenomenografisk utgångspunkt, framträdde tre huvudteman: Yoga som övertygelse: hur förskollärarnas entusiasm kan ha påverkat hur de ser på yogapraktiserandet i förskolan. Yoga som åtgärd: vilka effekter yogaanvändningen uppfattades ge i den dagliga verksamheten. Yoga som verktyg: om och hur yoga kan användas som verktyg för att arbeta med läroplanen. Samt förskollärarnas uppfattningar om yoga kan vara ett verktyg för barnen att hantera stress genom livet.

I have worked together with three Swedish families with small children, focusing on their intrinsic goals as a way to increase well-being in their everyday life.  I have designed ceremonial objects for the families to use to create their own ceremony, as a way to practice togetherness by being more present in the moment. These objects are made in a do-it-yourself manner so that other people can make their own objects from the instructions.  By practicing togetherness people can have an entry way for focusing more on what they actually want and need, on a personal level, but it could also cause a ripple effect and support a more sustainable society, both socially and environmentally.

Conflict resolution education tends to emphasize the analysis of conflict dynamics, and skills for communication and problem-solving. The role of emotions, and practical strategies for one’s own emotional self-management have received less attention. Emotional dysregulation in conflict may interfere with the use of learned conflict resolution skills, thus reducing transfer of learning. The study explored the possible influence of mindfulness practice on emotional self-management, and subsequent transfer of learning in interpersonal conflict. This modified qualitative case study involved 15 adult undergraduate students in the researcher’s class on “Managing Conflict.” Mindfulness practice was included in every class, and subjects kept a journal on their frequency of out-of-class practice. Subjects were interviewed before the start of the class on their ways of handling conflict, and were asked to describe a recent conflict they had been involved in. A post-class interview asked the same questions, as well as exploring subjects’ experience of mindfulness. Findings revealed that for this group of subjects, frequency of mindfulness practice had little influence on emotional self-management or transfer of learning. However, subjects’ stance toward mindfulness, a qualitative descriptor, appeared to positively influence both emotional self-management and transfer of learning. Stance toward mindfulness was described as focusing on either self-soothing or self-awareness. Subjects reporting a self-awareness stance were more likely to report managing their emotions in conflict, regardless of whether their dominant emotion in a conflict was anger or fear. They were also more likely to report transfer of learning (specifically, the ability to identify causes of conflict and the other party’s needs, to use receptive communication skills, and to incorporate mindful awareness in the negotiation process). Self-awareness appeared to be a foundational capacity that supported emotional self-management and transfer of learning for this group of subjects. Possible implications for the field of conflict resolution, and directions for future research, are discussed.