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

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Barbara Csala¹  Eszter Ferentzi²  Benedek T. Tihanyi¹  Raechel Drew²  Ferenc Köteles² 

[1] Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University;Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University

关键词: yoga;    verbal instruction;    spirituality;    mindfulness;    affect;    body awareness;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01375

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

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. Eighty-four 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.

【 授权许可】

CC BY