Yoga in Australia: Results of a national survey.
Stephen Penman, Marc Cohen, Philip Stevens, Sue Jackson
International Journal of Yoga July 2012 DOI: 10.4103/0973-6131.98217 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,567 |
| Population | Australian yoga practitioners, predominantly tertiary-educated employed health-conscious women (85% women), average age 41 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Australia Cardiovascular Exercise Injuries Injury Medical Mental health Musculoskeletal Quality of life Therapy Women's health Yoga |
| Key findings | The survey indicates that Australians practice yoga mainly for health and fitness initially, but continue for stress management, with one in five citing a specific health or medical reason. Mental health, particularly stress and anxiety, appears to be the primary health-related motivation, more so than musculoskeletal problems. Supervised yoga-related injuries in the past year were reported by 2.4% of respondents. |
Abstract
The therapeutic benefits of yoga and meditation are well documented, yet little is known about the practice of yoga in Australia or elsewhere, whether as a physical activity, a form of therapy, a spiritual path or a lifestyle. To investigate the practice of yoga in Australia, a national survey of yoga practitioners was conducted utilizing a comprehensive web-based questionnaire. Respondents were self-selecting to participate. A total of 3,892 respondents completed the survey. Sixty overseas respondents and 1265 yoga teachers (to be reported separately) were excluded, leaving 2,567 yoga practitioner respondents. The typical yoga survey respondent was a 41-year-old, tertiary educated, employed, health-conscious female (85% women). Asana (postures) and vinyasa (sequences of postures) represented 61% of the time spent practicing, with the other 39% devoted to the gentler practices of relaxation, pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation and instruction. Respondents commonly started practicing yoga for health and fitness but often continued practicing for stress management. One in five respondents practiced yoga for a specific health or medical reason which was seen to be improved by yoga practice. Of these, more people used yoga for stress management and anxiety than back, neck or shoulder problems, suggesting that mental health may be the primary health-related motivation for practicing yoga. Healthy lifestyle choices were seen to be more prevalent in respondents with more years of practice. Yoga-related injuries occurring under supervision in the previous 12 months were low at 2.4% of respondents. Yoga practice was seen to assist in the management of specific health issues and medical conditions. Regular yoga practice may also exert a healthy lifestyle effect including vegetarianism, non-smoking, reduced alcohol consumption, increased exercise and reduced stress with resulting cost benefits to the community.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Exploring how different types of yoga change psychological resources and emotional well-being across a single session. Complementary Therapies in Medicine March 1, 2020
- How Chanting Relates to Cognitive Function, Altered States and Quality of Life Brain Sciences October 27, 2022
- Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes With Regular Yoga and Heartfulness Meditation Practice: Results From a Multinational, Cross-sectional Study JMIR Formative Research March 10, 2022
- The practicability and relevance of developing a yoga intervention for mental health consumers: A qualitative study. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing January 28, 2020
- Mindfulness and avoidance mediate the relationship between yoga practice and anxiety. Complementary Therapies in Medicine October 2018
and 2 more in the library
Cites 20
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Impact of transcendental meditation on ambulatory blood pressure in African-American adolescents American Journal of Hypertension April 1, 2004
- Clinical Study of Yoga Techniques in University Students with Asthma: A Controlled Study Allergy and Asthma Proceedings 1998
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress management program as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in patients with anxiety disorder. Journal of Psychosomatic Research February 2007
- Systematic review of the efficacy of meditation techniques as treatments for medical illness. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine October 2006
and 15 more in the library