Verbal Cuing Is Not the Path to Enlightenment. Psychological Effects of a 10-Session Hatha Yoga Practice

Abstract

Verbal instructions provided during yoga classes can differ substantially. Yoga instructors might choose to focus on the physical aspects of yoga (e.g., by emphasizing the characteristics of the poses), or they might take a more spiritual approach (e.g., by mentioning energy flow and chakras). The present study investigated the effects of verbal cues during yoga practice on various psychological measures. Eightyfour female students (22.0 ± 3.80 years) participated in the study. Two groups attended a beginner level hatha yoga course in which physically identical exercise was accompanied by different verbal cues. The so-called "Sport group" (N = 27) received instructions referring primarily to the physical aspects of yoga practice, while the "Spiritual group" (N = 23) was additionally provided with philosophical and spiritual information. A control group (N = 34) did not receive any intervention. Mindfulness, body awareness, spirituality, and affect were assessed 1 week before and after the training. 2 × 3 mixed (time × intervention) ANOVAs did not show an interaction effect for any of the variables. However, when the two yoga groups were merged and compared to the control group, we found that spirituality increased, and negative affect decreased among yoga participants. In conclusion, yoga practice might influence psychological functioning through its physical components, independent of the style of verbal instructions provided.

The Relationship Between Yoga and Spirituality: A Systematic Review of Empirical Research

“…This second search resulted in three new articles ( Park et al, 2020 ; Bringmann et al, 2021 ; Bryan et al, 2021 ). We, moreover, identified three additional recent papers ( Cartwright et al, 2020 ; Csala et al, 2020 ; Büssing et al, 2021 ). Summaries of these articles are presented in Table 2 .…”

“…The participants perceiving yoga as a spiritual path show higher levels of devotion/self-reflection/contentment, restrain/truthfulness/self-discipline, and non-possessiveness (measured by the Yama/Niyama Questionnaire) compared with those who see yoga as gymnastics ( Büssing et al, 2021 ). A 10-week-long intervention study ( Csala et al, 2020 ) investigated the role of verbal instruction during physically identical hatha yoga practice among beginner students compared with no-intervention controls. One yoga group received cuing, which focused on physical aspects of practice, while, in the other yoga group, it included philosophical and spiritual contents (the amount of instruction was equal).…”

“…Additionally, warmth and friendliness of the yoga teacher positively correlated with self-transcendence. According to these two studies ( Csala et al, 2020 ; Park et al, 2020 ), even exercise-based hatha yoga practice may be able to evoke aspects of spirituality, both for beginners and regular practitioners. Attitude or characteristics of the yoga teacher may also play a role in this process.…”

“…Yoga classes and interventions differ considerably with respect to the inclusion of philosophical or spiritual elements ( Rama et al, 1976 ; Cramer et al, 2016 ; Park et al, 2018 ). The majority of all forms of yoga practice in the West fall under the umbrella term of “hatha yoga,” which is a body-focused practice involving physical postures (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama), and other classical yoga components, such as relaxation and meditation techniques ( Devereux, 1994 ; Park et al, 2018 ; Csala et al, 2020 ). The understanding of yoga as a holistic philosophical and methodological framework, particularly concerning its fundamental spiritual nature and objectives, is often missing.…”

“…To date, only a few studies have investigated the contribution of spirituality to the positive effects of yoga practice. In fact, scientific research on yoga rarely incorporates spiritual variables ( Büssing et al, 2012a ; MacDonald, 2013 ; Csala et al, 2020 ). MacDonald (2013) draws attention to the importance of including spirituality in the scientific research of yoga.…”