Spirituality Studies 133 Lucie Chocholová personal direction. “I lead just one course, I would not go for more. I am limited by my children and also my financial situation. I still enjoy yoga a great deal and want to improve myself. But I need to find someone who would speak to me, someone I’d be keen to listen to, and move forward. So, for now, I’m stuck.” P2 described. P3 talked about her situation similarly: “I definitely want to develop further, but what I’m interested in isn’t quite on offer right now… There isn’t the time, there isn’t the money, there aren’t the opportunities… And even though I want to, it’s about priorities.” In this context, spirituality was not described as a fixed component of yoga instruction, but as a dimension negotiated individually within institutional and market constraints. The final typological distinction emerged in the group’s proposal for differentiated qualifications. For instance, it was suggested that those who are more fitness instructors should require distinct qualifications from those who are more yogis, including experience and competencies in using advanced techniques focused on the breath and the mind. As P3 proposed: “I think there should be a specific name for those who practice only a subset of it… We know of many things that belong there, but we don’t do them.” None of the respondents in this study would call themselves a yogi, but they agreed that the title should be accorded considerable respect. If we can use the name yoga for any exercise that is only remotely inspired by yoga, however, those who practice yoga in earnest may find that, in some respects, it is insulting, as P3 commented: “With yoga, it does feel like misusing the word a little.” This was not a view that the entire group shared, however. On that account, P2 pointed out: “I think it is not misuse. Anyone who resonates with them [the instructors], who finds it [beer yoga, yoga with goats] interesting, be it just for the beer or the goats, they’ll go there [to the class].” Therefore, to some, it may be legitimate enough to use the word yoga even if the subject is very far removed from actual yoga, as long as there is interest in such a product from the general public. Taken together, the findings across the three research questions illustrate how Czech yoga instructors experience contemporary yoga practice as a dynamic field shaped by negotiation between tradition and modernity, differentiation and marketing, and personal conviction and professional responsibility. These experiential tensions form the basis for the interpretative discussion that follows. 6 Discussion This study used the IPA method to explore a range of experiences and interpretations of yoga instructors across various contemporary yoga styles within the Czech context. According to the participating instructors, the findings indicate that contemporary yoga is neither a direct continuation of traditional yoga nor a purely fitness-oriented activity, but rather a hybrid practice shaped by ongoing negotiation between multiple influences. Participants navigate these tensions pragmatically, drawing selectively on physical, psychological, and spiritual elements in response to personal orientation, institutional training, and perceived responsibility toward their students. This becomes particularly visible within the Czech context, where instructor education is formally regulated. However, the study participants describe the education as limited in its engagement with yoga’s spiritual and ethical dimensions. Rather than adhering to fixed definitions of yoga, the instructors’ accounts reveal a dynamic process of meaning-making in which spirituality is neither fully abandoned nor uniformly embraced but continuously reinterpreted in everyday teaching practice. The researcher explored instructors’ experiences and opinions on issues related to the dissemination and naming of yoga styles, the relationship between traditional and contemporary yoga practices, and their understanding of their professional responsibilities regarding the spiritual and ethical dimensions of yoga. We defined three central themes: (1) Making Sense of the Proliferation and Naming of Yoga Styles; (2) Experiencing the Relationship Between Tradition and Contemporary Practice; and (3) Understanding Professional Responsibility and the Spiritual Dimension of Teaching. These topics will be discussed based on the available related resources. The participants described their views on categorizing yoga into different styles. The functionality of this categorization remains debated in the related literature. Although numerous studies have examined the benefits of yoga practice, no consistent evidence suggests that specific styles are significantly more beneficial than others (Cramer et al. 2016, 178). Selecting a specific yoga style may therefore reflect personal preference or contextual factors. As participants in this study also confirmed, the research shows that one of the leading reasons for attending a specific yoga class is the instructor’s personality (Cox et al. 2022, 463–465).
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