Yogaretreatens roll i ett sekulärt samhälle: En kvalitativ studie över den nyandliga verksamheten inom svenska yogaretreat
2021 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesisAlternative title
The role of yoga retreats in a secular society : A qualitative study of the spiritual activities within Swedish yoga retreats (English)
Abstract [en]
In the following essay, I have studied a relatively new spiritual phenomenon in Swedish society, yoga retreats, through interviews with eight representatives. I have examined how these representatives perceive their participants' needs and motives, and how these are answered. I have also studied whether the activities within the retreats are compatible with the historian of religion, Anne-Christine Hornborg's research regarding coaching. My research has shown that in addition to a need for recovery, there is also a perception that participants are looking for tools and methods to deal with a stressful everyday life. Furthermore, I have also distinguished a tendency that these tools and methods were being used as means for personal development. This tendency, along with a similar target group, a shared use of language and attitude regarding the concept of religion, was something that was comparable with coaching. Despite the fact that both activities point to the individual's inner spirituality, which can be retrieved through different methods, the goal of each activity differs. While coaching focuses on a non-religious goal, often aimed at the personal career, the goal of yoga retreats is to answer to participants existential needs, expressed in words of purpose, meaning and longing. Thus, the representatives prescribe one solution (tools and methods for personal development) for both worldy and spritual/religious needs within their participants. I have also shown that there is an ambivalence among the representatives regarding how the offered methods should be used. While there is a perception that the goal is achieved through methods, several representatives show dissatisfaction with the fact that their participants overly fixate on these methods, as this may distract the participants from the expressed goal.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2021. , p. 42
Keywords [sv]
nyandlighet, spiritualitet, yoga, coaching, the subjective turn
National Category
Religious Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-101628OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-101628DiVA, id: diva2:1537701
Subject / course
Religious Studies
Educational program
Teacher Education Programme for Upper Secondary School, 300/330 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
2021-03-172021-03-162025-05-06Bibliographically approved