32 Spirituality Studies 11-2 Fall 2025 Finally, participants valued the very opportunity to be introduced to these practices, acknowledging both personal and professional benefits. This resonates with Egan et al. (2022, 396–397), who found that most young people had had limited exposure to self-compassion before and emphasised the importance of raising awareness. Similar findings were reported in the Making Friends with Yourself programme by Bluth et al. (2016, 17), where adolescents described the practices as useful and applicable in their daily lives. While participants appreciated being introduced to mindfulness and self-compassion, they also identified several barriers that limited their sustained engagement with these practices. A recurring theme was the need for a clear sense of purpose. If practices lacked personal meaning, participants were unlikely to maintain them. This resonates with Kotera et al. (2021, 7), who found that intrinsic motivation, defined as engaging with activities because they feel meaningful and personally relevant, was a significant predictor of self-compassion in students. These findings suggest that meaningful framing and personal relevance are central to sustaining engagement with contemplative practices. Variability in individual preferences was also observed in the present study. Participants differed in energy levels, engagement with particular techniques, and tolerance for practice formats such as stillness, movement, or background stimulation. Such variation reflects the calls to tailor interventions to individual needs rather than adopting a “one size fits all” approach (Egan et al. 2022, 400). Perhaps the most striking barrier was emotional resistance. A number of participants clearly resisted practices that evoked painful or difficult emotions, claiming that they did not want to think about sad or problematic experiences or that they feared that they might become overwhelmed by repressed memories. Similar challenges have been reported in university students, who described becoming more aware of self-criticism but also struggling with the discomfort of painful feelings before learning to respond more kindly (Binder et al. 2019, 6). Such accounts highlight that self-compassion training often involves confronting discomfort before change can occur. Systematic reviews also emphasise that emotion regulation is a central mechanism through which self-compassion benefits mental health, particularly by fostering tolerance of negative emotions and reducing reliance on avoidance strategies (Inwood and Ferrari 2018, 15–17). This suggests that while self-compassion may ultimately promote healthier regulation of negative affect, initial resistance is common and needs to be addressed directly in interventions. Context also played an important role in shaping participants’ engagement. The group setting sometimes created discomfort. Such feelings of self-consciousness suggest that group-based delivery needs to be carefully scaffolded to ensure psychological safety. Furthermore, some obstacles were linked to practical aspects of delivery. Factors such as the facilitator’s tone, voice, and clarity appeared important for accessibility, while seemingly minor contextual factors, such as room temperature, posture requirements, or rigid seating arrangements also influenced comfort and concentration. Similar concerns have been raised in adolescent and student interventions, where overly long or formal practices reduced engagement (Bluth et al. 2016, 15). These findings are in line with those of Póka et al. (2024, 6488) who found limited effects of self-compassion interventions in student populations, particularly when delivered online or without strong group engagement. This underscores the importance of delivery format, emotional safety, and proactively working with any resistance or discomfort that may arise. Apart from personal practice, participants also reflected on pedagogical use. They generally agreed that such practices could have a place in schools, with appropriate adaptation. For younger children, playful and imaginative activities were considered most suitable, whereas for adolescents, it was important to ensure that the practices were engaging and accessible, while reducing resistance and feelings of self-consciousness in group settings. This attention to age-appropriate framing aligns with evidence that the language and presentation of these programmes strongly shape young people’s willingness to engage. For example, Egan et al. (2022, 398) observed that framing self-compassion in terms of courage and wisdom, rather than self-kindness alone, was perceived more positively by adolescents. Among other potential risks and preconditions, participants highlighted the importance of teachers’ own familiarity with the practices. They stressed that for successful implementation, educators need to have practised themselves, know their class well, and be prepared to respond if strong emotions arise. This resonates with prior evidence that teachers’ personal engagement with mindfulness and compassion training not only supports their own well-being but also enhances the classroom climate (e.g., Jennings et al. 2017, 12).
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