Contemplative Practices on the Rise in Australia and New Zealand

A nationally representative survey conducted in Australia and New Zealand has found that a significant majority of participants engage in contemplative practices, with 70% of the total 2640 participants reporting to have practiced contemplative activities over the past year. The most commonly practiced contemplative activities were meditation, relaxation, breathing techniques, and yoga. The primary motivation for engaging in these practices was to improve health and wellbeing.

Key Takeaways:

• 70% of participants in a nationally representative survey in Australia and New Zealand engaged in contemplative practices over the past year.
• The most common contemplative practices were meditation (31%), relaxation (25%), breathing techniques (24%), and yoga (21%).
• Improving health and wellbeing were the primary motivations for engaging in contemplative practices.
• Participants who engaged in contemplative practices reported significantly higher psychological distress and mental healthcare use than non-practitioners.
• Overall, 70% of participants reported engaging in contemplative practices, with significant implications for mental health and wellbeing.
• Contemplative practices were associated with higher psychological distress and mental healthcare use, highlighting the need for more research in this area.

Statistics:

• 70% of participants (N=2640) in a nationally representative survey engaged in contemplative practices over the past year.
• 31% of participants practiced meditation, 25% practiced relaxation, 24% practiced breathing techniques, and 21% practiced yoga.
• 70% of contemplative practice users reported significantly higher psychological distress (p's
• 70% of contemplative practice users reported significantly higher mental healthcare use (p's

Sources:

• osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/c7e54_v1/ (preprint abstract)