The Manchester Yoga Survey

In 1999 I approached the Manchester and District Institute of Iyengar Yoga with the idea of carrying out a survey of yoga students in the Manchester area. The aim was to find out some basic facts about our student population, their motivation for taking up yoga and how it has helped them. A one page questionnaire was designed for students to fill in before or after their class, then distributed early in 2000 via the network of qualified Iyengar teachers. Both teachers and students were happy to help, and through their efforts a total of about 900 questionnaires was completed, a response far beyond expectation. Three first year medical students at Manchester University (Victoria Fellows, Laura Wood and Victoria Raper) were recruited to put the data into the computer and carry out statistical analysis as part of their Special Study Module. Some of the results are reported below.

Demographics
The mean age of the respondents was 46, ranging from 14 to 82 (we did not collect returns from children's classes). This in itself tells about yoga as an activity for all stages of life. The population was not skewed towards older or younger people. There were 88% women and12% men. Although men were in a minority, there were enough (101) to allow comparisons to be made between the two sexes. A majority of respondents (64%) were working, with 19% retired (including early retirements), 11% housekeepers or parents, 4% students and 2% unemployed. Several respondents were keen to point out that they worked as well as being housekeepers and/or parents -- perhaps this group needs yoga more than most! The mean duration of yoga practice was 6.8 years, ranging from 'my first week' to 40 years, with 36% having practised less than 1 year. This still left about 600 people who, we felt, could be considered as having done enough yoga to be in a position to comment on its effects. 34% of respondents practised at home, including more men (43%) than women (33%), and more students (50%) than other groups. People who attend more classes also tend to practise more at home.

Motivation
Respondents were asked to assign an independent weighting between 0 and 9 to each of four factors that might have influenced their decision to take up yoga. Mean scores for the whole population are given in brackets: health/fitness (8); fun/social (4); help with a specific problem (4); spiritual development (3). Thus general health and fitness was by far the major factor at this initial stage; it was the primary (highest weighted) factor in 55% of all respondents, in both women and men, and in all age groups. People in the 21-40 age group were more likely to be in search of help with a problem than other ages, and men often gave a higher priority than women to seeking this type of help. A minority cited spiritual development as a strong motivating factor, and these tended not to be older people. However, based on many comments, spiritual influences seem to grow as practice continues; this was summed up by one respondent who wrote: 'I didn't start for spiritual reasons this develops'


Types of problem
41% of respondents reported a problem that played some part in the decision to start yoga. 41% of these were physical, 33% stress-related and 13% related to sleep disruption. Almost twice as many women as men reported stress- and sleep-related problems. It is not clear if this is because women experience more stress, or because they are more likely to report it. In contrast, more men than women reported a physical problem. Specific problems included: back pain, arthritis, joint injuries (knee, shoulder, hip, neck), stiffness, postural problems, restricted mobility, circulatory disorders, menopause, PMT, mastectomy, asthma, ME, MS, tension, depression, nervous breakdown, headaches, and inability to relax.

Effects of yoga practice on problems
Respondents who reported problems were asked to score on a scale of increasing severity (0-9) the extent of their problem at the time of starting yoga and how it was at the time of the survey. Overall, a mean improvement of 2.6 points was seen, a strongly positive result. Improvements occurred in all age groups, and in both women and men. Unemployed people reported the biggest improvement (mean 4.4 points). It was reassuring to find that benefit increased both with the number of classes attended per month and with home practise. This suggested that teachers were on the whole recommending appropriate measures for dealing with problems encountered. As the motivation of the student for seeking help with a problem increased, the extent of the benefit also increased.

General benefits of yoga
Beneficial effects were reported by very many respondents, including those who did not start with a particular problem. It was inspiring to see the diversity of ways people found to describe their experiences, and I believe that much of the value of the survey has come about because students were willing to contribute this type of information.

