Spirituality Studies 125 Lucie Chocholová 4 Methodology 4.1 Design This study employs the IPA method, which consists of a qualitative approach to data that enables idiographic analysis of lived experience. IPA examines what significance a person attributes to their experiences in specific circumstances, in a specific context and time (Smith, Flowers, and Larkin 2009). It was conceived as a psychological approach to data, especially in relation to the psychology of health (Smith 2011, 56), with roots in phenomenology and hermeneutics. IPA is a suitable method for studies that aim to explore and describe the significance that a specific person attributes to their experiences. Although IPA is most commonly applied to individual interviews, focus groups may also generate data (Larkin, Watts, and Clifton 2006, 103). For this study, a group format was selected to capture how meanings are articulated, negotiated, and reflected upon in interaction with others. The analysis focused on individual experiential accounts as expressed within the group setting, rather than on producing a collective consensus. In the IPA method, the researcher admits to having their own viewpoints and attitudes, because only through them can they understand the real-life experiences of another person or a group of people and use that understanding to formulate the significance of those experiences for the given subject (Fade 2004, 648). In the IPA framework, an experience is construed as the result of mutual sharing (Larkin, Watts, and Clifton 2006, 113, 117). Because this analysis admits to a great deal of subjectivity, it also leaves space for other interpretations. IPA was chosen because it enables exploration of how participants actively construct and negotiate meanings in contexts where concepts such as spirituality, tradition, and professional responsibility are fluid and contested. 4.2 Participants The sample group consisted of three women, aged from 31 to 33, who had been practicing yoga for 9 to 14 years and had at least five years of experience as yoga instructors. In line with the IPA methodology and the pilot character of the study, the small sample size was chosen to allow for in-depth analysis rather than thematic saturation. The selection of participants was deliberately aimed at obtaining information-rich cases. The basic criteria for the selection were the qualification of the yoga instructor according to the Czech legislature, a minimum of five years of practice as a yoga instructor, experience with conducting yoga classes in at least five different styles, and consent to the collection and processing of personal data in accordance with the ethical code of Masaryk University. The sample size (N = 3) reflects IPA’s idiographic orientation, which prioritizes depth of experiential inquiry over breadth of demographic representation (Smith, Flowers, and Larkin 2009). As this study was conceived as a pilot investigation, the relatively small and contextually coherent sample enabled detailed engagement with each participant’s account while maintaining analytical focus within a shared professional environment. The sample’s geographical homogeneity aligns with the exploratory focus of this pilot study, which is part of a broader doctoral project examining the development of modern yoga in the Czech Republic. Rather than pursuing cross-cultural comparison at this stage, the study seeks to illuminate how contemporary yoga is understood within a specific national and institutional context. Future research may extend this inquiry to include comparative perspectives across different countries. Although the study does not assume that characteristics such as gender inherently determine interpretations of yoga practice, the limited number of participants and their shared sociocultural and professional background may have contributed to overlapping interpretative patterns. The findings represent a contextually situated reality rather than a broadly generalizable one. The following text designates the participants using the proxy names P1, P2, and P3. 4.3 Procedure 4.3.1 Deliberate Selection of Participants for the Study Participants were recruited from the ranks of a yoga studio in Brno. All instructors in the studio were reached out to. However, invitations to the discussion were only extended to those who met the above requirements and agreed to physically participate in a group discussion on a specified date and time.
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