The Research Behind Relaxation

The Inspiration, and Driving Research

Physical motion, from rigorous exercise to yoga, has been shown to aid in relaxation. Researcher Wang et el. (2010) in "Tai Chi on psychological well-being: systematic review and meta-analysis," argued that Tai Chi has a deep and positive effect on individual mindfulness and relaxation. In addition, creativity and organization, when in tandem, have been shown to relax the mind. Curry and Kasser (2005) showed that coloring in mandala patterns, as opposed to free hand drawing or coloring in plaid patterns, reduced anxiety, and stress. In addition to these sources, virtual reality is currently being used to produce mindfulness and anxiety relief. RelaWorld is a virtual reality meditative experience that has been shown to have a positive effect. Considering the research, we sought to create an experience that utilized virtual reality, creativity through manipulation, and physicality to reduce stress in users. This is also the reason why we decided to engage the user not only visually but also manually.