Although yoga is not a cure-all for physical or mental problems, a growing body of research confirms yoga therapy’s promise to offer relief from the suffering associated with a number of chronic and debilitating conditions. IAYT, which publishes this website, hosts an annual research conference (the Symposium on Yoga Research) and publishes a peer-reviewed, PubMed-indexed journal (the International Journal of Yoga Therapy).
Following are starting points for those interested in learning more about the research that’s been done to date, with an emphasis on good-quality reviews and randomized controlled trials. These representative studies are grouped into categories, and you’ll likely find relevant information in several spots (for example, you will find Danhauer et al.’s “Review of yoga therapy during cancer treatment” listed under CANCER AND EFFECTS OF TREATMENT, as well as in the AUTOIMMUNE and MENTAL HEALTH sections).
GENERAL RESEARCH
Although not all yoga practices include physical movement, it’s important to know that any program that involves exercise carries an inherent risk for injury. Research suggests that yoga is at least as safe as other commonly recommended exercise programs.
This textbook includes contributions from expert researchers and yoga therapists, and it “supports the emergence of yoga therapy as a credible profession.” Healthcare professionals will appreciate the summaries of research and relevant findings.
ADDICTION AND RECOVERY
Two hundred twenty-seven adult smokers were randomized to an 8-week program of cognitive-behavioral smoking cessation and either twice-weekly Iyengar yoga or general wellness classes (control). At the end of treatment, yoga participants had 37% greater odds of achieving abstinence than wellness participants in this first rigorous randomized clinical trial of yoga as a complementary therapy for smokers attempting to quit.
This systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluated any type of yoga, including yoga as a component of mindfulness-based treatment, against any type of control in individuals with any type of addiction (i.e., alcohol, drug, and nicotine substance-use disorders). Most of the trials, which date through January 2020, suggested that various types of yoga—primarily hatha yoga and its components—led to favorable or equivalent results as an adjunct to control or treatment-as-usual interventions.
This randomized controlled trial tested the inclusion of yoga in efforts to prevent eating disorders by considering the practice’s impact on positive embodiment and core affect. The 62 female participants (median age 23.89) were randomly assigned to a yoga class that emphasized (1) being mindfully present in one’s body, (2) changing one’s appearance, or (3) simply getting into yoga poses. Participants in the class emphasizing mindful presence experienced greater improvement in affect.
This study shows that yoga improves health outcomes, including lowered pain intensity and decreased use of opioids, for veterans with chronic lower-back pain.
This study evaluated a four-session yoga-based intervention that incorporated themes focusing on positive body image in women around the age of 20. Compared to controls, participants in the yoga intervention reported significant increases in body appreciation, body connectedness, body satisfaction, and positive mood at posttest and a 4-week follow-up.
This IAYT white paper explains that “yoga therapy can make a meaningful contribution to solving the overlapping public health crises of chronic pain, opioid misuse and overdose, and mental health disorders.” The authors describe yoga therapy as a key component in comprehensive integrative pain management, noting that this patient-centered intervention “positively addresses body and mind and focuses on overall well-being, quality of life, and flourishing within one’s life circumstances.”
This pilot feasibility study determined that yoga interventions can be delivered on-site in opioid agonist treatment programs. Participants’ mood improved after classes, with greater decreases in anxiety and pain for those in the yoga group. Most participants also engaged with home practices.
Antiretroviral therapy adherence increased for yoga participants and decreased for treatment-as-usual participants in this randomized controlled trial of a 12-week yoga intervention. Participants were returning to civilian life after being incarcerated and were also living with HIV and substance-use problems.
ARTHRITIS
Bartlett SJ, et al. Yoga in rheumatic diseases. Current Rheumatology Reports 2013;15.
This articles summarizes key considerations for yoga in rheumatic diseases, including clear guidelines to help healthcare practitioners find qualified yoga professionals. It concludes that a growing body of evidence suggests that yoga is a safe, feasible option for many living with rheumatic conditions. Furthermore, “This holistic approach to exercise with an emphasis on mindfulness and stress reduction may also offer additional opportunities to enhance psychological well-being, reduce pain and enhance function and participation, as part of a comprehensive disease management approach.”
