Abstract
Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy and way of life that is being used as a method of improving health and wellbeing. Evidence shows that yoga has several health benefits, such as managing many noncommunicable diseases, such as hypertension, and improving mental health. The popularity of yoga is growing in the UK, but it is mostly unregulated with little information available about yoga providers and their sessions and attendees. This study aimed to explore who is providing yoga; what sessions are available, where, and at what cost; and who attends these sessions in the UK and whether yoga providers were aware of health conditions in their sessions. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among yoga providers in the UK. They were approached through four major UK yoga associations. In total, 407 yoga providers participated. Most providers were aged 45–64 years (69%), female (93%), and white (93%). The median number of group sessions and one-to-one sessions delivered per week was four and two, respectively. The most common styles were Hatha (28%), Iyengar (26%), and Vinyasa (15%). Sessions had a varying emphasis on different yogic practices, but 59% of providers allocated most time to yogic poses (asana), 18% to breathing practices (pranayama), and 12% to meditation (dhyana) and relaxation practices. Most (73%) reported that their attendees disclosed their health conditions to them, most commonly mental health issues (41%), hypertension (25%), and heart diseases (9%). This study showed that yoga sessions are widely available in the UK, often provided and practiced by women, and concentrate on yogic poses. Sessions concentrate on the asana and tend not to include many of the more holistic aspects of yoga that are practiced in South Asian countries. Yoga providers are often aware of health conditions but may benefit from training to deliver sessions suitable for specific health conditions.
Highlights
Yoga, an ancient system of health and way of life, originated in the Indian subcontinent over 5000 years ago [1]
We have provided a contemporary description of yoga providers and their practice across the country; we found that yoga providers were mostly aged 45–64 years, female and white, and yoga was mostly practiced by women
This study showed that attendees commonly disclosed their health conditions, and the high rate of disclosure suggests that yoga providers were generally aware of the health conditions of their attendees
Summary
An ancient system of health and way of life, originated in the Indian subcontinent over 5000 years ago [1]. There are different branches of yoga, each with a different emphasis on and approach to practice. Of the six main branches of yoga, Hatha yoga is the most commonly practiced style, and it is an overarching term for physically based yoga styles, such as Iyengar, Asthanga, and Kundalini [2,3]. Yoga helps discipline the body and mind through low- to moderate-intensity physical activities, breathing practices, meditation and relaxation practices, and a healthy lifestyle [6]. It requires no or very little equipment and can be practiced indoors and outdoors [6].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
