Online Yoga Influencer and Yoga Styles Content Analysis

Online Yoga Influencer and Yoga Styles: Content Analysis 1
How Does an Online Yoga Influencer Use Diverse Styles of Yoga to Bring Maximum
Benefit to the One Practicing?
Word Count: 4,808

Definitions
Ahimasa- style of yoga that focus on mindfulness and moving with intention.
Asanas- “the physical practice of yoga” (Young, 2017).
Ashtanga- “style of yoga where students move rapidly and smoothly from one posture to the
next” (Verrastro, 2014, p. 2).
Badda Konasana- butterfly seat
Chakrasana- a backbend
Dynamic Yoga- Focuses on the natural movement of the body.
Gentle Yoga- Similar to Restorative yoga. Focuses on restoring and finding comfort within the
body.
Hatha yoga- “the art of leveraging the solar and lunar aspects of the human to bring balance”
(Young, 2017).
Online Influencers- “Those who produce content to post onto the internet to entertain or
inform an audience” (Budzinski & Gaenssie, 2018 pg. 1).
Pranayama- “physically controlling the breath to remove mental disruptions and create a calm
mind for meditation” (Young, 2017 pg. 131).
Restorative- “comes from “Sanskrit, the scriptural language of ancient India, and means “to
yoke” or “to unite” (Lasater, 1996, p.1).
Savasana- corpse pose
Sukhasana- an easy cross-legged seat
Tadasana- mountain pose
Virabhadrasana I- Warrior I
Virabhadrasana II- Warrior II

