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The Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health

Part 1

The Mindful Movement is an online show on meditation that helps viewers let go of

psychological problems such as fear and anxiety and cultivate inner peace. The show was

founded by Sara and Les Raymond in 2016 because they were passionate about helping people

grow through shedding light on the transformative powers of mindfulness (Raymond n.p). The

show pulls back the curtain on what it means to meditate, the science behind it and its

applications in various environments. Sara and Les Raymond are novice master mediators whose

teachings touch people through their clarity and personal insights. The online show can be freely

accessed through their YouTube TV channel.

The psychology concept discussed in the show is mindfulness. Mindfulness refers to a

moment to moment awareness of an individual’s experience without judgement. This implies

that it is a state that is perfected through being brought into practice. It involves the impartiality

and awareness that people gain from a non-judgement reflection and welcoming change (Shonin

et al. 28). From a psychological viewpoint, mindfulness based therapy is useful in the alteration

of the cognitive and affective processes associated with some clinical problems such as

depression, grief and anxiety (McClintock, Andrew and Timothy 246). Traditionally,

mindfulness was practiced in the context of spiritual development in conjunction with other
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spiritual practices. Today, psychologist and master meditators clear up the confusion around

meditation through films, social media and online shows.

Part 2

Shian-Li Keng, Moria J.Smoski, Clive J. Robins analyzed the effects of mindfulness on

psychological health. The researchers reviewed empirical studies on the psychological construct

of mindfulness as a clinical intervention. The purpose of the study is to establish the effects of

mindfulness on psychological health (Keng et al. 1). The research seeks to discuss the integration

of meditation into western medicine through investigating its significance in psychology. This

creates new insights on the application of mindfulness and clears up the confusion around the

spirituality of meditation and its applications in psychology.

The research bridges the existing gap in the comparison of findings from empirical

studies, cross-sectional studies and correlational research studies on mindfulness. The existing

studies do not analyze findings using the three approaches. The research articles featured in the

study are obtained from the Kentucky Inventory of mindfulness skills and the Freiburg

Mindfulness inventory. Both databases contain samples of research papers by undergraduate

students (Keng et al. 3). The study utilized content analyses to analyze Acceptance and

Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT) in controlled studies. They

take a methodological standpoint in examining the effects of mindfulness and its cultivation in

psychological functioning (8).

The major findings of the study were that although there exists limitations in the existing

methodologies of studying the effects of meditation, all the findings from correlational studies,

laboratory based interventions and experimental studies suggest that mindfulness interventions

have a positive impact on psychological health (Keng et al. 12). Based on evidence from all the
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analyzed research articles, meditation improves psychological health through improving

subjective well-being, improving behavioral regulation and reducing emotional reactivity.

The researchers do not suggest the limitations of the study. However, they suggest areas

for further research studies. They create the need for future research studies to examine the

practical issues relating to the delivery, implementation and dissemination of training for

individuals to become competent providers of mindfulness training. Besides, they create the need

for examining the effects of mindfulness interventions during the earlier stages (Keng et al. 12).

The conclusion made from the studies make sense to me. There is a clear convergence of

findings on the psychological benefits of mindfulness. The article makes a significant

contribution in psychology and clinical medicine through creating new paradigms on integration

of mindfulness in clinical interventions that aim at alleviating human psychological suffering.

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Work Cited

Keng, Shian-Ling, Moria J. Smoski, and Clive J. Robins. "Effects of mindfulness on

psychological health: A review of empirical studies." Clinical psychology review 31.6

(2011): 1-13.

McClintock, Andrew S., and Timothy Anderson. "The application of mindfulness for

interpersonal dependency: effects of a brief intervention." Mindfulness 6.2 (2015): 243-

252.

Raymond, Les. “The Mindful Movement.” YouTube, 2019,

www.youtube.com/channel/UCu_mPlZbomAgNzfAUElRL7w.

Shonin, E. S., William Van Gordon, and Mark D. Griffiths. "Mindfulness in psychology: a

breath of fresh air?" The Psychologist 28.1 (2015): 28-31.