Divya Kanchibhotla*, Arpitha Nair, Pravin Sangle, Poorva Gupte, Shashank Kulkarni
All around the world, climate change is increasingly affecting people’s mental and physical wellbeing. Increasing action-oriented awareness amongst people is a critical need. This study assesses the correlation between yoga practice, connectivity with nature and climate change awareness amongst the Indian Population. 1149 SKY and 1387 non-SKY practitioners were surveyed across India. Participants were assessed on connectivity with nature and climate change attitude. SKY practitioners scored significantly higher than the non-SKY practitioners on connectivity with nature and climate change, demonstrating proenvironmental attitudes. They also scored significantly higher on climate change intentions indicating a higher likelihood to adopt behaviors that help the environment and reduce climate change. Findings from the survey suggest that SKY practice helps people build strong relationships with nature and supports pro-environmental behaviors. SKY can be a useful tool for mobilizing people’s participation in environmental conservation efforts.