Vinyasa- “fluid, flowing style wherein students move continuously between postures with
coordinated breathing” (Verrastro, 2014, p. 2).
Yin Yoga- focuses on restoring the body and finding overall comfort.
How Does an Online Yoga Influencer Use Diverse Styles of Yoga to Bring Maximum
Benefit to the Body?
With the advancement of the internet in the world today, more and more people have
turned to the internet for physical fitness. There has been an expansion in the variety of workout
forms offered and yoga has become one of the most popular. With a few small clicks, people all
over the world can have access to a variety of different videos that teach and lead them through a
yoga session, but not all these yoga practices are the same. There are multiple different styles of
yoga being taught in the world today and there are many different benefits that each one brings,
different poses that each one uses, as well as diverse breathing techniques that are taught. With
the world of yoga at their fingertips it has become a practice that many people do regularly.
Yoga has been shown to bring a large amount of benefit to those that choose to practice
it. Although many different styles of yoga offer a diverse number of benefits, each one of them
can be seen to provide physical and emotional benefits each in their own way.
Literature Review
Online Influencers
With the world advancing in technology online influencers, also known as social media
stars, are on the rise. Budzinski and Gaensie (2018) find that “...SMS (Social Media Superstars)
are known as content creators, who entertain people with their own content and gain followers on
social media accounts.” Researchers that conducted a study in 2018 used two different research
questions to determine if there are specific strategies that online influencers use to become
popular. One of these questions was, “Can SMS influence their audience success by distinctive
upload strategies?” (Budzinski & Gaenssie, 2018 pg. 3) and the other was, “Are persistence and
network effects important factors of success for SMS?” (Budzinski & Gaenssie, 2018 p. 3). The
researchers found that online influencers must make content that grabs the attention of the
audience to become popular and stay relevant, but a significant number of content creators do not
receive the majority of views on the internet. Ding (2011) found in a study conducted that
“...among all content providers, the most popular 20% receive 97% of the views” (as cited in
Budzinski & Gaenssie, 2018). This information implies that in order to be in the top 20% of
content creators that receive 97% of the views on the internet the online influencer needs to
produce content that grabs that attention of the audience and makes them want to come back for
more. The results also show that older social media accounts tend to be more successful than
newer accounts. This is because the online influencer has had more time to gain followers and
navigate the algorithms of social media platforms.
A study conducted in 2019 was used to investigate the use of #yoga on Instagram with
the goal of being able to better understand how yoga’s relationship with the internet and how the
traditional practices of yoga were taught online. To determine this, the researchers examined
captions and comments on Instagram posts as well as the photos that were used. Based on the
information found in the study, it can be concluded that the #yoga on Instagram mainly consists
of the physical nature of yoga with the more commercialization than a traditional practice
(Lacasse et al., 2019, pg. 1). This information provides information on yoga and the relationship
that it has with the internet. Through the internet, yoga is mostly used in physical forms and is
more commercialized than in the traditional practice.
Styles and Effects of Yoga
Hatha yoga has been proven to bring physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational
benefits to those practicing (Wiese, 2019). A study conducted in 2019 examined the effect of this
practice. Through this study the researcher was able to conclude that eighty-seven percent of
those that participated showed an increase in flexibility, seventy-seven percent of the participants
showed an increase in physical strength, and eighty percent of participants reported that the yoga
practice helped to heal pain or an injury that they had (Wiese, 2019). Similarly, forty-seven to
sixty-nine percent of practitioners showed that they had at least one mental or emotional benefit
due to the yoga practices they were participating in and between twenty-six and fifty-three
percent of participants experienced a spiritual benefit of yoga. Lastly, sixty percent of
participants experienced a compassion for others due to the yoga practice (Wiese, 2019). Based
on this study, it can be concluded that Hatha Yoga can provide physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual benefits to those participating in a practice.
A research who conducted a study in 2015 also examined the effects of Hatha Yoga.
This study investigated the effect of a single yoga session on perception of pain, measured by a
standardized pain provocation test in healthy yoga participants while also comparing pain
perceptions to participants’ own expectations” (Grander Ferrari, M.-L., Thuraisingam 2015 p.1).
Out of all the participants in this study sixty-six point seven percent expected that by doing yoga
their pain perception would decrease after just one yoga session. However, only forty percent of
the participants experienced a decreased amount of pain after the sixty-minute yoga session. This
shows that “a single yoga session does not significantly influence pain perception induced by a
pain provocation test” (Grander Ferrari, M.-L., Thuraisingam 2015 p. 1).
This study connects to the previous study mentioned conducted by Wiese (2019). The
first study proves that Hatha yoga provides physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational
benefits to those practicing (Wiese, 2019). In this study the practitioners practiced multiple
sessions of yoga to receive these benefits. On the other hand, this study conducted on pain
