{
  "id": 15620568,
  "title": "Brief self-care meditation boosts body confidence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/brief-self-care-meditation-boosts-body-confidence",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-19T15:40:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-meditation-boosts-body-confidence.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A study of Australian adults aged 18 to 39 found that a brief daily meditation practice focused on self-compassion led to significant improvements in body appreciation, positive well-being, and reduced self-judgment six weeks after the program ended. The randomized controlled trial published in the journal Mindfulness involved 227 participants who completed 20 minutes of daily meditation, while another group served as a waitlist control. The meditation sessions emphasized mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity but did not specifically target appearance-related concerns or body image. According to lead researcher Dr. Joshua Marmara from La Trobe University, fostering self-compassion through kind and mindful self-talk may be crucial for enhancing body appreciation rather than relying solely on mindfulness practice. Dr. Siân McLean, an associate professor of psychology, noted that self-compassion training programs are simple to deliver online and require minimal time, making them potentially effective tools for reaching large numbers of people to improve mental health. Further research is needed to determine the long-term benefits and applicability of these interventions across diverse populations.",
  "summary": "Australian adults who completed the self-compassion meditation training reported significantly increased body appreciation, positive well-being and lower self-judgment. The benefits were still evident six weeks after the program concluded, and frequency of practice alone did not drive the size of change.",
  "key_points": [
    "Brief daily meditation practice improved body appreciation in Australian adults",
    "Study involved 227 participants completing 20 minutes of meditation daily",
    "Self-compassion training via meditation may enhance body confidence"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}