“Yoga as a Research Methodology”

Lesson Plan: Daniel Helman & Julie Malone

Professor: Joan Clingan
 

 
Image from http://www.sacred­spirit­journeys.com/uploads/3/2/4/6/3246394/105503_orig.jpg 

Welcome!

Creative exploration ahead ...

1
Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………3
Objectives…………………………………………………….4
What is Yoga?...................................................... 5
Key Terms…………………………………………………… 5
Scholarly Resources………………………………………6
A Few Types of Yoga……………………………………..7
Joining Together…………………………………………..8
What to expect……………………………………8
A word about terms……………………………. 9
What to expect (back again).....................9
Plan……………………………………………………………. 10
Yoga Resources…………………………………………….11
Breathwork……………………………………….. 11
Yoga Asana……………………………………….. 11
Yoga Philosophy………………………………………….. 12
Yogis………………………………………………… 12
Yoga Research Papers………………………………….. 13
Yoga Methodology Papers…………………………….. 14
Yoga Methodologists………………………….. 14
Teaching Yoga………………………………………………15
Yoga as a Research Methodology…………………… 16
Glossary……………………………………………………… 17

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Introduction:

Yoga, meaning “union,” was originally a Hindi spiritual path. It posed a

question: How does one experience the breath, mind, or divine?

Yoga is also a world-wide modern practice, and the traditions and practices are
continually being updated. Even now, yoga is emerging as a research
methodology—one that focuses on the internal mind—for research on the forms
of thought and relaxation. You may note that yoga can create a relaxing and
stress-free atmosphere as you begin to write or do other activities throughout the
process. If you find yourself under stress—slow down, back off, and take a few
breaths to recenter yourself. This is a journey that you are in charge of.

This mini-course will present material about yoga practice and philosophy for
those who are not familiar with it, but the focus will ultimately be on how to use
these philosophies as a research methodology. Don’t despair. The first part is
very heavy on practice and philosophy. You won’t just be learning about how
others create yoga methodology. You’ll be steeped in the thoughts and practice
yourself.

If it helps to have an initial look at yoga as a methodology, you don’t have to wait
until week two. The methodology papers are on page 14, and the methodology
practice we’ll explore is on page 16. If you know that you hate surprises, have a
look early to see what you’ll be focused on.

Ultimately, we’ll be doing a process that:

(1) Makes the primary focus of the research internal.

You’ll be writing a brief research communication that is in a form other
than an expository journal article, e.g. as poetry.

(2) Lets the research design be emergent and leads to health.

You should feel free to adjust your practice to fit with any new
observations.

(3) Lets there be a focus on breathing.

(4) Includes elements from the yoga tradition.

The work itself is meant to be yours. Interpret and reinterpret as suits the person
that you are.

We invite you to join in our mini-course to take a closer look at yoga as a research
methodology and, depending on your sentiments, learn how to incorporate the
practice into your research.
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Objectives:

Gain familiarity with yoga.

Positive experience of yoga.
Educate oneself on how yoga can assist in your personal and professional daily
activities.

Know what elements that a person would need to run research using a yoga
methodology.
(1) Follows in a tradition of yoga
(2) Outcome is predominantly internal.
(3) Supernatural is presumed as a possibility.
(4) Examples of yoga as a method.
(5) Examples of yoga as a methodology.

Familiarity with other people who have run yoga as a research methodology.
(1) Exemplary yogis.
(2) Researchers.

Knowledge of how to teach yoga.

(1) Teacher principles.
(2) How to find work.

Experience using yoga as a research methodology.

Positive sharing of that experience.
 
 
   

4
What is Yoga?

  
Image from ​
Ashtanga Yoga Center​
. (2011).  

Video​
defining yoga

Why Yoga?​ It is good for you. Yoga helps with the blood pressure, anxiety,
depression, headaches, bodily aches and pains, and the list goes on. There
might be more. It’s a personal choice.

