Implications of Tamarkoz® on Stress, Emotion, Spirituality and Heart Rate
Condition: Stress
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Depression, anxiety, hopelessness, poor sleep quality, somatic pain, high risk of substance
      abuse, and suicide ideation are positively correlated with perceived stress. Spirituality and
      positive emotions have profound, positive impacts on health and reduce perceived stress. The
      current study is an exploration of Tamarkoz®, a Sufi practice that is a method to
      concentrate, as a pathway by which spirituality and positive emotions effect perceived
      stress. Tamarkoz® incorporates physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of an individual.
      In its current form, it includes Movazaneh® which is movement balancing developed by the Sufi
      Master, Professor Nader Angha. Movazaneh® movements direct concentration of the mind to a
      state of collectiveness and activates electromagnetic centers in the body, which are said to
      develop spirituality in an individual. A national survey of college students indicated that
      over 80% have interest in spiritual development.

      Participants were recruited from the University of California, Berkeley for an 18-week
      quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and follow-up in three groups. Assessments
      were conducted with blood pressure, heart rate, the 10-item perceived stress scale, the
      38-item dispositional positive emotions scale, and the 16-item daily spiritual experiences
      scale in a Tamarkoz® group, a wait-list control, and a third group utilizing the campus
      health center's stress management resources. Blood pressure and heart rate measurements were
      taken by the researcher using a validated home monitoring device. Additionally, all
      participants provided 3 diurnal saliva samples to determine changes in salivary
      immunoglobulin A and salivary cortisol. All data were collection was through non-evasive
      procedures and were assessed at baseline, end of the school semester (12 weeks) and 18 weeks.

      Participants, diverse university students, had no prior exposure to Tamarkoz®.
    

Detailed description: 
      This study is quasi-experimental, waitlist control group design with pretest-posttest. It
      consisted of three groups: (a) the intervention group who learned Tamarkoz® Sufi meditation
      practices, (b) a second group of students who utilized self-care stress management resources
      at the Tang University Health Services Center, and (c) a third group who was the waitlist
      control group who did not receive Tamarkoz® and did not use the stress management resources
      at the Tang Center for the duration of the study.

      The design is represented in the following diagram. NR O(a) XT O(b) O(d) NR O(d) XS O(e) O(g)
      NR O(g) O(h) O(i)

      XT represents twelve weeks of Tamarkoz® training and XS represents twelve weeks of Tang
      Center stress management techniques. Each O represents one of three measurements in each
      group: (a) at baseline, (b) 12 weeks later, immediately after the intervention ends, and (c)
      six weeks post-intervention. The intervention group met twice a week for two and a half hours
      total for three months. One day of the week, they met for theoretical teachings of Sufism,
      and for the second day in the week they met to learn Tamarkoz® techniques. The self-care
      stress management group used the campus resources for stress management as needed for
      themselves.
    

Intervention name(s): Tamarkoz®; Stress management resources
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Tamarkoz® techniques includes six key elements: clearing the mind, breathing exercises, Movazeneh® (movement and balance exercises), deep relaxation, and visualization.; Use of the campus health center's stress management resources such as counseling, health-coaching, health and wellness groups, use of an automated massage chair, pet-an-animal a week, and online reading material about self-care for stress management.
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Participants were recruited from the University of California, Berkeley for an 18-week quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and follow-up in three groups. Assessments were conducted with blood pressure, heart rate, the 10-item perceived stress scale, the 38-item dispositional positive emotions scale, and the 16-item daily spiritual experiences scale in a Tamarkoz® group, a wait-list control, and a third group utilizing the campus health center's stress management resources. Blood pressure and heart rate measurements were taken by the researcher using a validated home monitoring device. Additionally, all participants provided 3 diurnal saliva samples to determine changes in salivary immunoglobulin A and salivary cortisol. All data were collection was through non-evasive procedures and were assessed at baseline, end of the school semester (12 weeks) and 18 weeks.
Masking: Single (Care Provider)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Stress; Relaxation; Health promotion