THE ANALYSIS OF THE PROFILES OF THE ADULT PEOPLE PRACTICING YOGA AND THEIR OPINIONS CONCERNING YOGA

Abstract

Yoga, which can be defined as the art and science of living in a healthy way, is a very old method focused on ensuring the balance between mind and body, the philosophy of which is based on the balance of the body, and physical, mental and emotional wellness. Yoga practices require a number of postures (asana) that are maintained for certain periods, as well as the conscious breath control (pranayama) and concentration of the mind on thoughts (meditation). With these features, yoga has the potential to provide many benefits that can be obtained from exercise and sports activities without requiring much performance. Indeed, the previous studies have also suggested the benefits of yoga in terms of physical and mental health. It is known that people forgo sports especially in the adulthood period of their lives, and participation in activities requiring performance decreases with the increasing age. Yoga can be considered as an alternative especially for the ones who forgo intensive exercise and sports activities. The sample of the present study, which aims to determine the profiles of the people who are engaged in yoga activities and their opinions on yoga, comprised the 132 individuals who take part in yoga activities in private sports centers in Ankara. The data was obtained by means of the personal information of the individuals and questionnaire composed of 46 five-point Likert-type questions, the percentage and frequency information was used in the evaluation of the personal information, and exploratory factor analysis was used on the opinions concerning yoga. It was found out that the majority of the participants were female, single, working, under the age of 45, and at a good socioeconomic level; that they participated in the yoga activities for a period of one hour 1 to 2 days a week at a private sports center, and that nearly half of them regularly performed another sports in addition to yoga. At the end of the exploratory factor analysis conducted, it was determined that the opinions of the participants on yoga fell under four factors, namely “expectation of physical and mental wellness”, “psychological gain”, “expectation of self-satisfaction” and “expectation of socialization”.