perceptions shows that by doing one session of yoga, the practitioner is not going to receive
maximum benefit. In order to gain maximum benefit to the body through yoga it takes time and
dedication. The practitioner needs to dedicate more time than just one session because the benefit
will be most prominent after many sessions are done and time is spent in the practice.
Yoga has become one of the most popular ways that people find physical activity
incorporating postures, breath, meditation, and relaxation. Cagas (2018) describes yoga as “a
popular mind-body program designed to improve muscular endurance, core stability, flexibility,
and balance.” Cagas (2018) conducted a study to examine the “training intensity, caloric
expenditure, and acute psychological response to three different styles of yoga (I.e., Dynamic,
Hatha, and Gentle Yoga)” (Cagas, 2018 p. 1). Through this study Cagas found that the three
different styles of yoga studied provided different training intensities and psychological response
to the practitioner and that they may be providing them with different health and fitness benefits.
Similarly, a study was conducted to determine the effects of the Yin Yoga practice, which takes a
more restorative approach with deep stretches and long holds, which included the YOMI
program. YOMI (a word combination between yoga and mindfulness) is a program that utilizes
the practice of Yin Yoga as well as the concept of mindfulness. The study which was conducted
in 2017 examined the effectiveness of this practice on stress and worry. The results of this study
indicated that through practicing mindfulness and Yin Yoga, participants’ stress and worry levels
decreased and their mindfulness levels increased.
Pranayama
A study conducted in 2018 was used to determine the effects of pranayama on the mental
and physical health in university students. The results of this study showed that the students saw
a noticeable improvement in their forced vital capacity (the maximum amount of air that is
exhaled after a deep inhale), muscular endurance, flexibility, as well as their respiratory rate. The
control group, on the other hand, did not show a significant change in any of these categories
(Anand et al., 2018). The results of this study also showed an overall improvement in the mental
health of the participants. To begin the study, a test showed that twenty males and fifteen females
had poor mental health. However, after the Pranayama practice the post test showed that only
seven males and three females had poor mental health. In the end, the controlled group that did
not participate in the Pranayama practice did not show any significant improvements in either
mental or physical health. In a similar way, college-aged women have been shown to have
experience with body image dissatisfaction, that could possibly lead to an eating disorder and
poor mental health (Ariel-Donges et al., 2019). The purpose of a study done in 2019 was to
analyze the effects of yoga as a treatment for body-image dissatisfaction in healthy college-aged
women. The women who participated in this study practiced yoga twice a week. They took part
in sixty-minute yoga practice that focused on “breathing, meditation, and active poses for
beginner students in the Vinyasa, Ashtanga yoga styles” (Ariel-Donges et al., 2019, pg. 3). After
the 12 weeks of yoga practice women reported:
“greater post-test improvements in several facets of body-image dissatisfaction than those
on the wait-listed condition did; they evaluated their appearance more positively, became
more satisfied with their body areas, and decreased the amount of time and energy spent
focused on their appearance” (Ariel-Donges et al.,2019, p. 7).
The results of this study found that yoga “could help college-aged women develop
healthier relationships with their bodies” (Ariel-Donges et al., 2019, p. 1). This study, as well as
the study conducted on university students above, show that not only can yoga improve physical
health, but also mental health through its practice of Pranayama. Similarly, researchers also
conducted a study in 2019 to determine the effects of Pranayama. The results of the study
showed that the practice of Pranayama can bring maximum benefit to the mind and body by
connecting the body, mind, and spirt in a significant way (Budhi et al., 2019). The researchers
also found that both groups that were examined in a yoga practice did show an increase in lung
measures, but those who included Pranayama in their practice showed a more significant
increase in lung function.
Yoga has been proven to help improve physical and respiratory functions in people who
practice (Yamamoto-Morimoto et al., 2019). To investigate the effects of yoga on physical and
respiratory functions a study was done in 2019 where the researcher investigated this idea on
inactive middle-aged people. In order to find the effects of this practice, the researcher examined
a total of twenty-eight participants which were then divided into two groups. Group 1 practiced
yoga asanas and Group 2 practiced yoga asanas with Pranayama. The results of this study
showed that both groups experienced significant improvements in their overall physical and
respiratory health. Although this is true, Group 2, that practiced Pranayama in addition to asanas
also experienced an overall benefit in their respiratory health and their physical functions. These
physical functions included improvement in muscle strength and overall body flexibility
(Yamamoto-Morimoto et al., 2019).
Similarly, a study conducted in 2016 also examined the effect that yoga had on college-
aged students. This study mainly focused on athletes as it has been shown that yoga has been
able to improve and optimize their performance (Eggleston et al., 2016). The results of this study
showed the flexibility and balance of the college athletes that were in Group 1 (those practicing
yoga two times a week) increased significantly. The results of these studies suggest that by
practicing yoga, regularly the flexibility and balance can improve, and the athletic performance
of the athlete could increase (Eggleston et al., 2016).

