Mindfulness and meditation - Training our spidey-senses for critical qualitative health research

Abstract

I’ve been training students in mindfulness and meditation for over 10 years. What began as a pedagogical survival tool (for my own mental health) soon emerged as something that was incredibly beneficial to my public health students. Turns out sitting in silence, anchoring ourselves in the present moment, and not doing but instead being, is not only good for your physical, social, and emotional health, it’s a great tool for learning. Students report that closing their eyes and sitting together in meditation fosters trust and compassion and builds a sense of community. These feelings allow them to take risks in their learning, to deeply engage with the material, and to participate openly and creatively in ways that foster real growth. During the pandemic I’ve had time to reflect on what I have observed is another benefit of mindfulness and meditation training – that these practices help students develop important skills – or spidey-senses – that are the superpowers of critical qualitative health researchers. These include the ability to be fully present in our work, to listen deeply, to be curious and non-judgemental, to not be attached to outcomes and what we expect to hear or learn, to come to each study and each participant with ‘beginners mind’, to prioritize different ways of knowing, and to accept when things don’t go according to plan (as they always seem to do in qualitative research). In this presentation I welcome all superhero’s and in particular those interested in developing their own and their students spidey-senses. In our time together I’ll share some of the science on why this practice makes good scientists, demonstrate a practice, and provide some tips for those interested in trying it in their own classrooms. During the pandemic I’ve had time to reflect on what I have observed is another benefit of mindfulness and meditation training – that these practices help students develop really important skills – or spidey-senses – that are the superpowers of critical qualitative health researchers. These include the ability to be fully present in our work, to listen deeply, to be curious and non-judgemental, to not be attached to outcomes and what we expect to hear or learn, to come to each study and each participant with ‘beginners mind’, to prioritize different ways of knowing, and to accept when things don’t go according to plan (as they always seem to do in qualitative research). In this presentation I welcome all superhero’s and in particular those interested in developing their own and their students spidey senses. In our time together I’ll share some of the science on why this practice makes good scientists, demonstrate a practice, and provide some tips for those interested in trying it in their own classrooms.