Physical, mental and spiritual journey: Examining recreational yoga participants’ flow experience and perceived health outcomes


Abstract views: 163 / PDF downloads: 116

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70736/jrolss.470

Keywords:

Perceived health outcomes of recreation, recreational flow experience, yoga

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the flow experience and perceived health outcomes of recreational yoga participants. The study utilized the relational screening model, one of the quantitative research methods. The sample group consists of 269 female (92.4%) and 22 male (22.6%), a total of 291 participants (28.67± 8.49 AgeMean) who participate in yoga activities recreationally. As data collection tools, demographic information form, Perceived Health Outcomes of Recreation Scale (PHORS) and Recreational Flow Experience Scale (RFES) were applied to the participants. When the results were examined, it was determined that the scores of the participants regarding perceived health outcomes and flow experiences in recreational yoga were generally high. Significant differences were found in the participants’ yoga participation styles and participation frequencies. A moderate positive relationship was found between the Recreational Flow Experience Scale (RFES) and the sub-dimension of Perceived Health Outcomes of Recreation (PHORS) for prevention of a worse condition (r=0.567, p=0.001); and a high positive relationship was found between the realization of psychological experience (r=0.774, p=0.001), improved condition (r=0.768, p=0.001) and the PHORS total score (r=0.792, p=0.001). It has been determined that recreational flow experience in participation in yoga activities is a significant predictor of perceived health outcomes in recreation. Accordingly, 62.8% of perceived health outcomes in recreation are explained by recreational flow experience. The study results can be said that there is a relationship between perceived health outcomes and flow experience in recreational yoga participation. It has been concluded that the flow experience experienced by individuals in recreational yoga participation also affects perceived health outcomes.

References

Adams, E. V., Crowe, B. M., Van Puymbroeck, M., Allison, C. K., & Schmidt, A. A. (2019). Yoga as a community-based recreational therapy ıntervention for older adults: A pilot study. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 53(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2019-V53-I4-9728

Akdeniz, Ş., & Kaştan, Ö. (2023). Perceived benefit of yoga among adults who have practiced yoga for a long time: a qualitative study. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 17(1), 19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-023-00276-3

Alper, R., & Başaran, Z. (2023). To examine the work commitment and psychological flexibility levels of university stuff who participate in yoga activities as a recreational experience. International Journal of Recreation and Sports Science, 7(1), 6-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46463/ijrss.1281670

Ayhan, C., Eskiler, E., & Soyer, F. (2020). Measuring flow experience in recreational participants: Scale development and validation: Rekreasyonel katılımcılarda akış deneyiminin ölçülmesi: Ölçek geliştirme ve doğrulama. Journal of Human Sciences, 17(4), 1297-1311. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14687/jhs.v17i4.6105

Ayhan, C., & Alanoğlu, Ş. (2023). The effect of recreational flow experience on mental well-being in fitness participants. Journal of Social Sciences and Education, 6(2), 346-360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.53047/josse.1371931

Boudreau, P., Mackenzie, S. H., & Hodge, K. (2020). Flow states in adventure recreation: A systematic review and thematic synthesis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 46, 101611. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101611

Briegel-Jones, R. M., Knowles, Z., Eubank, M. R., Giannoulatos, K., & Elliot, D. (2013). A preliminary investigation into the effect of yoga practice on mindfulness and flow in elite youth swimmers. The Sport Psychologist, 27(4), 349-359. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.27.4.349

Butzer, B., Ahmed, K., & Khalsa, S. B. S. (2016). Yoga enhances positive psychological states in young adult musicians. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 41, 191-202. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-015-9321-x

Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2018). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı. Ankara: Pegem Akademi. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14527/9789756802748

Chang, H. H. (2017). Gender differences in leisure involvement and flow experience in professional extreme sport activities. World Leisure Journal, 59(2), 124–139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2016.1166152

Cheng, T. M., & Lu, C. C. (2015). The causal relationships among recreational involvement, flow experience, and well-being for surfing activities. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 20(1), 1486-1504. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2014.999099

Coşkun, R., Altunışık, R., & Yıldırım, E. (2019). Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntemleri spss uygulamalı. Sakarya: Sakarya Yayıncılık.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2021). Araştırma tasarımı: Nitel, nicel ve karma yöntem yaklaşımları. Çev. Ed. Engin Karadağ). Ankara: Nobel Yayıncılık.