Research Gap
Based on the studies that are currently reported in this field, there is limited research on
online yoga influencers. There is research on yoga and how it can affect someone who practices
it as well as research on different yoga styles and how they can provide unique benefits. There is
also research done on online influencers, how they become popular, and how interact with the
world around them. However, there is a gap in research between these two topics. Research
cannot be found on how online yoga influencers use different styles of yoga to bring benefit to
those who wish to do an at home yoga practice all around the world.
Methods, Process, Approach
Rationale
The Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel was chosen for this study because it has shown
to contain the most popular yoga videos to those practicing at-home yoga. With over nine million
subscribers and over eight hundred and forty-three billion views, Yoga with Adriene produces
the most popular yoga videos on the internet. It would be unfeasible to analyze all yoga
influencers videos; therefore, Adriene Mishler was the main focus of this study.
This study used a content analysis to analyze online yoga videos posted by yoga
influencer, Adriene Mishler, to identify the types of yoga used as well as the benefits that they
provide to the body. This method was chosen to answer this question because a content analysis
is defined as, “A detailed and systematic examination of the contents of a particular body of
material (e.g., televisions shows, magazine advertisements, Internet websites, works of art) for
the purpose of identifying patterns, themes, or biases within that material” (Leedy & Ormrod pg.
92). This allows for the method of study to be able to analyze YouTube videos in order to find
similarities and differences between online yoga videos. Through this analysis I was able to find
the style of yoga used in the videos (Vinyasa, Hatha, Restorative, etc), as well as use the poses
used (Badda Konasana (butterfly seat), Tadasana (mountain pose), Savasana (corspe pose), etc.),
the cues used, such as “lengthen the spine,” or “create space in the heart,” as well as the benefits
that the practice is bringing to the body. These could benefit building strength and toning the
muscles, connecting to the breath, balancing the mind and body, stretching the body, or elevating
the mood.
Methods
To begin the study, I selected forty-one YouTube videos from the Yoga with Adriene
channel making it a priority to collect diverse videos based on the title and thumbnail shown. I
then analyzed these videos to identify the style of yoga used and what they were specifically
used for to bring maximum benefit to the those practicing. To do this I examined the poses used,
words used, breathing technique, and transition technique present in each video to identify the
style of yoga present. Next, I used the description of each video to identify the overall goal and
benefits that the video was intentionally meant to bring to the those practicing. I then put all this
information into a chart and printed it. To analyze this data/information, I looked for specific
similarities throughout the videos, the different techniques used, and type of yoga that was
present. I highlighted each similarity that I found. I then compared the description of each video
and the overall impact the instructor was aiming to bring to the practitioner. Lastly, I compared
the different styles of yoga and identified if there are any similarities in the type of yoga used and
the benefits the video provides.
Results, Products, or Findings

