Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Recognizing Roots And Not Just Leaves: The Use Of Integrative Mindfulness In Education, Research, And Practice, Naisargi (Ness) Mehta, Gitika Talwar

Psychology from the Margins

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have entered mainstream psychology practice and research over the last few decades. However, academic literature on MBIs reveals a focus on the European-American populations, and customization of mindfulness to the needs and values of mainstream western mental health. There has been an exclusion of the spiritual and cultural roots of mindfulness; mindfulness has been secularized in ways that undermine indigenous forms of mindfulness that originate from Asian countries such as India and China. While MBIs have been working well for their targeted audience, there need to be avenues for Asian and Asian American communities that follow Buddhist …