After 8 weeks of yoga, this randomized controlled trial showed a significant decrease in the severity of rheumatoid arthritis: Reduced levels of various systemic inflammatory markers and a statistically significant decline in depression symptoms were seen in the group that did yoga.
In this 8-year clinical trial, conducted at Johns Hopkins University, a well-rounded yoga program for those with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis improved pain by 40%. Participants also demonstrated overall improvement in arthritis symptoms, physical fitness, psychological functioning, and health-related quality of life.
AUTOIMMUNE FUNCTION, IMMUNITY, AND INFLAMMATION
People in the yoga group in this small study of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) had increased peak nasal inspiratory flow and significantly decreased rhinitis symptoms and nasal blood flow after 8 weeks. The group that practiced yoga also had significantly higher nasal secretion of interleukin-2 than the control group, which could indicate a beneficial immunological effect of the practices.
This review cites consistent improvements in psychological outcomes (depression, distress, anxiety) for those doing yoga therapy during cancer treatment. The practice was also seen to improve quality of life, quality of sleep, and immune biomarkers.
This systematic review of 15 studies synthesized current literature examining the effect of yoga on inflammatory biomarkers in adults with chronic inflammation-related disorders. The most common biomarkers measured were interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor, and most of the studies reported positive effects of the yoga interventions. A higher total “dose” of yoga (more than 1,000 minutes) resulted in greater improvements in inflammation.
This systematic review summarizes the key findings on yoga for improved immune function, including downregulation of proinflammatory markers (particularly IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha) and enhancement of cell-mediated and mucosal immunity.
After 8 weeks of yoga, this randomized controlled trial showed a significant decrease in the severity of rheumatoid arthritis: Reduced levels of various systemic inflammatory markers and a statistically significant decline in depression symptoms were seen in the group that did yoga.
The stress response has wide-ranging implications in the human body-mind-spirit system, and yoga practices such as meditation appear to have the ability to address these effects via a number of channels.
When comparing the effects of yoga to written self-care advice for people with inactive ulcerative colitis and impaired quality of life, these authors found that perceived stress was important for reducing disease activity and increasing health-related quality of life. The study advised that yoga should be considered as an adjunct intervention for highly stressed people with ulcerative colitis.
This randomized controlled trial of 60 HIV-positive participants examined the effects of yoga on anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being and quality of life. After 8 weeks of movement, breathing, relaxation, and meditation practices the yoga group showed a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, and fatigue compared to the control group; they also had significant improvements in well-being and all quality-of-life domains.
Antiretroviral therapy adherence increased for yoga participants and decreased for treatment-as-usual participants in this randomized controlled trial of a 12-week yoga intervention. Participants were returning to civilian life after being incarcerated and were also living with HIV and substance-use problems.
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of a 12-week yoga-based lifestyle intervention compared to dietary intervention alone on adipokines (cell-signaling proteins released by fat tissue), inflammation, and oxidative stress in 260 adults with metabolic syndrome. Those in the the yoga group showed significant improvement in a number of markers, whereas no significant changes were noted in the dietary intervention group.
CANCER AND EFFECTS OF TREATMENT
This review cites consistent improvements in psychological outcomes (depression, distress, anxiety) for those doing yoga therapy during cancer treatment. The practice was also seen to improve quality of life, quality of sleep, and immune biomarkers.
Yoga seems to be particularly helpful in reducing stress during treatment and post-treatment disturbances in sleep and cognition.
According to this meta-analysis that included 2,183 patients, yoga had a large effect on fatigue post-treatment in people with breast cancer. There was also a small effect on fatigue between cancer treatments.
