From practice to lifestyle: conceptualizations of yoga in regular Ashtanga yoga practitioners using reflexive thematic analysis.
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2025 Daniela Ramirez-Duran, Margaret L Kern, Helen Stokes 2 citations
Regular Ashtanga yoga practitioners define yoga as a practice for health and wellbeing, a method for personal inquiry and growth, a way of living, and a spiritual quest. Yoga philosophy is seen as ancient teachings that provide a foundation for practice and life. Yoga practice is a formal daily ritual that is adaptable and permeates daily existence. Three common threads emerged: yoga as an embodied integrated practice, an embodied path for self-knowledge, and a path for spiritual development. These findings challenge the prevailing image of yoga as mainly a physical and stress-reduction activity.