Objective
The goal of this study is to measure the positive effects of a unique form of mindfulness
practice that involves engaging with Tao art (tracing the Tao Calligraphy "Love Peace
Harmony" while listening to or singing the Tao Music or Tao Song "Love, Peace and
Harmony") on human adult well-being. Investigators will study the impact of this Tao art
mindfulness practice on three aspects of well-being: Perceived Stress, Social
Connectedness and Peace of Mind.
Hypotheses
The research null hypothesis is that participants who will engage in daily mindfulness
practice with Tao art will report NO significant improvement in three aspects of
well-being as measured by standardized scientific questionnaires; specifically, NO
significant reduction of Perceived Stress, NO significant increase in Social
Connectedness and NO significant increase in Peace of Mind.
For statistical analysis of scores obtained from questionnaires, the Anova and regression
analysis will be used to evaluate the null hypothesis. The p value will represent how
unlikely the observed data would be if the null hypothesis were actually true and
investigators will use them to reach conclusions. The confidence level is set at 95% and
if we receive p < 0.05, then H0 is rejected. The correlation coefficient will be used to
determine any correlation between various factors (e.g. effects of age, sex, length, and
frequency of mindfulness practices and other) on outcome and regression analysis will be
used to determine the relation of independent and dependent variables.
Background and Theoretical Framework
Human interest in "well-being" dates back thousands of years, from complex indigenous
understandings through to the ancient Greeks. However, a clear and useful definition and
conceptualization of well-being remains elusive, a situation which has manifested
historically, contemporarily, to the public, and within and across disciplines.
The investigators concur more with Lomas and VanderWeele's understanding of well-being as
related to health and flourishing and Joshanloo's focus on mental balance, defined as a
sense of tranquility resulting from inner peace and harmonious interactions with the
external environment, and life satisfaction.
A large and growing body of research shows that mindfulness and meditation practices are
beneficial to physical and mental health and well-being. Mindfulness refers to a state of
awareness that arises from paying attention to the present moment, without judgment,
whereas meditation refers to a practice or technique that can cultivate mindfulness,
inner peace, and more. Mindfulness practices are often synonymous with meditation, and
the terms are often used interchangeably.
Research has demonstrated the positive effects of mindfulness-based meditation on brain
function, immune system function, diabetes, hypertension, fibromyalgia, cholesterol
levels, blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels. Likewise, mindfulness and
meditation practices have been shown to increase self-compassion and improve memory and
emotional regulation. In a comprehensive meta-analysis of 209 studies, the authors
concluded that mindfulness-based therapy was effective for many types of psychological
problems, while being especially good for reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. In
another overall review of mindfulness-based interventions, they were found to be
effective for many common and diverse mental, physical, and social conditions.
In recent decades, mindfulness and meditation practices and programs have become
increasingly commonplace for stress management and reduction because they are effective.
It is no wonder that mindfulness-based meditation practices lead to greater mental,
physical, and psychological well-being, with one of the key mechanisms for such outcomes
being their effect on the regulation or reduction of stress.
Besides mindfulness and meditation practices, the interest in the application of the arts
for public health and well-being has also grown in recent years. Self-expression through
art or engaging with different forms of art has been found to be helpful for many health
conditions, and doctors in the United Kingdom have started prescribing "the arts" to
treat or positively influence many kinds of health conditions.
Some forms of art are also meditative and contemplative, and many can be readily
transformed into such a process. The mindfulness-based meditation being explored in this
research rests in part on the benefits of music, singing or chanting, and calligraphy
tracing (in particular, tracing a unique form of Chinese calligraphy).
Through the personal experiences, everyone knows that music can transform or uplift the
mood and research supports this, suggesting that engagement with music plays a role in
mood regulation. Harvard Health shares how music enhances our health and performance,
claiming that music has "major effects on many aspects of health, ranging from memory and
mood to cardiovascular function and athletic performance." A recent systematic review and
meta-analysis of "music interventions" found that they are associated with significant
clinical improvements in Health-Related Quality of Life indices (especially the mental
components) and, interestingly, they found that whether people sang, played, or listened
to music, the results were similar. A slightly earlier systematic review and
meta-analysis of music therapy for stress reduction found overall large to medium-large
effects on stress-related outcomes. Likewise, though research is limited in this area,
chanting meditations have documented effects on stress and well-being.
Chinese calligraphic writing is a dynamic process that uses an ink-laden brush to create
defined configurations of characters. Revered as one of the most important art forms in
China, as a mindfulness practice, it has also been shown to help reduce stress and
improve mental well-being. The practice of Chinese calligraphy writing facilitates the
development of concentration, creativity, and relaxation, which can lead to a more
peaceful mental state. Studies in the medical field have confirmed its significant
effects on psychosomatic conditions, post-traumatic hyper-arousal symptoms, hypertension,
and type 2 diabetes. Other research publications have shown how it can improve cognitive
function in the elderly, improve neuropsychiatric symptoms, and reduce stress. In one
case, a man who was in a coma for two years awakened and continued to improve after his
medical team took his hand and helped him to trace calligraphy daily with his finger.
This research will explore the effects of a unique mindfulness-based meditation that
combines tracing the Tao Calligraphy "Love Peace Harmony" while listening to, singing, or
chanting the Tao Song "Love, Peace and Harmony." Investigators will study its effect upon
selected aspects of well-being.
Tao Calligraphy is based on a unique branch of Chinese calligraphy known as Yi Bi Zi,
which applies one-stroke writing. Every character is written with one continuous stroke
of the brush, with the brush always in contact with the paper.
In a unique style of moving meditation, participants will focus on a work of Tao
Calligraphy art, tracing the characters with their fingers while simultaneously listening
to or singing/chanting (silently or aloud) the Tao Music or Song, which enables them to
achieve deep concentration and relaxation during wakefulness.
The Tao Song "Love, Peace and Harmony" consists of short, inspiring verses that are
repeated, and is a beautiful way to lift and inspire peoples' hearts and help them to
experience peace and calm. The song was professionally recorded and is available on the
Love Peace Harmony Foundation's website as a free distribution.
The investigators have already discussed the value of Tao art mindfulness meditations for
improving depression, anxiety, pain, and health, and how this appears to contribute to
numerous beneficial outcomes related to well-being by the Short Form 36-item (SF-36)
questionnaire to measure quality of life and by the European Organization for Research
and Treatment of Cancer 30-item core quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ C-30). In
this study, the investigators will measure other aspects of well-being, namely perceived
stress, peace of mind, and social connectedness.