As depicted in the table below, online yoga influencer Adriene Mishler primarily uses
yoga styles Hatha and Vinyasa to bring maximum benefit to the practitioner. Occasionally the
styles of Restorative, Ahimasa, and Yin Yoga are used as well. In total out of the forty-one
videos analyzed in this study, majority of the videos fell into the Hatha and Vinyasa categories.
Hatha had a total of nineteen videos analyzed, whereas Vinyasa had a total of fourteen videos
analyzed. Four videos fell into the Restorative category, one fell into the Yin Yoga category, and
one fell into the Ahimasa category.
Style of Yoga Number of Practices Examples of Main Benefits

Practice
Hatha 19 Yoga to Feel your “Stretch your body,
Best, Healthy Body tap into conscious
Yoga, Runner’s breath, and get your
Yoga, Yoga for your endorphins kicking!”
gut health, Yoga “Healthy Body Yoga
Pranayama for the cultivates a strong
Spine, Gentle Yoga- and healthy body
25 minute morning while inviting you to
sequence, Rainbow go inward and
Yoga, Yoga for connect to what feels
Abdominal Wall, good.”
Yoga For Digestion,
Yoga for Seniors,

Practice
Yoga for Upper Body “Use the breath to
Strength, Yoga for stretch and soothe the
Weight loss| Fat muscles of the body,
Burning Workout, stabilize the joints,
Yoga for Anxiety and and Find What Feels
Stress, Yoga for Good.”
Weight Loss| “Adriene brings
Healthy Energy mindfulness to this
Flow, Yoga Stretch, self-love practice
Yoga Wash, Throat centered around
Chakra Yoga, Heart therapeutic
Chakra for movements to build a
Beginners, strong abdominal
Grounding into wall.”
Gratitude- Root “Trim, tone and build
Chakra Yoga, Third lean muscle mass
Chakra Yoga, with attention on
Revolution- Day 25- alignment, action,
Root Practice and sensation.”
Style of Yoga Number of Practices Example of Main Benefits

Practices
Vinyasa 16 Yoga Tone, Power “Awaken the spine,
Break Yoga, Reunite stretch your muscles,
with your body, Total gain body
Body Yoga- Deep awareness.”
Core, Yoga for “renew your
Strength, Root to energetic body, calm
Rise, Deepen and your mind, and re-
Flow, Yoga Joy, center.”
Yoga for Weight “This 20-minute
Loss- Strengthen and vinyasa practice is
Lengthen, Balancing designed to help you
Flow, Sunrise Yoga, build strength and
Yoga Kiss endurance -
mindfully.”
“In this full body
vinyasa flow, turn up
the heat a little, link
the breath with the
movement, and
cultivate a healthy
blood flow.”
Style of Yoga Number or Examples of Main Benefits

Practices Practice
Restorative 4 Yoga for Hamstrings, “building strength as
Total Body Yoga- well as increasing

Deep Stretch, Yoga flexibility and blood
for Flexibility, flow.”
“This practice
cultivates heat, trims,
tones, builds strength
and flexibility.”
“ground physically
and energetically.”
“find balance and
ease between the
push and pull of
everyday life.”
“Stretch your body,
ground your energy,
let go of stress and
Find What Feels
Good.”