Key Terms:​
​
Yoga, research, methodology 
 
 
 

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Scholarly Resources:
 
Anderzén­Carlsson, A., Lundholm, U., Köhn, M., & Westerdahl, E. (2014). Medical yoga: 
Another way of being in the world ­ A phenomenological study from the perspective of persons 
suffering from stress­related symptoms. ​ International Journal Of Qualitative Studies On 
Health And Well­Being, 9​ http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v9.23033 
. doi:​
 
Chopra, M.D., Deepak, & Simon, M.D., David. (2004). The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga. 
New Jersey:John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved from 
http://www.eso­garden.com/specials/the_seven_spiritual_laws_of_yoga.pdf 
 
Mishra, S. K., Singh, P., Bunch, S. J., & Zhang, R. (2012). The therapeutic value of yoga in 
Annals Of Indian Academy Of Neurology, 15​
neurological disorders. ​ (4), 247­254. 
doi:10.4103/0972­2327.104328 
 
Razza, R., Bergen­Cico, D., & Raymond, K. (2015). Enhancing preschoolers' 
Journal Of Child & Family Studies, 24​
self­regulation via mindful yoga. ​ (2), 372­385. 
doi:10.1007/s10826­013­9847­6 
 
Sherman, K. J., Wellman, R. D., Cook, A. J., Cherkin, D. C., & Ceballos, R. M. (2013). 
Mediators of yoga and stretching for chronic low back pain. ​
Evidence­Based 
Complementary & Alternative Medicine​  (Ecam), 1­11. doi:10.1155/2013/130818 
 
Tul, Y., Unruh, A., & Dick, B. D. (2011). Yoga for chronic pain management: a 
Scandinavian Journal Of Caring Sciences, 25​
qualitative exploration. ​ (3), 435­443. 
doi:10.1111/j.1471­6712.2010.00842.x 
 
Yoga for college students: An empowering form of movement and connection. (2015). 
Physical Educator, 72​ (1), 44­66. Retrieved from 
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=ba482df2­93bd­4fcc­8
419­d43ca172f4cb%40sessionmgr115&hid=113 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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A Few Types of Yoga:
 
 

Image from My ​
Two Zents​
 (n.d.)  
 
 

Hatha – Union of opposites through asana and breath; ​ hatha​

literally means
Sun-Moon​ .
Tantha – Separation in union; also called tantra.
Laya – Meditation on energy centers in the body; associated with Kundalini
(Sikh) yoga.
Mantha – Union through sound; also called mantra.
Raja – Union through philosophy.
Jñana – Union through meditation.
Karma – Union through a sense of duty.
Bhakti – Union through loving service to living creatures.

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Joining Together:

Take a deep breath, sit a little deeper into your seat, and get ready for some joyful
exploration. The activities assembled here are designed with your growth in
mind. That may seem like a contradiction, as perhaps you have some emergent
ideas that haven’t been included. Of course you have some emergent ideas that
haven’t been included! This is your exploration. Yours completely. Flexibility
isn’t just for limbs and trunks. It’s also a part of how yoga works.

Don’t do anything that doesn’t seem right for you. You know your body and heart
best. Trust yourself. Really, you’re the expert here.

Take heart.

What to expect:

We’ve included a set of activities to familiarize you with yoga. That means you’ll
probably end up doing some yoga. Spend a little time making yourself ready for
the journey.

Look inside. Is this going to be your first experience with yoga? Or, are you
seasoned practitioner? Or somewhere in between? Begin where you are.

There is a section entitled Yoga Resources on page 11 of this document. It has

links and materials for developing your yoga practice. The resources are divided
by type. Breathwork, for example, is its own category. There are two categories,
and twelve sets of resources.

Suppose an instruction asks you to do some work with your breath. You can do
some practice that you already know, and are comfortable with. You can look to
Yoga Resources (in the Breathwork section) for a practice instead. It’s entirely up
to you.

The work itself is divided between becoming familiar with two worlds, the world
of yoga, and the world of research. Perhaps they will both connect with you.
That is our hope. That has been our experience.

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A word about terms:

This lesson was designed for a two-week exploration of yoga as a methodology for
research. Methodology is not methods. Rather, it’s the tradition within which a
researcher feels comfortable. That’s it. If you’re comfortable in yoga, perhaps
you will adopt yoga as a methodology in some work of yours.

What to expect (back again):

You’ll find that this lesson plan has a few features. There is a Plan that shows a
sequence of what to study, and when. It’s a loose guideline, designed to help you
get familiar with yoga and with yoga philosophy. It’s also there to help
familiarize you with how yoga has been used as an intervention or therapeutic
method during research, and with yoga used as a research methodology.

