Dealing with cancer of any kind is stressful at best, and this 2024 Integrative Cancer Therapies study investigated whether 10 weeks of gentle yoga (including meditation, relaxation, and breathing exercises), psychotherapy, and other techniques could help women cope. Participants reported decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression after completing the program, and the authors noted that their findings are consistent with previous research showing the effectiveness of yoga for reducing distress in people with breast cancer.

“Validation and efficacy of a tele-yoga intervention for improving psychological stress, mental health and sleep difficulties of stressed adults diagnosed with long COVID: A prospective, multi-center, open-label single-arm study”

This trial, published in 2024 by Frontiers in Psychology, tested a 16-week yoga protocol for addressing stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia in people who’d had COVID-19 infection in the previous year and reported moderately high levels of stress. Participants first practiced the intervention through a live video supervised by a yoga therapist, then on their own at home. The researchers observed a significant reduction in stress levels, anxiety, and insomnia, along with a significant improvement in general health by the end of the study period. The more yoga practices the participants did, the more stress reduction they experienced.

A group of researchers in Australia is studying the effects of 12 weeks of yoga on adults (aged 18–45) experiencing symptoms of moderate to severe depression. The investigators are interested in how yoga practice may improve mental health, so participants will take a series of free yoga sessions in person and online and undergo evaluation of their emotional states and cognitive patterns. As part of this study, participants will receive cognitive tests, mental health questionnaires, blood tests, measurement of brain bloodflow, and neuromuscular assessments. Read about the study here.