Open Collections

A phenomenological investigation of the experience of yoga in relation to the management of stress in one’s life

University of British Columbia

The purpose of this study was to examine the subjective experience of those individuals who practiced yoga in relation to the management of stress in their lives. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was used to guide the data collection and analysis. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews with a volunteer sample of six participants. Participants were between the ages of 22 and 53 and their involvement with yoga ranged from 2 to 11 years of practice. Audio-taped interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed according to Colaizzi's (1978) method of phenomenological data analysis. Five common themes emerged from the data, which included the following experiences: (a) a heightened sense of bodily awareness; (b) a sense of being grounded, calm, and peaceful; (c) an enhanced awareness of self and the present moment; (d) an acceptance of self and life circumstances; and (e) a trust in the process of life. These findings led to specific recommendations for future research, and as well implications for the counselling profession.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-07-06

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/10224

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace