Tutorial Reflection

Feedback and Reflection on Project Development

20 July 2026

During this tutorial, I discussed the latest development of my project and received feedback on my transition from exploring judgement towards unfamiliar wellbeing practices to exploring the philosophy of Bigu (辟谷) as an embodied experience of emptiness.

My tutor recognised that the development of my research question showed a meaningful progression. Instead of focusing only on reducing judgement towards alternative health practices, the project has gradually moved towards exploring how traditional Chinese philosophy can create a contemporary reflective experience.

My current research question:

How can the philosophy of Bigu be translated into an embodied experience of emptiness that creates space for reflection and wellbeing in contemporary society?

was considered a promising direction.

From Stopping to Creating Space

One key reflection from this tutorial was the shift from focusing on “stopping” to questioning what happens after stopping.

Initially, I was interested in the idea of stopping consumption through Bigu. However, I realised that the more meaningful question is:

If we create emptiness, what is this space created for?

Through Daoist philosophy, I began to understand emptiness not as absence or nothingness, but as a possibility for something new to emerge.

As described in the Dao De Jing, a vessel becomes useful because of its empty space.

Therefore, my intervention is not designed to encourage people to remove or reject parts of their lives, but to create a temporary pause where they can reconnect with themselves.

Research Conversations and Material Development

I also shared insights from two conversations that influenced the development of my intervention.

The first conversation was with a Shenzhen-based wellbeing practitioner, who encouraged me to consider:

How can an invisible internal state become something people can notice through their senses?

Although I decided not to use singing bowls in the final intervention, this inspired me to explore sensory and embodied interactions.

The second conversation was with a Chinese philosophy and traditional wisdom scholar from Taian, who helped deepen my understanding of emptiness. His perspective encouraged me to think about how external situations may remain unchanged, while our relationship with those situations can transform.

These conversations helped me move from explaining Bigu as an idea towards designing an experience where participants can personally encounter the meaning of emptiness.

Final Intervention Development

I presented my current intervention idea:

Participants sit face-to-face with me in a quiet space. On the table, there will be a bowl of water, wooden leaves, a sand timer and a wooden bookmark.

The experience begins with the question:

“What are you carrying today?”

Participants choose a wooden leaf containing words representing contemporary forms of consumption, such as comparison, expectation, control, information and noise.

They then place the leaf into water.

This action does not represent throwing something away, but temporarily putting something down.

The water interaction allows participants to experience qualities associated with Daoist philosophy, such as acceptance, flexibility and openness.

At the end, participants receive a blank wooden bookmark as a reminder of the experience and the possibility of creating space within themselves.

Testing Plan and Feedback Collection

My tutor suggested that the intervention is suitable for testing and recommended beginning with the current version before making major changes.

Instead of designing many completely different interventions, I should test one intervention repeatedly and refine specific elements based on feedback, such as:

the atmosphere of the space
the number of leaves and words
the amount of time participants need
whether instructions are clear

For participants, my initial plan is to test with young adults aged around 20–30. My tutor suggested keeping the participant group relatively consistent, because similarities between participants make it easier to compare results and understand the impact of the intervention.

Next Steps

Based on this tutorial, my next steps are:

1. Finalise the intervention setup and materials.
2. Conduct testing with participants.
3. Collect feedback through open-ended questions and semi-structured conversations.
4. Follow up with participants after several days or one week to understand whether the experience creates further reflection over time.

This tutorial confirmed that the transformation of my project is not a problem, but an important part of the research journey. The project has developed from questioning judgement towards unfamiliar practices into exploring how traditional philosophy can inspire a contemporary wellbeing experience.