You’ll also have a chance to explore the lives and thoughts of prominent yogis and
see which researchers are currently interested in yoga as a methodology. From
there we travel to practical considerations: teaching yoga, and using it yourself as
a methodology.

We hope you enjoy the journey!

9
Plan:

Week 1
Practice breathwork —————————— Do two different activities and continue
to do them daily or semi-daily.
Practice yoga asanas —————————— Do three different activities and
continue to do them daily or semi-daily.
Read yoga research papers —————— Read the abstracts of at least three
articles.
Learn about yoga philosophy ————— Explore three or more resources.
Learn about yogis and yoginis ————— Explore three or more resources.
Practice teaching yoga ————————— Watch, read and practice.

Week 2
Practice breathwork —————————— Continue with these two activities, or
switch to one or two others.
Practice yoga asanas —————————— Continue with these three activities, or
switch to one, two or three others.
Read yoga methodology papers ———— Read the abstracts of at least three
articles, and at least one article in its
entirety.
Learn about yoga methodologists ——— Explore the listed resource.
Practice yoga as a methodology ———— Do the practice described.

10
Yoga Resources:

Breathwork

Here are several places to look: ​

Yoga Journal​
,​
YouTube​
,​
DoYogaWithMe.com​
,
GaiamTV​ ,​
vimeo​ , etc.

Yoga Asana

Here are several places to look: ​

Yoga Journal​
,​
Yoga Basics​
,​
YouTube​ ,​
YouTube
(gentle yoga)​
,​
YouTube (restorative yoga)​ ,​
YouTube (sun salutation)​
,​
YouTube
(yoga for people with disabilities)​
, etc.

Notes on practice​ : Don’t forget to breathe. In fact, the most important thing to
do when you’re in a pose is to … breathe. See if you can notice what your body
does on the in-breath, and how it changes on the out-breath.

When moving between poses, try taking the entire in-breath (or out-breath) to go
from one pose to another. Also, try moving between only two poses while
focusing on your breath. See what this does to your mood.

Another note​ : If you want your yoga to be vigorous, look for a Sun Salutation
sequence and standing poses, also called flow or vinyasa. If you want it to be less
vigorous, look for seated poses.

A final note​ : Pick a pose or action to start your practice each session, and
another (or the same) to end your practice. This should add some continuity to
what you do each time.

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Yoga Philosophy:

Wikipedia​
This ​ article​
has general background information on yoga.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali​are the canonical text. They are a short set of
aphorisms or poetry. Read a little and see what their style and content are. (The
yoga sutras can also be ​
chanted​. If you want to practice chanting, a tutorial is
here​
.)

Here are some resources on yoga philosophy: ​

Yoga International​
,
yogabasics.com​,​
Yoga Journal​
,​
YouTube (yoga philosophy)​ ,​
Vedanta Society of
Northern California​
,​
YouTube (yoga history)​
.

Here is an article that highlights yoga philosophy in comparison with

parapsychology.

Braud, W. (2010). ​
Patanjali Yoga Sutras and parapsychological
research: Exploring matches and mismatches​ . In K. R. Rao (Ed.),
Yoga and parapsychology: Empirical research and theoretical studies​ (pp.
241-260). Delhi, India: Motilal Barnarsidass.
http://inclusivepsychology.webstarts.com/uploads/Braud_Yoga_Psi_Matche
s_Mismatches2010.pdf

Yogis

Here are some biographies of historic yogis, a very incomplete scattering to give
an idea of historical yogis lives. (Note the historical lack of women leaders.)
Wikipedia​ list of yogis​
,​
Bagwan Swaminarayan​ ,​
Gorakhnath​ ,​
Saraha​
.

And some videos related to current people active in yoga: ​

YouTube​
.

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Yoga Research Papers:

There are tens of thousands of published articles whose subject is yoga as

treatment for various ailments, ranging from emotional to musculoskeletal to
sexual and many others. Several studies are listed on page 6 under Scholarly
Resources. Below are some repositories that will have more articles.

Google Scholar searches: ​

yoga treatment​,​
yoga treatment meta​
,​
yoga method​
,
yoga method meta​ ,​
yoga research​,​
yoga research meta​
.

Wikipedia​
Encyclopedia articles: ​ ,​
encyclopedia.com​
,​
URMC Health
Encyclopedia​
.