Csikszentmihalyi, M., & LeFevre, J. (1989). Optimal experience in work and leisure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(5), 815-822. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.56.5.815

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1992). Flow: The psychology of happiness. London, Sydney, Auckland, Johannesburg: Rider.

Decloe, M. D., Kaczynski, A. T., & Havitz, M. E. (2009). Social participation, flow and situational involvement in recreational physical activity. Journal of Leisure Research, 41(1), 73-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2009.11950160

DeCoster, J., & Claypool, H. (2004). Data analysis in SPSS.

Erkin, Ö., & Akçay, N. (2018). Self-perceived health status and yoga-related perceptions among yoga practitioner. Turkish Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 12(3), 193-199. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21763/tjfmpc.452471

Field, A. P. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS. (3rd ed.) London: Sage.

Garfinkel, M., & Schumacher Jr, H. R. (2000). Yoga. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, 26(1), 125-132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-857X(05)70126-5

George, D., & Mallery, P. (2019). IBM SPSS statistics 26 step by step: A simple guide and reference. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429056765

Gómez, E., Hill, E., Zhu, X., & Freidt, B. (2016). Perceived health outcomes of recreation scale (PHORS): reliability, validity and invariance. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 20(1), 27-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1091367X.2015.1089245

Gómez, E., & Hill, E. (2016). First landing state park: Participation patterns and perceived health outcomes of recreation at an urban-proximate park. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 34(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2016-V34-I1-7034

Gulam, A. (2016). Recreation–need and importance in modern society. International Journal of Physiology, Nutrition and Physical Education, 1(2), 157-160.

Gürbüz, S., & Şahin, F. (2018). Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntemleri (5. Baskı). Ankara: Seçkin.

Griffith, A. (2007). SPSS for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons.

Halsall, T., Werthner, P., & Forneris, T. (2016). Cultivating focus: insights from dedicated yoga practice and the implications for mental health and well-being. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 8(2), 165-179. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2015.1099562

Harris, A., Austin, M., Blake, T. M., & Bird, M. L. (2019). Perceived benefits and barriers to yoga participation after stroke: A focus group approach. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 34, 153-156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.11.015

Hecquet, J. (2024). Exploring yoga and the flow experience: an ınterpretative phenomenological analysis of contemporary yoga communities (Doctoral dissertation, Bournemouth University).

Hill, E., & Gómez, E. (2020). Perceived health outcomes of mountain bikers: A national demographic ınquiry. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, 38(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2019-9492

Houge, S., Hodge, K., & Boyes, M. (2010). The phasic nature of flow in high risk recreation. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 2(2), 159-162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7768/1948-5123.1059

Houge Mackenzie, S., Boudreau, P., & Hodge, K. (2023). Evaluating a model of flow and clutch optimal psychological states in adventure recreation. Leisure Sciences, 1-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2023.2261917

Hsu, S. C., & Liu, L. W. (2020). The relationship between serious leisure, flow experience, leisure benefit and quality of life of yoga. African Journal of Hospitality Tourism and Leisure, 1(10).

Iwasaki, Y., Coyle, C. P., & Shank, J. W. (2010). Leisure as a context for active living, recovery, health and life quality for persons with mental illness in a global context. Health Promotion International, 25(4), 483-494. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daq037

Jackson, S. A., Eklund, R. C., Gordon, A., Norsworthy, C., Mackenzie, S. H., Hodge, K., … et al. (2023). Flow and outdoor adventure recreation: Using flow measures to re-examine motives for participation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 67, 102427. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102427

Jia, S. (2018). Leisure motivation and satisfaction: A text mining of yoga centres, yoga consumers, and their interactions. Sustainability, 10(12), 4458. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124458

Konecki, K., Bogusławska-Lesiak, A., & Saganowska, E. (2016). Common-sense definitions of yoga and its meaning for practitioners. Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica, 17(4), 77-94.

Kulkarni, A. V., Murali, R., & Patki, A. (2017). A Study on the relationship between flow theory and yoga therapy and its effects on coping with stress. Indian Journal of Mental Health, 4(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.30877/IJMH.4.2.2017.153-160

Lear, M. E. (2018). Yoga, flow and art therapy: an ınvestigation ınto yoga’s effects on the creative process. (Master’s thesis, Notre Dame de Namur University).

