Journal of Meditation based Psychological Counseling (J Medit Psychol Couns)
Indexed in KCI
OPEN ACCESS, PEER REVIEWED
pISSN 2289-0823
eISSN 2671-6119
Research Article

Meditation experience as daily practice: A qualitative study

Professor, Department of Buddhist Sociology, Joongang Sangha University, Republic of Korea

Correspondence to Shon, Kangsuk, E-mail: nie1206@hanmail.net

Volume 36, Pages 1-13, April 2026.
Journal of Meditation Based Psychological Counseling 2026, 36, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.12972/mpca.2026.36.1
Received on April 10, 2026, Revised on April 24, 2026, Accepted on April 24, 2026, Published on April 30, 2026.
Copyright © 2026 Meditation based Psychological Counseling Association.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0).

Abstract

This study aimed to explore meditation experiences as daily practice. For this purpose, focus group interviews were conducted with 36 meditation practitioners who practice meditation as part of their daily routine, divided into 5 groups. The research findings are as follows: First, in ‘subjective experiences through meditation as daily practice,’ five categories emerged: ‘experiencing rest and relaxation in daily life,’ ‘experiencing mental stability and peace in daily life,’ ‘encountering one’s inner self through meditation as daily practice,’ ‘considering meditation as daily practice as training and process,’ and ‘experiencing living with meditation in daily life.’ Second, in ‘emotional acceptance through meditation as daily practice,’ six categories emerged: ‘becoming able to recognize and accept emotions through meditation as daily practice,’ ‘feeling improved emotional regulation ability through meditation as daily practice,’ ‘experiencing growth through reflection on emotions via meditation as daily practice,’ ‘becoming able to regulate emotions in interpersonal relationships through meditation as daily practice,’ ‘experiencing reduction of negative emotions through meditation as daily practice,’ and ‘increased positive emotions through meditation as daily practice.’ Third, in ‘changes in coping through meditation as daily practice,’ six categories emerged: ‘increased self-reflection and awareness of behavior through meditation as daily practice,’ ‘becoming more deliberate in actions through meditation as daily practice,’ ‘experiencing changes toward gentler attitudes in interpersonal relationships through meditation as daily practice,’ ‘increased consideration in family relationships through meditation as daily practice,’ ‘changes in ways of responding to conflict situations through meditation as daily practice,’ and ‘actions becoming more relaxed through meditation as daily practice.’ This study has significance in confirming that meditation is not an activity limited to specific spaces or times, but rather a sustainable practice that can be implemented in daily life.
Keywords

daily life, practice, meditation, experience, qualitative research

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