This small preliminary study investigated the feasibility of yoga for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Participants were offered a somatic yoga and meditation intervention that included 8 weeks of twice-weekly 90-minute classes, a home program, and journaling. Significant improvements were found in flexibility, balance, and fall risk. Qualitative findings included fluctuation in pain perception over time, transferability of skills to daily activities, and physical function improvement.
Four hundred ten cancer survivors participated in this nationwide multicenter phase III randomized controlled trial. The study compared the effect of a 4-week yoga therapy program to standard care on cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Yoga therapy participants demonstrated significantly greater improvements in fatigue. Improvements in overall sleep quality and reductions in daytime dysfunction (e.g., excessive napping) were significant components of yoga’s effect on CRF. According to the authors, “Oncologists should consider prescribing yoga to cancer survivors for treating CRF and sleep disturbance.”
Based on 24 clinical trials, this paper suggest that clinicians consider prescribing low-intensity yoga therapy for those suffering from certain cancer treatment–related toxicities.
“The current evidence demonstrates that yoga practice could be effective in enhancing health and managing some treatment-related side effects for patients recovering from breast cancer.”
This systematic review notes that study methodology and standardization need to improve. Nevertheless, research on yoga as adjunctive care for breast cancer is promising.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND HEART HEALTH
According to this review of research on yoga and cardiovascular health, “Significant health benefits were reported, including favorable changes in blood pressure, body composition, glucose, and lipids.”
This randomized controlled trial tested the effects of a 12-week yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation program on heart rate variability—a measure of autonomic function—in 80 patients after myocardial infarction. The yoga group received 13 hospital-based structured yoga sessions as an adjunct to standard care. Control-group participants received enhanced standard care involving three brief educational sessions with a leaflet on the importance of diet and physical activity. The results revealed that yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation has additional benefits on cardiac autonomic function compared to standard care in people who have had myocardial infarction.
This meta-analysis provides evidence for clinically important benefits of yoga on most biological cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure, respiratory rate, waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin resistance.
Participants in this randomized controlled clinical trial of yoga for people with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) suffered from depression during their menstrual cycles. They completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II before and after the intervention, and the group that did yoga experienced statistically significant improvement in depressive symptoms. The yoga group also had decreased diastolic blood pressure by the end of the 2-month study, during which they practiced yoga 3 times a week for 60 minutes per session.
“Yoga has been shown to have favorable effects on systemic inflammation, stress, the cardiac autonomic nervous system, and traditional and emerging cardiovascular risk factors.”
Dean Ornish’s team has many years of research to support the efficacy of a multifaceted lifestyle program—including yoga, meditation, nutrition, and social support—in improving cardiovascular outcomes and even reversing heart disease.
This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving yoga postures compared to active controls found that yoga positively affects physiological measures of stress including heart rate, heart rate variability, fasting blood glucose, and cholesterol.
This study showed increased vagal function (and autonomic nervous activity), accounting for lowered blood pressure and increased heart rate variability during the yoga practice of alternate-nostril breathing.
This meta-analysis reviewed 49 qualifying controlled trials, totaling 3,517 participants who were on average, middle-aged, overweight, and had high blood pressure. Reduced blood pressure was seen with yoga interventions that included breathing techniques and meditation/mental relaxation practiced 3 times a week.
CHRONIC PAIN AND PALLIATIVE CARE
This systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published through May 2019 investigated the effects of yoga on headache disorders as a safe, effective non-pharmacological option. Although the investigated studies had important limitations, the meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant positive overall effect in favor of yoga for headache frequency, headache duration, and pain intensity. The positive findings were seen mainly in those with tension-type headache; no statistically significant effect was observed for migraine.
Bartlett SJ, et al. Yoga in rheumatic diseases. Current Rheumatology Reports 2013;15.
This articles summarizes key considerations for yoga in rheumatic diseases, including clear guidelines to help healthcare practitioners find qualified yoga professionals. It concludes that a growing body of evidence suggests that yoga is a safe, feasible option for many living with rheumatic conditions. Furthermore, “This holistic approach to exercise with an emphasis on mindfulness and stress reduction may also offer additional opportunities to enhance psychological well-being, reduce pain and enhance function and participation, as part of a comprehensive disease management approach.”
