1. Linking Indian Yogic Practices and Modern Marriages: Role of Meditation in Marital Wellbeing
- Author
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Bubber, Sara and Gala, Jigisha
- Subjects
Married people -- Psychological aspects -- Social aspects ,Quality of life -- Psychological aspects ,Yoga -- Usage -- Psychological aspects ,Meditation -- Usage -- Psychological aspects ,Psychology and mental health - Abstract
Indian psychology has always looked at a person holistically as a body, mind mechanism with consciousness. Atmanam viddhi or to the desire to know oneself is at the centre of all human endeavours. Education in the Upanishadic period followed shravana, manana and nidhidhyasana meaning reflection and grasping the truth about the higher self. Over time, these practices were lost and meditation lay as an almost forgotten art. Looking at the efficacy of meditation in medical sciences, it has now begun to expand its way into social science research. This study aims to understand the role of meditation and spirituality in marital wellbeing. A mixed method approach using a questionnaire to study spiritual qualities and marital satisfaction supplemented with an interview to dive deeper into the working of marriage was adopted. The sample (N= 93) comprised 46 meditators and 47 non- meditators recruited by a snowball sampling technique. Meditators spiritual qualities significantly correlated with marital satisfaction at r= 0.673 and were not correlated for non- meditators. Student t- test results were significant for domain of spiritual qualities (t= 2.736 at p=0.004) and relationship quality (t=1.866 at p=0.03). Results from t- test pointed towards more spiritual qualities in meditators. Results pointed that meditators were most satisfied in marriage followed by non- meditators and one meditator- non meditator participants were least satisfied. Meditation contributed towards acceptance of themselves and their partners and enhanced overall relationship wellbeing. This positive correlation can contribute to the growing research in indigenous counselling therapies in the field of marriage and family., Author(s): Sara Bubber [sup.1] , Jigisha Gala [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.411494.d, 0000 0001 2154 7601, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Faculty of Family and Community Sciences, The [...]
- Published
- 2023
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