Keywords
psychological well-being
yoga
qualitative case study
preventive mental health
urban India
Mindfulness
How to Cite
Abstract
Urban adults increasingly seek preventive approaches that address psychological distress alongside disrupted sleep, sedentary routines, emotional reactivity, and other lifestyle concerns. Yet evidence on yoga, mindfulness, counselling, Ayurveda-informed guidance, and lifestyle modification is usually organised around single interventions, leaving less understanding of how these practices are experienced when combined within a real-world wellness setting. This qualitative case study explored a holistic wellness centre in Bengaluru, India, as an integrative platform for psychological well-being. Guided by the Biopsychosocial Model, Self-Determination Theory, and mindfulness perspectives, the study examined perceived psychological, behavioural, relational, and contextual processes associated with multimodal participation. Eight purposively selected participants—five clients, two practitioners, and one centre manager—contributed to the final dataset. Evidence was generated through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and internal document analysis and interpreted using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic-analysis framework. Six interconnected themes were identified: psychological and emotional transformation; physical health and lifestyle changes; therapeutic integration and client experience; practitioner–client trust and empathy; environmental and cultural alignment; and systemic challenges and policy implications. All five clients described reduced perceived stress; four reported improved emotional regulation and sleep; three described greater decision-making clarity; and three reported improved energy or vitality. Participants generally attributed change to combinations of practices rather than to a single modality. The findings support an ecosystem interpretation in which embodied regulation, mindful awareness, reflective counselling, lifestyle routines, practitioner relationships, and environmental conditions interact. A Holistic Wellness Integration Model is proposed as a hypothesis-generating synthesis. Holistic wellness centres may have value as complementary, preventive environments, but the findings do not establish clinical efficacy or justify substitution for qualified medical or mental-health care. Larger, multi-site and longitudinal studies are required to test the transferability and effectiveness of the proposed model.
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