Development and validation of Nadamay meditation: A sound-based protocol for psychosocial well-being

A structured meditation protocol called Nadamay, based on ancient Nada yoga principles from the Nada Bindu Upanishad, was developed and validated for promoting psychosocial well-being. Twenty-one subject matter experts reviewed seven meditation steps using Content Validity Ratio and Item-level Content Validity Index methods. All steps showed acceptable to excellent content validity, with CVR scores from 0.52 to 1.0 and I-CVI scores from 0.76 to 1.0. The overall Scale-level Content Validity Index Average was 0.92, confirming excellent content validity. The authors caution that further feasibility and safety testing is needed before widespread implementation due to energizing practices like Kapalbhati.

Study at a glance

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial well-being is increasingly recognized as a crucial aspect of overall health, with stress, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation affecting individuals across various demographics. Meditation has been widely studied for its potential to enhance mental well-being. This study developed and validated the Nadamay meditation technique, a structured practice based on ancient Nada yoga principles from the Nada Bindu Upanishad. OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate the Nadamay meditation protocol, ensuring its comprehensiveness and content validity for promoting psychosocial well-being, including aspects of mental, emotional, and social health, across diverse populations. METHODS: The Nadamay meditation protocol was developed by incorporating the principles of the Nada Bindu Upanishad. 21 subject matter experts from various fields reviewed the seven meditation steps using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) methods. RESULTS: All seven steps demonstrated acceptable to excellent content validity, with CVR scores ranging from 0.52 to 1.0 and I-CVI scores from 0.76 to 1.0, exceeding critical thresholds. The Scale-level Content Validity Index Average (S-CVI/Ave) was 0.92, confirming excellent overall content validity and the protocol's comprehensiveness. CONCLUSION: The Nadamay meditation protocol is a structured, content-validated intervention for psychosocial well-being. While preliminary validation is promising, its inclusion of energizing practices like Kapalbhati and its broad design necessitate further feasibility and safety testing before widespread implementation.