Practice
“Total Body Yoga is
a deep stretch
practice for the legs,
back, and hips.”

“Find ease as we
increase flexibility
and stability in the
backs of the legs and
stretch the full body.”
Yin Yoga “In this session we
1 Intro to Yin use things that you
might have around
the house to support,
find comfort and
restore.”
Ahimasa “Ahimsa Yoga is 35
1 Ahimasa Yoga min full body yoga
practice with a focus
on mindfulness and
moving with
intention. This yoga
practice focuses on
the principle of
Ahimsa or non
harming.”
Discussion, Analysis, and/or Evaluation
The results of this study suggest that the styles of yoga that are taught most by online
yoga influencer, Adriene Mishler, are Vinyasa and Hatha, followed by Restorative, Yin, and
Ahimasa. Through the practice of Hatha Yoga, Mishler provides the practitioner with an
opportunity to strengthen and tone the body while focusing on the alignment, action, and
sensation within the body. The practices provide an opportunity to renew energy, calm the mind,
and re-center both the mind and body. Mindfulness is created, the joints are stabilized, and a
healthy body is cultivated. Similarly, Mishler uses the yoga style of Vinyasa to bring benefit to
those participating in an at-home practice. The Vinyasa practice brings benefits such as building
strength within the body while increasing endurance throughout the practice. It creates heat
within the body, and trims and tones the body, while increasing flexibility. Likewise, Restorative
Yoga is also a focus on the Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel. Through these practices,
benefits such as a stretch throughout the body, a grounding of energy, a release of stress, and an
increase in flexibility is brought to the practitioner. Similarly, the style of Yin Yoga provides
benefits such as finding comfort and restoration in the body. Lastly, Ahimasa Yoga brings a
focus to mindfulness and an effort to move with intention. This style of yoga focuses on
Ahimasa or the practice of “no harming” (Yoga with Adriene, 2018).
Mishler uses the style of Hatha Yoga to bring a diverse number of benefits to those
practicing an at-home yoga session. In this study, out of the forty-one videos analyzed, nineteen
of them were found to be in the style of Hatha. The main themes that were found throughout
these nineteen videos included, stretching the body, toning and creating heat within the muscles
of the body, letting go of stress, elevating the mood, and centering both the mind and body.
Many of the videos analyzed in this study included the benefit of stretching the muscles or the
body and inviting flexibility. Mishler describes the yoga practice, “Runner’s Yoga,” as an
opportunity to “Use the breath to stretch and soothe the muscles of the body, stabilize the joints,
and Find What Feels Good” (Mishler, 2016). Similarly, “Yoga Stretch” is described as an
opportunity to, “Awaken the spine, stretch your muscles, gain body awareness” (Yoga With
Adriene, 2016). Both videos invite flexibility into the body as well as practices such as, “Yoga to
Feel your Best”, “Rainbow Yoga,” and “Throat Chakra Yoga.”
Another theme found throughout the Hatha styled videos analyzed in this study was an
opportunity for the practitioner to tone and create heat within the muscles of the body. Mishler
describes the benefits of “Yoga + Pranayama for the Spine” as an opportunity to “incorporate a
gentle approach to awakening the breath, balancing the energy of the body and toning the
muscles through mindful movement” (Yoga with Adriene, 2017). This theme is also seen in
“Yoga for Abdominal Wall.” Mishler “brings mindfulness to this self-love practice centered
around therapeutic movements to build a strong abdominal wall” (Yoga with Adriene, 2018).
This theme is also found in videos such as, “Yoga for Upper Body Strength,” “Yoga for Weight
Loss| Fat Burning Workout,” and “Yoga for Weight Loss| Healthy Energy Flow.” Videos such as
“Gentle Yoga- 25-minute morning sequence,” “Rainbow Yoga,” “Yoga for Anxiety and Stress,”
and “Yoga Stretch” show a theme of stress relief. Mishler describes “Yoga for Anxiety and
Stress” as a practice that is good when the body is feeling “a little anxious, maybe a little panic
attacky, or you just need to move from the darkness, into the light” (Yoga with Adriene, 2015,
0:06). The videos categorized as Hatha Yoga also showed a theme of elevating the mood. “Yoga
to feel your best” brings benefit to the practitioner as in an opportunity to “enlighten the
endorphins” (Yoga with Adriene, 2019) “Rainbow Yoga” also “helps to elevate the mood”
(Yoga with Adriene, 2019). The practice of Hatha Yoga also provides the practitioner an
opportunity to center or balance both the mind and the body simultaneously. “Yoga for Upper
Body Strength,” “Yoga Stretch,” “Yoga Wash,” “Throat Chakra Yoga,” “Grounding into
Gratitude- Root Chakra ““Yoga, Third Chakra Yoga,” and “Revolution- Day 25- Root Practice”
all find a common theme of allowing the practitioner to balance out both the mind and the body.
Mishler describes “Yoga Wash” as “a free practice to renew your energetic body, calm your
mind, and re-center” (Yoga with Adriene, 2018). Similarly, “Yoga for Upper Body Strength” is
described as an opportunity to “invite functional movement to the body, center your mind, and
guide you back to your breath” (Yoga with Adriene, 2019). Both practices demonstrate the
theme of centering the mind and body. Overall, yoga influencer Adriene Mishler brings benefits
to the body as in toning the body such as, stretching the muscles, reducing stress, elevating the
mood, and centering the mind and body through the yoga style of Hatha.
The yoga style of Vinyasa was analyzed a total of sixteen times during this study.
Adriene Mishler, uses the yoga style of Vinyasa primarily to bring many benefits to the
practitioner, such as building and toning the muscles, trimming the body, balancing within the
body mentally as well as physically, and providing an opportunity to invite flexibility within the
body. Mishler describes benefits in the video analyzed as Yoga Tone as an opportunity to, “build
tone in the muscle, tone the body, trim the body, but also build endurance. Gain strength and also
stability in the body.” (Yoga with Adriene, 2016, 0:16) This theme was found throughout many
of the Vinyasa style yoga videos including, Power Yoga Break, Total Body Yoga-Deep Core,
Yoga for Strength, Deepen and Flow, Yoga Joy, Yoga for Weight Loss- Strengthen and
Lengthen, and Yoga Kiss.
Vinyasa also brought benefits to the practitioner such as balancing the body inside and
out. Mishler describes the video “Balancing Flow” by stating “we have a balancing flow to
connect to the mind, body, and the heart. It’s gonna be swift, it’s gonna feel good, and hopefully
it’s gonna connect you so that you’re feeling good, and feeling fine...” (Yoga with Adriene,
2015, 0:58) This theme is also found within many of the Vinyasa videos analyzed including,
Reunite with your body, Deepen and Flow, Yoga Flow, as well as Yoga For Weight Loss-
Strengthen and Lengthen. Lastly, a theme that was found throughout these videos analyzed was
that the practice provided the practitioner with an increase in flexibility throughout the body.
Mishler describes the practice, Total Body Yoga-Deep Core as, “a 20 min practice for building
strength as well as increasing flexibility and blood flow” (Yoga with Adriene, 2019). Similarly,
