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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year : 2020  |  Volume : 8  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 21-32

Yoga practice and stress management: Spiritual belief as a moderator


1 Department of Management and Marketing, Charlton College of Business, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, MA, USA
2 Botulinum Research Center, Institute of Advanced Sciences, MA, USA

Correspondence Address:
Prof. Satyanarayana Parayitam
Department of Management and Marketing, Charlton College of Business, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, NorthDartmouth, MA 02747
USA
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/ijny.ijoyppp_14_19

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Background: Yoga, Ayurveda, and naturopathy have received increased attention in the recent past as alternative therapies. Considering that over 75% of people experience stress which has negative consequences, the effect of yoga as a stress management therapy is not examined. As people are becoming more and more spiritual in their daily lives, the effect of spiritual beliefs in reducing stress is unknown. Aim: The present article is aimed at developing a conceptual model on yoga practice and the impact of spiritual beliefs in the management of stress. This is the first of its kind in literature and a modest attempt is made to empirically test the model. Materials and Methods: The study involved 251 individuals (110 males and 151 females) in the age groups ranging from 18 to above 65. A carefully crafted survey instrument was used to collect data. To empirically test the model that involves the relationship between stress and the effect of stress on life, social support, activities, yoga practice, and stress management, the present research used hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The results indicate that individuals who experience stress feel its effect on life and engage in various physical activities. The results did not show the importance of socialization, contrary to the popular belief that individuals who experience stress seek socialization. The results also showed that the effect of stress is positively related to yoga practice. For managing stress, spiritual beliefs play a major role. Interestingly, spiritual beliefs acted as moderator in the relationship between the effect of stress and yoga practice and management of stress. These results emphasize the growing importance of both yoga and spiritual beliefs in the world. Conclusions: The empirical model we tested in this research has implications for management as well as for practitioners. Growing yoga centers all over the world bear testimony to the benefits of yoga, and this research corroborates such practices. The results also provide justification for increasing spirituality in reducing the effect of stress.


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