Specialized group yoga classes are likely to be cost-effective in improving recurrent lower-back pain.
Deshpande A. Yoga for palliative care. Integrative Medicine Research 2018;7:211-213.
“Yoga therapy for palliative care is based on gentleness and compassion. It aims to empower the patient to accept and face the illness and death by holistic experience which has physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.” This commentary also notes that mindfulness practices promote emotional regulation through present-moment awareness, acceptance, and nonreactivity, potentially enhancing quality of life.
This small preliminary study investigated the feasibility of yoga for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Participants were offered a somatic yoga and meditation intervention that included 8 weeks of twice-weekly 90-minute classes, a home program, and journaling. Significant improvements were found in flexibility, balance, and fall risk. Qualitative findings included fluctuation in pain perception over time, transferability of skills to daily activities, and physical function improvement.
This study shows that yoga improves health outcomes, including lowered pain intensity and decreased use of opioids, for veterans with chronic lower-back pain.
This meta-analysis concluded that yoga is an effective intervention for alleviating menstrual pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea.
In this 8-year clinical trial, conducted at Johns Hopkins University, a well-rounded yoga program for those with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis improved pain by 40%. Participants also demonstrated overall improvement in arthritis symptoms, physical fitness, psychological functioning, and health-related quality of life.
This IAYT white paper explains that “yoga therapy can make a meaningful contribution to solving the overlapping public health crises of chronic pain, opioid misuse and overdose, and mental health disorders.” The authors describe yoga therapy as a key component in comprehensive integrative pain management, noting that this patient-centered intervention “positively addresses body and mind and focuses on overall well-being, quality of life, and flourishing within one’s life circumstances.”
The authors of this pilot randomized controlled trial note that holistic interventions featuring mind and body components are likely necessary to best treat the complexities of chronic pain. They therefore developed and tested a yoga intervention for people with chronic pain and randomized them to receive either the yoga intervention or usual care for 8 weeks. The results indicated that yoga may be an effective therapeutic intervention for people in chronic pain to improve occupational performance, increase engagement in activities, and decrease depression.
In this randomized controlled pilot study, pain severity and pain interference with daily activities were assessed in 67 people, most of whom had experienced chronic pain for more than 10 years. Significant improvements in multiple measures were seen in the group that did yoga.
This pilot feasibility study determined that yoga interventions can be delivered on-site in opioid agonist treatment programs. Participants’ mood improved after classes, with greater decreases in anxiety and pain for those in the yoga group. Most participants also engaged with home practices.
This article explores the effects of yoga on conditions including lower-back pain, arthritis, and kyphosis, outlining clinically significant improvements in key areas including psychosocial outcomes. The authors conclude, “Evidence suggests that yoga is an acceptable and safe intervention, which may result in clinically relevant improvements in pain and functional outcomes associated with a range of musculoskeletal conditions.”
“After 4 days of mindfulness meditation training, meditating in the presence of noxious stimulation significantly reduced pain unpleasantness by 57% and pain intensity ratings by 40% when compared to rest.” This study also explored the impact of the practice of mindfulness meditation on brain areas associated with pain modulation.
“Recent findings have demonstrated that mindfulness meditation significantly reduces pain.” The practice of meditation activates specific brain areas known to be involved in pain modulation. In this study, mindfulness meditation provided a stronger analgesic effect than a placebo or sham meditation.
DIABETES AND METABOLIC ISSUES
This randomized clinical trial compared a yoga program with a supervised walking program and found the yoga intervention to be highly feasible and acceptable to participants. The yoga program also produced improvements in blood glucose and psychosocial measures of diabetes management.