There were many general expression of positive feelings: 'It's fab!' 'I don't know what I would have done without yoga' 'The sheer pleasure of doing the postures' 'It makes me feel good' 'It is one of the highlights of my week' 'Feeling better for eventually doing it after talking about it for so long' 'I feel 50 ie 27 years younger than I am' 'It has produced a complete improvement in my life' 'Feelings of well being and achievement' 'Yoga has helped me to cope with the different stages of my life'.

Physical benefits included greater awareness of body or posture, suppleness, mobility, vitality, improved figure, improved physical appearance, improvements in sporting performance, feeling fitter, keener to do other forms of exercise and 'a new kind of physical strength and stamina'. Respondents reported feeling taller, and also in several cases 'looser' or 'less tight'. Several commented that they had achieved a 'better understanding of how my body works'.

Mental and spiritual benefits reported included 'a more relaxed attitude to life', 'a calmer outlook on life generally', tranquillity, contentment, equilibrium, peace within, more centred, more grounded, uplifted, 'in tune with myself', 'more in the present', 'much more tolerant, calm and relaxed', more positive, 'a better sense of self', improved confidence, sense of direction, stability and concentration. One person reported 'inner quietness though still not kinder to other people'!

Health benefits reported included a sense of taking more responsibility for ones own health. This was echoed by numerous respondents with comments such as 'I feel positive that I'm doing something about my problem', or '(yoga has given me) the knowledge that I have much influence on my own health.' Many people reported an improvement in ability to cope in stressful situations including emotional, domestic and work-related stress: '(It helps with) maintaining equilibrium and sanity' 'It has helped with stress and negativity' 'It has stopped me from having panic attacks' and 'I'm easier to live with'! Improvements in sleep patterns were reported even in those not initially motivated by a sleep problem: '(I get) a good night's sleep on Tuesday night'!

Students reported freedom from common ailments such as colds, aches and pains. Yoga (especially breath control) helped several respondents to tolerate invasive or difficult medical procedures, and to recover from operations.

Social benefits reported included making friends, enjoying meeting the class, 'meeting some very special people' and 'quality time with mum' (a 14-year-old).


Effects of yoga practice: problems
In the interests of fairness, it was felt that respondents should be asked if yoga had caused them any problem. No very serious problems were caused, though one person wrote 'not yet'!

Minor problems included: back problem, knee, neck, pain, overdoing it, over stretch, aching, strain, muscle problem, and aggravation of an existing problem. Problems were more likely in those who carried out home practise than in those who did not. Problems were caused more often in those reporting a physical problem as a motivating factor for taking up yoga in the first place. Problems were twice as likely to be caused by yoga in men than women, and were most common in middle age. Older practitioners reported a remarkably low rate of problems!

Several findings in the survey highlight risks in men in middle life. They appear often to come to yoga for help with physical problems, can be highly motivated, tend to practise more at home and may therefore risk further injury. Teachers should ask all students to practise cautiously, especially when not fully familiar with the postures.

Many comments were made that did not relate to physical problems caused directly by practice, and these included both light-hearted and more serious points. Several respondents reported feelings of guilt associated with not practising enough. This serves to emphasise the bond between teacher and student. Students seem generally to be happy with their teacher, and although the survey was anonymous (for both teacher and student) one felt they wanted to please by saying the right things! Other mild problems included 'some aches, especially after the Xmas break' 'I dislike ageing' 'It's more of a challenge as I get older'. There were problems 'getting there on time' and 'not enough classes at this sports centre!'

Numerous respondents commented that 'I notice problems I didn't realise I had'. 'Philosophical conflicts' were aroused in one person and in answer to the question 'has yoga caused you any problem?' another answered: 'to look closely at myself'. One person commented that 'It can be dangerous after relaxation if you drive - you can be too relaxed.'


Conclusions
A very warm thanks is due to all who helped, because the size of the survey has meant that the findings can be stated with greater confidence, and some trends emerged that would not have been detectable in a smaller sample. There may be confirmation of what the more experienced teachers already knew or suspected, but there were some surprising results as well. The many beneficial effects that were reported extend to both women and men and across all ages and various occupations. They should provide a tremendous boost to all yoga students and teachers to carry on the good work.


John Aplin
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