Yoga as Entree to Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Medically Pluralistic Practices

    Authors

    J. M. Siven;J. Mishtal

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Hum. Organ.

    Keywords

    yoga; complementary and alternative medicine; health care-seeking; behavior; medical pluralism; RISK-FACTORS; CARE; Anthropology; Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary

    Abstract

    Yoga is increasingly ubiquitous in the United States and globally. The growth of yoga's popularity alongside Indian healing philosophies, including Ayurvedic medicine, makes yoga an important influence on conceptualization of health in holistic terms. Because of these philosophies, the growing use of yoga has implications for how healthcare is sought and utilized. Yoga practitioners are likely to engage in pluralistic health care-seeking practices, yet, the underlying perspectives that drive yoga practitioners to engage in particular health practices are poorly understood in anthropological and public health literature. This study examined perspectives on health care-seeking among long-term yoga practitioners in a yoga community in Florida. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted in 2010 with 26 adults in a Florida yoga center who have practiced yoga at least once per week for at least one year, the study found that long-term yoga practitioners utilized yoga and other systems of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to address health needs that were not met by biomedicine. Moreover, once individuals embarked on long-term yoga practice, they expanded their health care-seeking practices to other CAMs. This study contributes to understanding of the pluralization of health care-seeking practices, highlights concerns with the biomedical health system, and contributes to current debates on health care reform.

    Journal Title

    Human Organization

    Volume

    71

    Issue/Number

    4

    Publication Date

    1-1-2012

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    348

    Last Page

    357

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000311829900003

    ISSN

    0018-7259

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