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Journals / Dergiabant / 2026 / Cilt: 14 Sayı: 1

Negotiating Spirituality and Institutional Religion: The Experiences of Yoga Practitioners in Türkiye

Ruhsallık ve Kurumsal Din Arasında: Türkiye’de Yoga Pratiği Yapan Bireylerin Deneyimleri

Ayşe Aydar(ŞIRNAK ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-6711-506X
Journal
Dergiabant
Pages
329–345
Publication Date
2026-05-31
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Findings indicate that participants initially practiced yoga for psychological and physiological benefits, and individuals who felt discomfort with the strict norms and negative connotations associated with institutional religion were particularly drawn to yoga’s flexible and inclusive structure.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study aims to explore how yoga practitioners in Türkiye perceive institutional religion, including the role of yoga in their religious lives, their motivations for turning to yoga, and their perceptions of institutional religion’s approach to yoga.
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Key Findings & Data:Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 16 participants selected through purposive sampling.
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Conclusion & Impact:Findings indicate that participants initially practiced yoga for psychological and physiological benefits, and individuals who felt discomfort with the strict norms and negative connotations associated with institutional religion were particularly drawn to yoga’s flexible and inclusive structure.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2020 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Din Psikolojisi · Yoga · Kurumsal Din

Abstract

This study aims to explore how yoga practitioners in Türkiye perceive institutional religion, including the role of yoga in their religious lives, their motivations for turning to yoga, and their perceptions of institutional religion’s approach to yoga. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 16 participants selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed through thematic content analysis within the psychology of religion framework, assisted by MAXQDA 2020. As a result of this analytical process, four themes were identified: motivation for starting yoga, after yoga, religious perspectives on yoga, and why yoga. Findings indicate that participants initially practiced yoga for psychological and physiological benefits, and individuals who felt discomfort with the strict norms and negative connotations associated with institutional religion were particularly drawn to yoga’s flexible and inclusive structure. Contrary to the common assumption in Türkiye that yoga leads individuals away from religion, the results suggest that sustained yoga practice may foster forms of religiosity and spirituality that develop independently of traditional or institutional religion.

Özet

Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de yoga yapan bireylerin kurumsal dini nasıl anlamlandırdıklarını ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu bağlamda, yoganın dini yaşamdaki yeri, bireyleri yogaya yönelten etkenler ve kurumsal dinin yogaya bakışına ilişkin algılar birlikte ele alınmaktadır. Amaçlı örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilen 16 katılımcı ile yarı yapılandırılmış çevrim içi görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu doğrultusunda elde edilen veriler, din psikolojisi çerçevesinde tematik içerik analizi yöntemiyle ve MAXQDA 2020 programı kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Bu analiz süreci sonucunda dört tema belirlenmiştir: yogaya başlama motivasyonu, yoga sonrası, yogaya ilişkin dini perspektifler ve yogayı tercih etme nedenleri. Bulgular, katılımcıların başlangıçta yogaya ağırlıklı olarak psikolojik ve fizyolojik yararlar nedeniyle yöneldiklerini, kurumsal dinle ilişkilendirilen katı normlar ve olumsuz çağrışımlardan rahatsızlık duyan bireylerin ise yoganın esnek ve kapsayıcı yapısına özellikle ilgi gösterdiklerini ortaya koymaktadır. Türkiye bağlamında yaygın olan, yoga pratiğinin bireyleri dinden uzaklaştırdığı yönündeki varsayımın aksine, bulgular sürdürülen yoga pratiğinin geleneksel ya da kurumsal dinden bağımsız biçimlerde gelişen bir dindarlık ve ruhsallık (maneviyat) anlayışını destekleyebileceğine işaret etmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Aydar, A. (2026). Negotiating Spirituality and Institutional Religion: The Experiences of Yoga Practitioners in Türkiye. Dergiabant, Cilt: 14 Sayı: 1, 329–345. https://doi.org/10.33931/dergiabant.1842592

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