Exploring co-meditation as a means of reducing anxiety and facilitating relaxation in a nursing school setting

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore whether co-meditation, shared or cross-breathing, could reduce anxiety and enhance relaxation in a nursing school setting. The specific outcomes to be assessed in the quantitative component were blood pressure, pulse, respirations, and anxiety, both state and trait. A qualitative component explored participants' experiences with co-meditation following 1 month of practice. Rogers's Science of Unitary Human Beings formed the theoretical basis for this study. The study employed a pretest/posttest design with participants as their own controls. Quantitative data were collected from a convenience sample of 26 students, faculty, and staff aged 19 to 51 years, male and female. Fourteen participants returned for the qualitative component. Findings suggest that co-meditation may be useful in reducing anxiety, as measured by vital signs and the anxiety inventory forms. Participants reported feeling calmer and more relaxed, balanced, and centered following 1 month of practice. Findings suggest that co-meditation has potential to help transform a nursing educational environment from one that is potentially anxiety provoking to a calmer, more caring one.