Litwiller, F., White, C., Gallant, K., Hutchinson, S., & Hamilton-Hinch, B. (2016). Recreation for mental health recovery. Leisure/loisir, 40(3), 345-365. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2016.1252940

Litwiller, F., White, C., Gallant, K. A., Gilbert, R., Hutchinson, S., Hamilton-Hinch, B., & Lauckner, H. (2017). The benefits of recreation for the recovery and social inclusion of individuals with mental illness: An integrative review. Leisure Sciences, 39(1), 1-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2015.1120168

Mandlik, G. V., Nguyen, B., Ding, D., & Edwards, K. M. (2023). Not all yoga styles are the same: an international survey on characteristics of yoga classes. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 29(5), 321-326. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/jicm.2022.0712

Pham, K. H. (2013). Outcomes of a recreation therapy yoga meditation intervention on prison inmates’ spiritual well-being. San Jose State University.

Phillips, L. L. (2005). Examining flow states and motivational perspectives of Ashtanga yoga practitioners. (Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, University of Kentucky).

Piletic, M. & Cabarkapa, M. (2011). Differences in personality traits and motivation for recreational practice of yoga & fitness in women. In: P. Nikić, ed. Proceedings “Yoga – the Light of Microuniverse” of the International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference “Yoga in Science – Future and Perspectives”, September 23-24, 2010, Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade: Yoga Federation of Serbia, p. 56-71

Pradhan, B., & Pradhan, B. (2015). Yoga: Original concepts and history. Yoga and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy: A Clinical Guide, 3-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09105-1_1

Reina, A. M., Adams, E. V., Allison, C. K., Mueller, K. E., Crowe, B. M., van Puymbroeck, M., & Schmid, A. A. (2020). Yoga for functional fitness in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. International Journal of Yoga, 13(2), 156-159. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_57_19

Riva, E., Freire, T., & Bassi, M. (2016). The flow experience in clinical settings: Applications in psychotherapy and mental health rehabilitation. Flow experience: Empirical Research and Applications, 309-326. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28634-1_19

Rojek, C. (2005). Leisure Theory. Principles and Practice. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230505117

Ross, A., Friedmann, E., Bevans, M., & Thomas, S. (2012). Frequency of yoga practice predicts health: Results of a national survey of yoga practitioners. Evidence‐Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012(1), 983258. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/983258

Seçer, İ. (2017). SPSS ve LISREL ile pratik veri analizi, analiz ve raporlaştırma. Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık.

Shostak-Kinker, T. (2012). Rock climbing, flow theory, and yoga. Prescott College.

Stebbins, R. A. (2010). Flow in serious leisure: Nature and prevalence. Leisure Studies Association Newsletter, 87, 21-23.

Street, G., James, R., & Cutt, H. (2007). The relationship between organised physical recreation and mental health. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 18(3), 236-239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/HE07236

Tabachnick, B. G. & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Tao, H., Zhou, Q., Tian, D., & Zhu, L. (2022). The effect of leisure involvement on place attachment: Flow experience as mediating role. Land, 11(2), 151. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020151

Tse, D. C., Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2021). Living well by “flowing’well: The indirect effect of autotelic personality on well-being through flow experience. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16 (3), 310-321. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1716055

Vogler, J. W. (2012). Self-actualization and peak experiences in outdoor recreation. (Master’s thesis, Clemson University).

Yerlisu Lapa, T., Serdar, E., Tercan Kaas, E., Çakır, V.O. & Köse, E. (2020). Rekreasyonda algılanan sağlık çıktıları ölçeğinin türkçe versiyonunun psikometrik özellikleri. Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 31 (2), 83-95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17644/sbd.684205

Zafeiroudi, A., Yfantidou, G., Kouthouris, C., & Zanna, A. (2022). Yoga as serious leisure activity: Socio-demographic differences in mindfulness levels among yoga retreat participants. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 11(6), 8-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36941/ajis-2022-0144

Zwart, R., & Ewert, A. (2022). Human health and outdoor adventure recreation: perceived health outcomes. Forests, 13(6), 869. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060869

Wiles, A. K., Van Puymbroeck, M., Crowe, B. M., & Schmid, A. A. (2021). An investigation into the use of yoga in recreational therapy practice. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 55 (1), 78-96. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2021-V55-I1-10145

Downloads

Published

12/31/2024

How to Cite

Er, B., & Cengiz, R. (2024). Physical, mental and spiritual journey: Examining recreational yoga participants’ flow experience and perceived health outcomes. Journal of ROL Sport Sciences, 5(4), 564–580. https://doi.org/10.70736/jrolss.470