8-Week Zen Meditation and Music Programme for Mindfullness and Happiness: Qualitative Content Analysis

An 8-week programme combining Zen meditation and music listening enhanced mindfulness and happiness among university music therapy students. Participants reported positive responses to daily stressors such as exam anxiety, financial difficulties, and emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative study used surveys and semi-structured interviews, analyzed through thematic analysis, to explore the effects of the meditation and music intervention. The findings suggest that integrating these practices can support mental health and well-being in higher education, offering coping strategies and expanding the potential for combined music and meditation interventions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mental wellness can be related to healthier living, the learning process and working environments for people in the university community. A wide range of mental wellness programmes have been explored to provide students with pleasant and satisfying experiences. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of integrating Zen meditation(禪)and music listening on the mindfulness and happiness levels of university music therapy students. Qualitative methodology was used, and data were collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews. To investigate various aspects of data regarding the role of meditation and music (MM) programme for mindfulness and happiness, this study used thematic analysis within a qualitative research design. The results of this study indicate that the 8-week MM programme is effective in enhancing mindfulness and happiness and has positive responses to daily life stress (e.g., exam anxiety, financial difficulties, and emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic). The role of meditation and music in promoting mental health and well-being has long been discussed and the combination of the two has been recognised as a beneficial intervention. This paper could contribute to the support of mental health resources and coping strategies in higher education, as well as expand the potential range of integrating practices involving music and meditation.