The impact of holistic exercise programs on self-compassion and mindfulness of students of Greek higher education institutions
Keywords:
Creative Movement, QiGong, Positive Psychology, Holistic Wellbeing, Physical and Mental HealthAbstract
Self-compassion and mindfulness are skills that can be cultivated through a wide range of interventions and are associated with a variety of desired qualities and characteristics. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of two online intervention programs of holistic exercise, Qigong and Creative Movement, on the skills of self-compassion and mindfulness in a sample of students of Greek higher education institutions. The research involved 40 students of Greek academic institutions, 21 undergraduate, 7 postgraduate and 1 doctoral level. The scales of Self-Compassion and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) that have been translated and weighted for the Greek population, were used. The results show distinct and statistically significant differences in self-compassion and mindfulness skills after participating in intervention programs versus the control group. The Creative Movement program was found more effective than QiGong. Due to the small sample, which is due to the specifics of the research, non-parametric tests were used that take into account this limitation. The above results are important for the research data they add to the small literature in Greece and for the design and implementation of interventions of holistic exercise programs to enhance self-compassion and mindfulness in students and other populations.
Keywords: Creative Movement; QiGong; Positive Psychology; Holistic Wellbeing; Physical and Mental Health
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