Benefits and challenges of delivering meditation instruction live online: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic regarding accessibility and connection

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an unprecedented shift in the dissemination of meditation and mindfulness-based instruction from being predominantly in-person to almost exclusively online. Here, we investigated the advantages and disadvantages of these online formats from both teacher and practitioner perspectives, with a focus on perceived efficacy and accessibility. Method: In Study 1, teachers of standardized mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions (n = 209) completed a brief survey about the efficacy and potency of online training programs compared to in-person ones. In Study 2, a US national cohort of meditation practitioners (N = 318) responded to questionnaires detailing their ongoing meditation experience, including what they liked and disliked about the online meditation programs they had engaged in during the early stages of the pandemic. Qualitative responses for practitioners were coded for themes using an inductive method and examined in relation to demographic and meditation practice characteristics. Results: Teachers perceived online programs to be “somewhat less effective” than traditional in-person sessions (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.46), whereas practitioners tended to report improvements in their practice as a result of the pandemic (p < 0.001, d = 2.58). Practitioners appreciated the accessibility of online classes and the ability to stay connected with a geographically distributed community. Still, many practitioners missed connecting in person. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that meditation practitioners and teachers find online formats valuable, despite their limitations, and provided insights as to how online meditation instruction can be leveraged to provide greater accessibility.