Health Development Model for Vipassana Practitioners based on Yoga Practice

Abstract

This article has three objectives: (1) to study the principles of health development through yoga practice; (2) to analyze the health development of Vipassana practitioners at the International Meditation Center, MCU Chiang Mai Campus, through yoga practice; and (3) to propose the health development model for Vipassana practitioners based on yoga practice. This research is a qualitative study, conducted through the review of documents and related research on concepts of health, health in Buddhist principles, Buddhist teachings related to health, Vipassana meditation according to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna 4), as well as concepts and practices of yoga, together with field data collection from 20 key informants, using questionnaires administered before and after yoga practice, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with 8 key informants. Data were primarily analyzed by Content Analysis, while numerical data and descriptive statistics were used to support and confirm the research findings.
The findings revealed that: (1) The principles of health development based on yoga practice constitute a holistic health development process aimed at creating balance between body and mind through the principles of Ashtanga Yoga to promote physical, social, mental, and wisdom health; (2) After practicing yoga comprising Asana, Pranayama, and Yoga Nidra, Vipassana practitioners showed a tendency toward improved physical and holistic health. Flexibility, muscular strength and endurance of the legs, cardiovascular endurance and circulatory function, as well as blood oxygen saturation, increased significantly at the 0.05 level. In addition, the mean scores of holistic health increased across the physical, social, mental, and wisdom dimensions. The in-depth interviews and focus group discussions revealed that yoga practice helped reduce physical discomfort, enhance concentration, promote mental calmness, and improve readiness for Vipassana meditation; (3) The study developed the “PARICHAT Model: A Boon Yoga Approach,” a holistic health development model integrating Asana, Pranayama, and Yoga Nidra with the principles of Satipaṭṭhāna 4 to promote physical, social, mental, and wisdom health. The model can be applied according to practitioners’ age, physical condition, and individual practice context.