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Yoga Methodology Papers:

Bhole, M. V. (2008) ​
Research methodology in naturopathy & yoga​ . In B.
T. Chidananda Murthy (Ed.), ​Research methodology in naturopathy &
yoga: Selected papers presented in the workshops held on 4th-5th March,
2005 and 1st-3rd September, 2006, sponsored by WHO​ . New Delhi: Central
Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy.
http://www.ccryn.org/Page-1%20to%20117.pdf

Braud, W. (2011). ​
Integrating Yoga epistemology and ontology into an
expanded integral approach to research​ . In M. Cornelissen, G. Misra,
& S. Varma (Eds.), ​
Foundations of Indian Psychology: Volume I: Theories
and Concepts​ . New Delhi: Pearson India.
http://inclusivepsychology.com/uploads/Braud_IntegratingYogaIntoResear
ch5_28_2010.pdf

Buckingham, S., & Degen, M. (n.d.) ​

Civic Identity and Body Practices:
using yoga as a research method​ . [Unpublished Draft]. Draft 5.
http://www.fflch.usp.br/centrodametropole/antigo/v1/ISA2009/assets/pap
ers/06-A-4.pdf

MacKenzie, S. K. (2010). ​
Disciplined (un) knowing: The pedagogical
possibilities of yogic research as praxis​ The Qualitative Report​
.​ , 15(5),
1124-1144. ​
http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol15/iss5/6/

Yoga Methodologists

Cain, J. M. (2011). ​
Yoga and Education: A Meta-Theory Integrating Yogic
and Educational Practices to Augment the Process of Learning​ .
Prescott College. [Master’s Thesis].
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BysZe3eQ6gGPb3laV08xckpmT0k/view?us
p=sharing

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Teaching Yoga:

Image from Wanderlust

Here are some repositories that describe teaching yoga: ​

YouTube​
,​
Wanderlust​
,
modernmom.com​ ,​
anmolmehta.com​ .

This paper might be informative:

Henrichsen-Schrembs, S., & Versteeg, P. (2011). ​
A Typology of Yoga
Practitioners: Towards a Model of Involvement in Alternative
Spirituality​ Practical Matters,​
.​ 4, 1-19.
http://practicalmattersjournal.org/sites/practicalmattersjournal.org/files/pd
f/issue2/Yoga_PMAnalyzingMatters_Final.pdf

Practice:​Find someone who wants to learn pranayama (yoga breathing) or a

pose. Offer to show them how. Hint: The main point is to create a safe
environment for exploration, and to encourage them to trust themselves. Let
them opt out if they’re not comfortable. Offer supportive feedback. Later, reflect
on the experience. Go slow to grow.

15
Yoga as a Research Methodology:

Images from ​
Sheknows.com

Here are some steps to doing research with a yoga methodology.

(1) Make the primary focus of the research internal.

This may mean that the research communication is in some form other than
an expository journal article, e.g. as poetry.

(2) Let the research design be emergent and lead to health.

Feel free to adjust your methods to fit with any new observations.

(3) Let there be a focus on breathing.

(4) Include elements from the yoga tradition.

Practice​ : Plan to do research for a single interaction (including with yourself)

within a yoga methodology. Spend a little time devising what you would like to
know about. Decide on a question. Review the four steps, above. Carry out your
research. If you are moved to, communicate your results.

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Glossary:

Asana – pose.
Ayurveda – Hindu system of folk medicine.
Bhakti yoga – charity as a path to the Divine.
Breathwork – breathing activities.
hatha​
Hatha yoga – union of opposites through asana and breath; ​ literally means
Sun-Moon​ .
Iyengar yoga – a hatha yoga practice promoted by B.K.S Iyengar.
Kriya yoga – a pranayama yoga practice promoted by Paramahansa Yogananda.
Kundalini yoga – a hatha yoga practice promoted by Yogi Bhajan and American
Sikhs.
Method – a practice.
Methodology – a way of thinking about practices.
Pranayama – breathing activity.
Raja yoga – philosophy as a path to the Divine.
Vinyasa – a flow of yoga poses strung together.
Yoga – a practice, and cognate to the word ​yoke​
.
Yogi – a practitioner of yoga (male).
Yogini – a practitioner of yoga (female).
 
 

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