Most people turn to yoga for exercise, but stay for the spirituality
Most of the health conscious people of the present days look upon Yoga as a way of attaining spirituality rather than just a way of doing exercise to keep their body healthy. Yoga is an ancient way of maintaining health and is in practice since centuries. This is attracting more people now and we can see them getting not only physical health but also mental health. When more studies were conducted to know why it is becoming so popular, it was found that it is due to its power of making people feeling spiritual apart from its health benefits and relief from stress.
Scientists have conducted many studies on the health benefits of Yoga and one among them is the one conducted by Crystal L Park of the University of Connecticut to find the factors that motivated those who practice Yoga on a regular basis. The results were published in the Journal of Health Psychology. The study has found that though clinical trials are a good way to show that yoga is good for health, none of them have begun doing yoga through any of the clinical trials but they go to the gym or a yoga studio to begin their yoga practice.
This particular research studied more than 516 yoga practitioners comprising of certified yoga teachers and students of yoga classes. These people have taken at least five yoga classes within the previous three months. When asked why they are attending yoga classes, the men and women who participated in the study had revealed that they stared their yoga as a way of doing work outs and for managing their mental stress.
But more than 62% of the yoga students and 85% of the yoga teachers accepted the fact that their reason for doing yoga and continuing the practice has changed over the time. They stressed that they are continuing their yoga practice for its spiritual benefits more than the mere physical health benefits.
It is a fact that Yoga started in ancient India as a way of finding and retaining spiritual well being. In the recent past this practice has spread to the Western countries and has been commercialized to a large extent. But still it is keeping its spiritual values. People who are practicing it are able to get spiritual benefits also by continuing their yoga practice. It is found that most people who are continuously practicing yoga find that it is able to go beyond the body- mind benefits and they feel more relaxed and more mindful of the spiritual side of their well- being.
People who underwent the study quoted more than four reasons to enter into the yoga practice and it seems that the yoga practitioners felt that it is the right way of getting hold of many facets of their life. Some of them have told the researchers that they started doing yoga as a way of controlling their depression, anxiety and to get flexibility in their bodies.
The study has not taken into the views of those who quit yoga midway and hence these findings are not to be taken as applicable to everyone. But this holds good for those who are continuing their yoga practice for a considerable time. It is to be noted that as people who start doing yoga are asked to explain their reasons and intentions at the beginning of the class itself, they become more aware of the purpose of doing yoga. This makes it possible for them to readily recognize the change in their motivations as it happens after some time.
The study has found that though people come to yoga for getting physical benefits they continue with it due to its excellent psychological benefits. This seems to be the more prominent reason for more people beginning to use Yoga in the present days.
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