the theme of flexibility is also found throughout many practices of different styles including
Hatha, Restorative, and Yin Yoga. From Mishler's online yoga videos, we can conclude that an
online yoga influencer uses the yoga style of Vinyasa to bring benefits to the practitioner, such as
building and toning the muscles, trimming the body, balancing throughout the body, physically
and mentally, and providing the opportunity to invite flexibility within the body.
Restorative Yoga provides the practitioner with the opportunity to find ease within the
body essentially restoring the muscles and the body as a whole. The practice of Restorative Yoga
allows the practitioner to find a grounding of energy, a release of stress, and an increase in
flexibility. This style of yoga was analyzed a total of four times in this study. Mishler describes
the yoga practice “Yoga for Hamstrings” as an opportunity to “find ease as we increase
flexibility and stability in the backs of the legs and stretch the full body” (Yoga with Adriene,
2014). She also describes the Restorative practice, “Total Body Yoga-Deep Stretch” by stating it
“is a deep stretch practice for the legs, back, and hips. This session invites you on the mat to go
deeper.” (Yoga with Adriene, 2017). The Restorative practice allows the body to stretch and
restore with easy movement. This study also analyzed videos that displayed the yoga style of
Restorative such as “Yoga for Flexibility” and “Yoga for Digestion.” Mishler allows for the
practitioner to find flexibility and restore within the body while practicing. The main benefits
that the Restorative Yoga practice provides to the practitioner include finding an overall
grounding of energy as well as stretching and restoring the body.
Yin Yoga provides the practitioner with benefits such as finding a comfort within the
body and an opportunity of restoration. Yin Yoga was analyzed a total of one time in this study.
The practiced analyzed was titled “Intro to Yin.” Mishler describes this practice as an
opportunity to “find comfort and restore. This practice is good for anybody who is constantly on
the go. Grab a blanket and a pillow and set aside 30 min for yourself. Listen to the sound of your
breath and enjoy” (Yoga with Adriene, 2016). Yin Yoga mainly focuses on restoring the body
and finding an overall comfort.
Ahisma Yoga was analyzed once in the study in a yoga practice titled “Ahimasa Yoga.”
Mishler described this practice by saying, “Ahimasa Yoga is 35 minutes full body yoga practice
with a focus on mindfulness and moving with intention. This yoga practice focuses on the
principle of Ahimasa or non-harming” (Yoga with Adriene, 2018). Ahimasa Yoga is mainly used
to bring awareness to the body and to create mindfulness within the way the body is moving. It
also focuses on moving the body with intention.
Limitations
A limitation that is present in my study is that only one specific online yoga influencer
was analyzed. By only using one influencer, Adriene Mishler, I was only analyzing videos
specifically from her YouTube channel. This excludes the videos of other online yoga
influencers therefore not directly examining the entire population, but only Yoga with Adriene.
Another limitation that is present in this study is that overall certain styles of yoga will not be
analyzed. Yoga instructors are often only trained to teach certain styles of yoga. Therefore, this
limited the study because not all styles of yoga could be analyzed. This study excluded styles of
yoga that are not provided from Mishler’s videos uploaded to YouTube.
Implications
This information can be useful to the average practitioner of online yoga. It can help them
to understand the yoga practice that they are taking the time to complete and understand the
benefits that they are receiving from the style of yoga. This information can also be useful to
online yoga instructors because it provides information on which videos are the most popular.
With Hatha Yoga being the most popular style of yoga for at-home practitioners, they can
strategize whether they would like to teach Hatha Yoga, knowing it will be a more popular
video, or teach a style of yoga that is less popular, such as Yin Yoga, to allow for practitioners to
have more of a variety in their practice. Researchers in the Exercise and Sports Science field
could also use this information when looking at the effects that certain types of exercise have on
people, as well as researchers in the Communications field examining the relationship of yoga on
the internet.
Conclusion and Future Directions
Overall, the results of this study suggest that online influencers use multiple, diverse
styles of yoga to bring a variety of benefits to the body. Through analyzing each video, it can be
concluded that majority of online yoga videos are in the style of Hatha Yoga, with nineteen
videos analyzed, each bringing benefits to the body such as strengthening as well as toning the
body while focusing on the alignment, action, and sensation within the body. Similarly, Vinyasa
Yoga was analyzed a total of sixteen times bringing benefits to the practitioner such as building
strength and endurance within the body while trimming the body, as well as bringing an increase
in flexibility. Restorative Yoga was also analyzed in this study a total of four times and brought
benefits to the practitioner such as repairing the body through easy movement and stretching.
Yin Yoga was analyzed a total of one time in this study bringing benefits to the practitioner such
as finding comfort and restoration within the body. Ahimasa Yoga was also analyzed one time in
this study focusing on mindfulness and intention while moving with the body. A diverse number
of benefits are brought to the practitioner when practicing different styles of yoga. Many of these
styles which are taught in an online environment allowing the practitioner to participate in yoga
practice anytime and anywhere. Through this study it can be concluded that an online yoga
influencer brings many benefits to that practicing yoga by using a variety of yoga styles that can
be suitable for all levels of yogic ability.
Although each of these styles of yoga bring their own benefits to the one practicing, the
overall main themes that run similarly throughout the videos analyzed are strength, flexibility,
centering the mind and body, and repairing the body. We see the benefit of strength through
asana poses such as plank, Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), as well as Virabhadrasana II (Warrior
II). Flexibility is found through asanas such as Baddha Konasana, more commonly known as a
butterfly seat, and Chakrasana, or better known as a backbend. Centering can be seen in asanas
such as Sukhasana or an easy cross-legged seat, and Tadasana, or mountain pose. The body can
be repaired in asanas such as an easy pike, or Savasana, also known as corpse pose.
Future Research
Future research could be conducted in the Communications field to determine how online
yoga videos compare to different forms of exercise such as Pilates or HITT (High Intensity
Interval Training). Future research could also be done in the Exercise in Sports Science field by
examining how the body reacts when a practitioner incorporates several different yoga styles into
a regular at home practice utilizing online yoga videos.

