Utilizing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods to Shed Light on the Relational Influences of Yoga On and Off the Matt
Open Access
- Author:
- Kishida, Moe
- Graduate Program:
- Kinesiology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- September 13, 2017
- Committee Members:
- Steriani Elavsky, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Steriani Elavsky, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Scherezade K. Mama, Committee Member
David E Conroy, Committee Member
Jacqueline A Mogle, Outside Member
Jennifer L. Huberty, Special Member - Keywords:
- yoga
mind-body approaches
mindfulness
(self-)compassion
social connectedness
relational wellbeing - Abstract:
- Throughout the last few decades, the mind-body practice of yoga has seen an unprecedented rise in popularity both from the general population and the scientific community. Despite the wide-array of salutary health benefits that have been demonstrated, a clear void is present in the yoga literature investigating the ways in which yoga impacts connections with oneself and social relationships (which are invaluable for one’s health and wellbeing). The overarching goal of this dissertation was to examine the influences of yoga practice on the widely neglected “relational” (intra- and interpersonal) outcomes. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, the three studies which comprised this dissertation sought to gather unique perspectives to accumulate pre-experimental evidence for the relational benefits of yoga. Study 1 was a qualitative study which investigated the ways in which community-dwelling yoga practitioners perceived and experienced the relational influences of yoga. Through open-ended questions (n=107) and in-depth interviews (n=12), four emerging themes were identified, culminating in the development of a conceptual model of how yoga may work to bring about relational benefits. Study 2 extended this line of inquiry through a 21-day daily diary study, examining the associations of daily yoga practice with mindfulness, (self-)compassion, and social connectedness, to better understand how relational benefits would manifest in regular practitioners of yoga (n=104) in a real world setting. Multilevel analyses indicated that on days when an individual practiced more yoga than their usual, greater mindfulness and self-compassion were reported, which, in turn, predicted enhanced interpersonal outcomes (i.e., compassion and social connectedness). Study 3 examined the role of trait mindfulness in impacting yoga’s relational benefits in yoga naïve practitioners (n=21) participating in a semester long yoga course to better understand for whom and when yoga works. Multivariate time-series analyses demonstrated that on yoga practice days, those with low trait mindfulness observed decreases in relational outcomes specifically, across the first half of the 15-week academic yoga course, whereas those in the high mindfulness group reaped positive relational influences, with effects for self-compassion sustained at the end of the semester. Collectively, this dissertation shed light on the understudied relational aspects of yoga, underscoring the value of employing diverse methodological approaches. The findings demonstrate relational benefits are: (1) perceived and experienced through daily yoga practice across diverse yoga styles and experiences, (2) “dynamic” phenomena varying substantially within-persons over time and in sync with daily yoga practice, and (3) realized differently for people depending on their level of dispositional mindfulness. While further prospective and experimental research is warranted to corroborate these preliminary findings, a routine yoga practice appears to hold promise in having a positive impact (on and off the mat) on preserving and strengthening the intra- and interpersonal connections which constitute the building blocks of our daily lives. As such, yoga could serve as a promising intervention to promote a “wholesome life” across diverse populations.