While her full study is ongoing, we are thrilled to be able to share this summary which indicates that the Zentangle Method is a highly effective tool for supporting and nourishing a state of mindfulness.
We are grateful to Meredith, her staff and St. Joseph College for their time, precision and professionalism as they continue to accumulate important data on the benefits of the Zentangle Method.
Here is Meredith's summary complete with reference notes:
Zentangle: Evaluation
of a Mindfulness Activity
A recent pilot study concluded that
Zentangle is a mindfulness activity (1). Also, when comparing a group of post
test scores after 1 hour of Zentangle instruction, including 10 minutes of
independent practice, the participants experienced mindfulness process post
test scores equivalent to a group who participated in a 1 hour a week 16 week mindfulness
focused treatment (2). Thus, the Zentangle process appears to be an efficient
way to create a state of mindfulness. Consistent with the increasing amount of
recent mindfulness research, the practice of Zentangle as a mindfulness activity
could benefit the individual both mentally and physically. Such benefits
include but are not limited to psychological wellbeing (3-6), decreased mental
health symptoms, such as depression (7), anxiety (8), and stress (9 -11). In
addition to being useful in the treatment of chronic pain (12), fibromyalgia (13-14),
improving brain function and immune response (15), blood pressure (16) and insomnia
(17).
References
1.
Yuhas, M. & Cooper, A. B. (2012). Zentangle: Evaluation of a mindfulness activity. Unpublished manuscript, Saint Joseph College, West
Hartford, CT.
2.
Erisman, S. M. & Roener, L. (2011, October 11). A
preliminary investigation of the process of mindfulness. Mindfulness. doi: 10.1007/s12671-011-0078-x
3.
Nyklicek, I., & Kuijpers, K. F. (2008). Effects
of mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention on psychological well-being
and quality of life: Is increased mindfulness indeed the mechanism? Annals
of Behavioral Medicine, 35 (3), 331-340. doi: 10.1007/s12160-008-9030-2
4.
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of
being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 84 (4), 822-848. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
5.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need
to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as fundamental human
motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117,
497-529. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.117.3.497
6.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000).
Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social
development, and well-being. American
Psychologist, 55, 68-78. doi:10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.68
7.
Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M.,
Ridgeway, V. A., Soulsby, J. M., & Lau, M. A. (2000). Prevention of
relapse/reoccurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive
therapy. Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology, 68 (4), 615-623. doi:10.1037//0022-006X.68.4.615
8.
Evans, S.,
Ferrando, S., Findler, M., Stowell, C., Smart, C., Haglin, D. (2008).
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22 (4),
716-721. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2007.07.005
9.
Shapario, S. L., Schwartz, G. E., & Bonner, G.
(1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical
students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine,
21 (6), 581-599. DOI: 10.1023/A:1018700829825
10. Shapiro,
S. L. Brown, K., Biegel, G. (2007). Self-care for health care professionals:
Effects of MSRB on mental well-being of counseling psychology students. Training and Education in Professional
Psychology, 1, 105-115. doi:10.1037/1931-3918.1.2.105
11. Oman,
D., Shapirio, S. L., Thorenen, C. E., Plante, T. G., Flinders, T, (2008).
Meditation lowers stress and supports forgiveness among college students: A
randomized controlled trial. Journal of
American College Health, 56 (5), 569-578. doi:10.3200/JACH.56.5.569-578
12. Kabit-Zinn,
J., Lipworth, L., Burney, R., Sellers, W. (1986) The impact of a
meditation-based program for the self-regulation of chronic pain: Treatment
outcomes and compliance. Clinical Journal
of Pain, 2, 129-73. doi: 10.1007/BF00845519
13. Kaplin, K. H., Goldenberg D., &
Galvin-Nadeau, M. (1993) The impact of a meditation-based stress reduction
program on fibromyalgia. General Hospital
Psychiatry, 15, 284-9. Retrieved from http://www.fammed.wisc.edu/sites/default/files//webfm-uploads/documents/outreach/mindfulness/res-mindfulness-fibromyalgia.pdf
14. Astin,
J. A., Berman, B. M., Bausell, B., Lee, L., Hochberg, M., & Forys, K. L.
(2003). The efficacy of mindfulness meditation plus qigong movement therapy in
the treatment of fibromyalgia: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Rheumatology, 30 (10),
2257-2262. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2009.03.009
15. Davidson,
R. J., Kabit-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rozenkrantz, M., Muller, D. &
Santorelli, S. F. (2003). Alterations in the brain and immune function produced
by mindfulness meditation. Psychometric
Medicine, 65, 564-570. doi:10.1097/01.PSY.0000077505.67574.E3
16. Sudsuang,
R. Chentanez, V., Veluvan, K. (1991). The effect of Buddhist meditation on
serum cortisol, and total protein levels, blood pressure, pulse rate, lung
volume, and reaction time. Physiological Behavior, 50, 543-8. doi:10.1016/0031-9384(91)90543-W
17. Ong,
J. & Sholtes, D. (2010). A mindfulness-based approach to the treatment of
insomnia. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 66 (11), 1175-84. doi:10.1002/jclp.20736
Posts
7 comments:
I believe it. I Tangled the 3 hours my husband was having open heart surgery. The time flew asif it has been 15 minutes!
Thank you Meredith for your work supporting zentangle as an activity to help sustain mindfulness. I look forward to reading more.
I continue to enjoy reading the blog , learning something new every time!
Way to go, Mery! I am proud to say that Meredith was one of my first Zentangle students after I was certified last year.
When I teach, I often say that Zentangle is particularly effective as a form of meditation, because unlike many forms of meditation, you rarely get intrusive thoughts. I like going into concentration immediately and getting lost in the repetitive tangles. Much gratitude to Meredith for her research which will help us as CZTs to make our case for the meditation aspect even more clear!
Carol Bailey Floyd, CZT #1
Fibromyalgia, also called FM, or FMS, is a chronic disease characterized by muscle, joint, or bone pain, combined with fatigue and other symptoms. It affects mostly women, although men may also suffer from fibromyalgia. Three to six percent of the population suffer from this condition, which can be diagnosed at almost any age. It is not well understood and there is no generally acceptable medical cure, only the ability to help with symptoms. Some doctors claim that fibromyalgia is psychosomatic, but this isn't generally accepted among the medical community.
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Using Zentangle as a mindfulness tool has been a wonderful success for members of a Mental Health Joy Group. I introduced Zentangle to them last August 2011 and some dramatic positive changes have occurred for many members. Reduced anxiety, depression and social phobia. With these positive changes came joy and increased self confidence to continue in a positive direction towards recovery. Thank you for doing this research, Zentangle, I am sure, will be proven one of the best tools for mindfulness.
I hope to be a CZT this August:D
as a PhD candidate in psychology, I am so thrilled by Dr. Yuhas' study. I am in the process of receiving approval for my dissertation which will qualify the practice of Zentangle by trauma therapists. I am hoping to help build on the efforts to bring Zentangle to the therapy world as an evidenced-based intervention. I hope to talk w/ Dr. Yuhas and obtain permission to reference her study(s) in my work!!
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