Yoga is mainly known for its postures, while it has a rich philosophical/spiritual background which is often not well known. Particularly the ethical principles of Yoga, the Yamas and Niyamas, are of relevance for Western practitioners also. We thus intended to develop and validate an instrument that operationalizes the Yamas and Niyamas and performed a cross-sectional survey among 901 Yoga practitioners in Germany with standardized instruments. Principal component analysis of the 23-item Yama/Niyama Questionnaire (YaNiQ) pointed to 4 factors with good internal consistencies (Cronbach's α = 0.86, 0.82, 0.85, and 0.63). Best predictors of these factors were conscious presence ("mindfulness") and inner correspondence with Yoga practices. The YaNiQ seems to be suited for Western practitioners and could be a useful measure in future studies which intend to analyze the social and health-related attitudes and behaviors of Yoga practitioners. It can be assumed that the ethical principles are important contributors for lifestyle and behavior changes.

中文翻译：

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西方瑜伽从业者的瑜伽哲学伦理原则：Yama/Niyama问卷的验证

瑜伽主要以其姿势而闻名，但它具有丰富的哲学/精神背景，但通常并不为人所知。特别是瑜伽的伦理原则，Yamas 和 Niyamas，也与西方练习者相关。因此，我们打算开发和验证一种可操作 Yamas 和 Niyamas 的仪器，并使用标准化仪器对德国的 901 名瑜伽练习者进行了横断面调查。23 项 Yama/Niyama 问卷 (YaNiQ) 的主成分分析指出 4 个具有良好内部一致性的因素（Cronbach's α = 0.86、0.82、0.85 和 0.63）。这些因素的最佳预测指标是有意识的存在（“正念”）和与瑜伽练习的内在对应。YaNiQ 似乎适合西方练习者，并且可以作为未来研究的有用措施，旨在分析瑜伽练习者的社会和健康相关态度和行为。可以假设道德原则是生活方式和行为改变的重要贡献者。