A growing body of evidence suggests that yoga may improve health outcomes for adults with type II diabetes mellitus (DM2). Thirty-three papers reported results of 25 controlled trials (13 nonrandomized, 12 randomized) with a total of 2,170 participants: “Collectively, findings suggest that yogic practices may promote significant improvements in several indices of importance in DM2 management, including glycemic control, lipid levels, and body composition.”
Can yoga practice help to prevent people whose parents have type 2 diabetes from developing the disease themselves? This study of 64 non-diabetic offspring of people with type 2 diabetes found significant improvements in cardiac autonomic function and insulin resistance with an 8-week yoga intervention. Control-group participants did not show significant changes in any variables, leading the researchers to conclude that yoga may be useful for reducing the risk of diabetes in people whose parents have the condition.
In this systematic review of studies published between 2002 and 2018, the yoga interventions were seen to improve fasting blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and other type 2 diabetes parameters. The authors note that these results suggest that yoga may be considered a comprehensive and alternative approach to preventing type 2 diabetes.
This randomized controlled trial divided 37 prediabetic female participants into yoga and control groups. After 3 months, biochemical analysis revealed that the yoga group’s HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin, a measure of blood sugar levels over weeks) and glucose levels were significantly reduced, suggesting that yoga might halt or delay the conversion of prediabetes into diabetes.
Another systematic review and meta-analysis indicates moderate evidence for yoga’s improvement of fasting glucose levels compared to standard care alone.
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of a 12-week yoga-based lifestyle intervention compared to dietary intervention alone on adipokines (cell-signaling proteins released by fat tissue), inflammation, and oxidative stress in 260 adults with metabolic syndrome. Those in the the yoga group showed significant improvement in a number of markers, whereas no significant changes were noted in the dietary intervention group.
HEALTHY AGING
“This review suggests that mind-body practices can target different brain systems that are involved in the regulation of attention, emotional control, mood, and executive cognition that can be used to treat or prevent mood and cognitive disorders of aging, such as depression and caregiver stress, or serve as ‘brain fitness’ exercise. Benefits may include improving brain functional connectivity in brain systems that generally degenerate with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other aging-related diseases.”
Through neuroimaging, this study showed greater cortical thickness in elderly people who did yoga compared to healthy age-matched controls, suggesting increased brain health with the practice.
This DNA research concludes that “the cumulative effects of a regular meditation practice may, in the long-term, help to slow the epigenetic clock and could represent a useful preventive strategy for age-related chronic diseases.”
The length of telomeres, the “endcaps” of chromosomes, is considered an indicator of longevity. The authors of this article “propose that some forms of meditation may have salutary effects on telomere length by reducing cognitive stress and stress arousal and increasing positive states of mind and hormonal factors that may promote telomere maintenance.”
This article summarizes the documented positive effects of yoga practice on brain structure and function as assessed with MRI, fMRI, and SPECT. Collectively, the studies demonstrated a positive effect of yoga practice on the structure and/or function of the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and brain networks, including the default mode network. These studies offer promising early evidence that behavioral interventions like yoga may mitigate age-related and neurodegenerative declines, as many of these brain regions demonstrate significant age-related atrophy.
Four hundred ten cancer survivors participated in this nationwide multicenter phase III randomized controlled trial. The study compared the effect of a 4-week yoga therapy program to standard care on cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Yoga therapy participants demonstrated significantly greater improvements in fatigue. Improvements in overall sleep quality and reductions in daytime dysfunction (e.g., excessive napping) were significant components of yoga’s effect on CRF. According to the authors, “Oncologists should consider prescribing yoga to cancer survivors for treating CRF and sleep disturbance.”
This clinical trial measured bone mineral density with DEXA scans, finding that, “Bone mineral density improved in spine, hips, and femur of the 227 moderately and fully compliant patients.”
“Recent literature data suggests that Yoga and other contemplative practices may revert, at least in part, some of the aging effects in brain functional connectivity, including the Default Mode Network (DMN).” Older women who had practiced yoga for at least 8 years showed greater DMN connectivity. “This finding may contribute to the understanding of the influences of practicing Yoga for a healthier cognitive aging process.”
