Background: Research suggests that lay people’s conceptualisations of wellbeing do not necessarily reflect scholarly definitions within Positive Psychology (PP). These discrepancies influence how wellbeing is measured and how interventions are developed. This poses negative implications, such as narrowing the understanding of wellbeing and excluding people holding different views, highlighting the significance of considering people’s perspectives when defining, evaluating and improving wellbeing. Since yoga is argued to address physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health and is practised across populations and cultures, the perceptions of yoga practitioners’ can provide interesting insights into how wellbeing is defined in these areas.
Research Questions: What are the perceptions of regular Ashtanga Yoga Practitioners (AYPs) in relation to their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing? Do regular AYPs’ perceptions and levels of wellbeing vary depending on characteristics of the practitioner?
Sample Characteristics and Sample Size: The sample includes regular AYPs (N=102) selected from an online survey including 350 AYPs from 25 countries.
Design: This mixed-method research used qualitative and quantitative data from an online survey. Qualitative responses were analysed using word count, content, and thematic analyses to explore common concepts and themes. Using quantitative questions in the survey, cluster analysis identified and described groups of regular AYPs to understand differences in their perceptions and levels of wellbeing according to other variables.
Results: Findings suggest that regular AYP define wellbeing in multidimensional terms and consider the presence of a range of qualities, mirroring certain conceptualisations from the literature. Less explored features within the literature also emerged, including balance, mind-body connection, holistic wellbeing and the ability to embrace and cope with negative states.
Scientific Contribution: Regular AYP’s definitions include qualities that mainstream wellbeing models do not consider. This will enable the expansion of knowledge and consideration of pertinent features for the measurement and development of wellbeing.