Spirituality and ‘Mystical Religion’ in Contemporary Society: A Case Study of British Practitioners of the Iyengar Method of Yoga

Abstract

Abstract This article addresses the under-researched, but very popular activity of yoga in contemporary Britain and attempts a preliminary sociological exploration of the religious and spiritual beliefs of yoga practitioners. A sample of dedicated practitioners of the Iyengar method of yoga was chosen for a case study. It was found that the sample practitioners are engaged in a technique that attracts a significant number of people interested in a type of ‘spiritual exploration’ that can probably be best explained by the concept of ‘mystical religion’, as introduced by Ernst Troeltsch and developed by Colin Campbell. These findings provide new salience to the idea of ‘mystical religion’ and a starting point for considering the role that a physical practice plays in contemporary spirituality and religiosity. Notes 1. The British Wheel of Yoga, the governing body for yoga as recognised by the UK Sports Council, estimates the number of yoga practitioners to be between 450,000 and 500,000. This figure was based upon “an estimate of the number of teachers, number of classes taken and number of students in each class” (CitationSimmonds). I was not able to ascertain any more detailed information as to how these figures were obtained and therefore they should be taken as a rough estimate at best. 2. Some medical researchers have addressed the efficacy of modern yoga's health. For example, see CitationWilliams and CitationJayasinghe. 3. In addition to running its own ‘non-denominational’ teacher-training programme, the British Wheel also accredits training programmes by Viniyoga Britain, the Satyananda Yoga Centre (Bihar Yoga), The Mandala Yoga Ashram, and Yoga of the Heart (CitationSimmonds). 4. For more information on Iyengar yoga in Britain, see http://www.iyengaryoga.org.uk 5. In Britain, my participant observation has mostly been in London and Bristol; in the US, I have attended classes in Amherst, MA, Lawrence, KS, and New York City. 6. In retrospect, a question modelled on the 1999 Gallup telephone survey, asking “What does the word spirituality mean to you?” and counting categories of the open-ended responses, could have been included (CitationGallup 184–5). 7. I must express my gratitude to Eileen Barker in allowing me to use the same questions which were included in the RAMP survey in advance of their publication. RAMP was conducted in 11 European countries during 1998; the British survey, lasting just over an hour, was done by the British Market Research Bureau, involving a representative sample of 1,466 respondents over the age of 18. 8. Question 40 asked: “Are you currently exploring/studying any religious tradition(s)?”—Yes/No; 40a “If yes, please describe”; Question 41 asked: “Were you raised in a religious tradition?”—Yes/No/Sort-of and Question 41a asked: “If yes or sort-of, please describe”. 9. A recent reader survey in Yoga Journal magazine (a widely circulated yoga magazine, published in the US) reported that 79% of its readers meditate. The tendency to mix techniques of personal religious experience might thus be more widespread in the general yoga-practising community than among the Iyengar practitioners (CitationArnold). 10. The ‘average income’ for an individual Britain in Citation2002 was £21,372 per year (Office of National Statistics 157). Of course, this average figure masks many regional, ethnic, gender, and other differences. In addition, one should not infer from this figure that those with low incomes are not practising Iyengar yoga. The innate bias of taking a survey sample and an event costing most participants at least £150 must also be remembered.