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Online Yoga Influencer and Yoga Styles Content Analysis

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Online Yoga Influencer and Yoga Styles: Content Analysis 1

Benefit to the One Practicing?

Word Count: 4,808

Asanas- “the physical practice of yoga” (Young, 2017).

next” (Verrastro, 2014, p. 2).

Badda Konasana- butterfly seat

Dynamic Yoga- Focuses on the natural movement of the body.

inform an audience” (Budzinski & Gaenssie, 2018 pg. 1).

mind for meditation” (Young, 2017 pg. 131).

yoke” or “to unite” (Lasater, 1996, p.1).

Savasana- corpse pose

Sukhasana- an easy cross-legged seat

Tadasana- mountain pose

Virabhadrasana II- Warrior II

coordinated breathing” (Verrastro, 2014, p. 2).

Benefit to the Body?

navigate the algorithms of social media platforms.

more commercialized than in the traditional practice.

Styles and Effects of Yoga

percent of participants experienced a spiritual benefit of yoga. Lastly, sixty percent of

spiritual benefits to those participating in a practice.

pain provocation test” (Grander Ferrari, M.-L., Thuraisingam 2015 p. 1).

decreased and their mindfulness levels increased.

the 12 weeks of yoga practice women reported:

“greater post-test improvements in several facets of body-image dissatisfaction than those

focused on their appearance” (Ariel-Donges et al.,2019, p. 7).

increase in lung function.

(Yamamoto-Morimoto et al., 2019).

of the athlete could increase (Eggleston et al., 2016).

Methods, Process, Approach

the benefits the video provides.

Results, Products, or Findings

one fell into the Ahimasa category.

Style of Yoga Number of Practices Examples of Main Benefits

Best, Healthy Body tap into conscious

Yoga, Runner’s breath, and get your

Yoga, Yoga for your endorphins kicking!”

gut health, Yoga “Healthy Body Yoga

Pranayama for the cultivates a strong

Spine, Gentle Yoga- and healthy body

25 minute morning while inviting you to

sequence, Rainbow go inward and

Yoga, Yoga for connect to what feels

Abdominal Wall, good.”

Yoga For Digestion,

Yoga for Seniors,

Style of Yoga Number of Practices Examples of Main Benefits

Strength, Yoga for stretch and soothe the

Weight loss| Fat muscles of the body,

Burning Workout, stabilize the joints,

Yoga for Anxiety and and Find What Feels

Stress, Yoga for Good.”

Weight Loss| “Adriene brings

Healthy Energy mindfulness to this

Flow, Yoga Stretch, self-love practice

Yoga Wash, Throat centered around

Chakra Yoga, Heart therapeutic

Chakra for movements to build a

Beginners, strong abdominal

Grounding into wall.”

Gratitude- Root “Trim, tone and build

Chakra Yoga, Third lean muscle mass

Chakra Yoga, with attention on