Thompson-Lastad Ariana, Hussein Shah Noor, Harrison Jessica M, Zhang Xiaoyu Jennifer, Ikeda Mushim P, Chao Maria T, Adler Shelley R, Weng Helen Y
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Osher Center for Integrative Health, University of California, San Francisco.
Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz.
Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2025 Jan 9. doi: 10.1037/ort0000823.
Inclusive research is needed to understand how contemplative practices are used by people of diverse identities. Metta meditation-also known as loving-kindness meditation-may be particularly relevant for people committed to equity and justice because of the social nature of the practice. Using community-based participatory research and an intersectional framework, we assessed how people in a diverse meditation community teach and practice metta meditation. In partnership between university researchers and a community-based meditation center, we conducted virtual focus groups on experiences with metta meditation during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze focus group data, with a member checking process to include participant feedback. Forty-seven people participated in six focus groups ( = 47; 62% lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or asexual; 23% Asian, 19% Black, 13% Hispanic/Latina/o, 32% White, 24% multiracial). Qualitative analysis identified three central themes: (1) the importance of a community of practice for creating a sense of belonging (including during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic); (2) the benefits of metta practice for cultivating compassion and equanimity; and (3) the use of metta practice to cope with harmful situations, including individual-level stressors and structural oppression. Metta meditation supported participants in navigating stressors and injustice. Community-based spaces designed to cultivate belonging among diverse communities can support people to connect contemplative practice with their efforts for social change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
需要开展包容性研究，以了解不同身份的人如何运用静观练习。慈心禅——也被称为仁爱禅——可能对致力于公平与正义的人尤为相关，因为该练习具有社会性。我们运用基于社区的参与性研究和交叉性框架，评估了一个多元化冥想社区中的人们如何教授和实践慈心禅。在大学研究人员与一个社区冥想中心的合作下，我们在2019冠状病毒病大流行的最初几个月里，就慈心禅体验开展了虚拟焦点小组讨论。我们采用反思性主题分析来分析焦点小组数据，并通过成员核对过程纳入参与者的反馈。47人参加了6个焦点小组（N = 47；62%为女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、跨性别、酷儿、双性人或无性恋者；23%为亚裔，19%为黑人，13%为西班牙裔/拉丁裔，32%为白人，24%为多种族）。定性分析确定了三个核心主题：（1）实践社区对于营造归属感的重要性（包括在2019冠状病毒病大流行的最初几个月）；（2）慈心禅练习对于培养慈悲心和平和心的益处；（3）运用慈心禅练习应对有害情况，包括个人层面的压力源和结构性压迫。慈心禅帮助参与者应对压力源和不公正。旨在培养不同社区归属感的社区空间可以支持人们将静观练习与他们的社会变革努力联系起来。（《心理学文摘数据库记录》（c）2025美国心理学会，保留所有权利）
