Marcus A. Henning

Drawing on holistic research and professional practice, this book provides rich empirical, scientific, and clinical lenses to the discourse on wellbeing in higher education.The authors have appraised the underlying, conceptual, empirical, and applied nature of existing mind-body programmes often utilized to cultivate wellbeing (e.g., seated meditation, yoga, Taijiquan, Pilates, Feldenkrais, biofeedback, and the Alexander technique). Higher education is touted as a sector that develops new ideas for the wider community as well as ensuring students are provided with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to positively contribute to the wider community. Within this setting, there are numerous benefits (e.g., attaining a reputable qualification), but there are also risks (e.g., stressors associated with expectations). To ensure the higher education setting is a place of wellbeing in addition to achievement, several strategies are promoted to assist staff and students whilst working and studying. Chapters offer clear implications for research and practice, and explore effective strategies for enhancing wellbeing for students and staff.The integrative mind-body programmes have considerable potential for developing wellbeing in the higher education settings. As such, this book will appeal to academics and researchers in the higher education sector, including scholar-practitioners, and teacher educators.

Drawing on holistic research and professional practice, this book provides rich empirical, scientific, and clinical lenses to the discourse on wellbeing in higher education.The authors have appraised the underlying, conceptual, empirical, and applied nature of existing mind-body programmes often utilized to cultivate wellbeing (e.g., seated meditation, yoga, Taijiquan, Pilates, Feldenkrais, biofeedback, and the Alexander technique). Higher education is touted as a sector that develops new ideas for the wider community as well as ensuring students are provided with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to positively contribute to the wider community. Within this setting, there are numerous benefits (e.g., attaining a reputable qualification), but there are also risks (e.g., stressors associated with expectations). To ensure the higher education setting is a place of wellbeing in addition to achievement, several strategies are promoted to assist staff and students whilst working and studying. Chapters offer clear implications for research and practice, and explore effective strategies for enhancing wellbeing for students and staff.The integrative mind-body programmes have considerable potential for developing wellbeing in the higher education settings. As such, this book will appeal to academics and researchers in the higher education sector, including scholar-practitioners, and teacher educators.

This book provides an outline and critical discussion of the characteristics of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) research. Since the first reports on the use of mindfulness practices in health interventions, a large body of research literature has emerged to document the effectiveness of MBIs for reducing psychological distress and to increase well-being. The integration of mindfulness into very diverse psychological theories makes it a unique concept in psychology that has generated a large amount of interest both in academic research but also the broader media. With this growing literature, mindfulness researchers have also recognised the need to be more critical of its developments, such as how MBIs are presented to the public or what types of research methods are used to test claims of an MBI’s effectiveness. This book examines the large variety of approaches in which MBIs have been studied, including an outline of the philosophical underpinnings of MBI research, definition and measurement of mindfulness, the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, research design, and research that addresses cultural and religious factors. The book contributes to increased awareness of the current direction of MBI research and thus seeks to contribute to further methodological refinement and sophistication of the research field. This book on the characteristics of research on MBIs is a must read for any researcher or practitioner interested in this fascinating topic.

This book provides an outline and critical discussion of the characteristics of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) research. Since the first reports on the use of mindfulness practices in health interventions, a large body of research literature has emerged to document the effectiveness of MBIs for reducing psychological distress and to increase well-being. The integration of mindfulness into very diverse psychological theories makes it a unique concept in psychology that has generated a large amount of interest both in academic research but also the broader media. With this growing literature, mindfulness researchers have also recognised the need to be more critical of its developments, such as how MBIs are presented to the public or what types of research methods are used to test claims of an MBI’s effectiveness. This book examines the large variety of approaches in which MBIs have been studied, including an outline of the philosophical underpinnings of MBI research, definition and measurement of mindfulness, the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, research design, and research that addresses cultural and religious factors. The book contributes to increased awareness of the current direction of MBI research and thus seeks to contribute to further methodological refinement and sophistication of the research field. This book on the characteristics of research on MBIs is a must read for any researcher or practitioner interested in this fascinating topic.