Daoist Zhanzhuang and Human Flourishing

Part of paid clinical trials in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sponsor
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Study ID
NCT06573034
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Inflammatory Response
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Well-Being, Psychological

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 25 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Daoist Zhanzhuang — BEHAVIORAL
    Each session of practice will last 30 minutes, and participants are expected to participate every day for 3 months. During the initial 3 weeks, participants will engage in in-person sessions 3 times a week. On non-session days, they can choose to either attend a Zoom practice session with the coach or submit a recording of their individual practice for fidelity check. In Week 4, participants will attend an in-person session for both practice and assessment. Over the subsequent 8 weeks, participants will either attend in-person or Zoom sessions, with a total of 3 check-in sessions.
  • Sham Wall Squat — BEHAVIORAL
    Same as the Zhanzhuang group.

Study Details

This project investigates the impact of Daoist Zhanzhuang (sometimes spelled as Chan Chuang) on human flourishing, and explores the physiological, psychological, and spiritual mechanisms. This study will be a two-arm randomized controlled trial, with mixed-methods and repeated-measures assessment of outcome variables. The two arms will include an active control condition (i.e., sham wall squat) and the Daoist Zhanzhuang condition. Outcome variables will include physiological measures of heart rate variability and inflammatory biomarkers, psychological scales of human flourishing variables, phenomenological interviews of mystical experiences, and daily ecological momentary assessment of human flourishing and mysticism. Randomly assigned into two conditions, 120 participants will complete a three-week intensive practice phase with 9 in-person sessions, followed by a nine-week self-guided practice phase with 4 in-person check-in sessions, and 3 follow-up practice and assessment sessions. Complete assessment (physiological measures, psychological scales, and phenomenological interviews) will be administered at five time points: T1 at about two weeks before the intervention, T2 at the end of the three-week intensive practice, T3 at the end of the 3-month intervention, T4 at the 6-month follow-up, and T5 at the 12-month follow-up. In addition, daily ecological momentary assessment of flourishing variables and practice-induced experiences will be administered daily after the practice for the entire 3-month intervention period.

Key Dates

Start date
Aug 29, 2024
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Feb 28, 2027
Completion
Jul 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
120 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Daoist Zhanzhuang
    Individuals in this condition will learn and maintain the Zhanzhuang posture, endorsed by this study's religious practitioner and validated by two independent Daoist experts. The core posture involves: a) Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and toes pointed forward; b) Opening the hips slightly to the side as if holding a ball between the legs; c) Sitting slightly back and tucking in the abdomen and tailbone; d) Keeping the back straight while holding in the chest; e) Raising the arms to a height over the chest but under the shoulders as if embracing a tree trunk; f) Facing palms toward the body with fingers apart as if holding a ball; g) Relaxing the shoulders and lowering the elbows in a stationary stance; h) Pointing the head upward as if balancing an object on top of the head; i) Tucking in the chin; j) Breathing naturally, with a focus on the lower abdominal area.
  • Active Comparator: Sham Wall Squat
    Individuals in this condition will be directed to perform a sham wall squat, essentially a prescribed way to stand straight leaning against the wall. Key instructions include: a) Standing tall with the head and back resting against the wall; b) Positioning feet shoulder-width apart and a foot away from the wall; c) Slightly bending and engaging leg muscles; d) Relaxing hands on the side of the body; e) Concentrating on the balance of weight.

Primary Outcome Measure

Increased heart rate variability [ Time Frame: Day 1 in-person session, baseline T1 (before the intervention), the end of three-week intensive practice (T2), the end of the 3-month intervention (T3), the 6-month follow-up (T4), and the 12-month follow-up (T5). ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotteNorth Carolina28223
Zhuo Job Chen, PhD
[email protected]
7046877966
Zhuo Job Chen, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)
Jeanette Bennett, PhD (SUB_INVESTIGATOR)

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