“This study provides robust evidence for promoting yoga in physical activity guidelines for older adults as a multimodal activity that improves aspects of fitness like strength, balance and flexibility, as well as mental wellbeing.”
This study on yoga for older adults showed improved functional abilities and strength.
MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND INSOMNIA
“This review suggests that mind-body practices can target different brain systems that are involved in the regulation of attention, emotional control, mood, and executive cognition that can be used to treat or prevent mood and cognitive disorders of aging, such as depression and caregiver stress, or serve as ‘brain fitness’ exercise. Benefits may include improving brain functional connectivity in brain systems that generally degenerate with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other aging-related diseases.”
This review of randomized controlled trials concluded that emerging evidence supports the benefits of yoga as an ancillary treatment for depression and sleep disorders.
This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that active yoga practices may ease depressive symptoms for those with a range of mental health issues.
A review shows promising outcomes for stress management and burnout prevention in healthcare workers. Improvements were shown in physical health and quality of sleep. The researchers conclude that “stress levels and burnout are consistently reduced in subjects who practice yoga techniques and mind–body meditation.”
This review cites consistent improvements in psychological outcomes (depression, distress, anxiety) for those doing yoga therapy during cancer treatment. The practice was also seen to improve quality of life, quality of sleep, and immune biomarkers.
“Preliminary evidence suggests that mind-body interventions, including mindfulness-based interventions and yoga, may be effective in reducing mental health difficulties and psychological distress in infertile patients undergoing fertility treatments.”
This paper, published by an interdisciplinary team including scientists at Harvard University, discusses the potential for yoga to help psychological health through self-regulation.
After 8 weeks of yoga, this randomized controlled trial showed a significant decrease in the severity of rheumatoid arthritis: Reduced levels of various systemic inflammatory markers and a statistically significant decline in depression symptoms were seen in the group that did yoga.
As disturbed sleep is a common and potentially debilitating component of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), this study sought to determine whether yoga practice could improve sleep quality in those suffering from PMS. The women randomized to the yoga group were offered three 60-minute yoga sessions a week for 10 weeks and expressed significant sleep improvement by the end of the study.
Participants in this randomized controlled clinical trial of yoga for people with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) suffered from depression during their menstrual cycles. They completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II before and after the intervention, and the group that did yoga experienced statistically significant improvement in depressive symptoms. The yoga group also had decreased diastolic blood pressure by the end of the 2-month study, during which they practiced yoga 3 times a week for 60 minutes per session.
This paper concludes that “yoga may help children and young people cope with stress and thus, contribute positively to balance in life, well-being, and mental health.” According to the review, “yoga in schools helps students improve resilience, mood, and self-regulation skills pertaining to emotions and stress.”
When comparing the effects of yoga to written self-care advice for people with inactive ulcerative colitis and impaired quality of life, these authors found that perceived stress was important for reducing disease activity and increasing health-related quality of life. The study advised that yoga should be considered as an adjunct intervention for highly stressed people with ulcerative colitis.
This randomized controlled trial of 60 HIV-positive participants examined the effects of yoga on anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being and quality of life. After 8 weeks of movement, breathing, relaxation, and meditation practices the yoga group showed a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, and fatigue compared to the control group; they also had significant improvements in well-being and all quality-of-life domains.
One hundred eighty-seven adults with Parkinson’s disease who were able to stand unaided and walk with or without an assistive device were randomized to receive mindfulness yoga or stretching and resistance training. The yoga group had significantly better improvement in outcomes than the stretching and resistance training group, particularly for anxiety, depression, perceived hardship, perceived equanimity, and disease-specific quality of life.
Four hundred ten cancer survivors participated in this nationwide multicenter phase III randomized controlled trial. The study compared the effect of a 4-week yoga therapy program to standard care on cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Yoga therapy participants demonstrated significantly greater improvements in fatigue. Improvements in overall sleep quality and reductions in daytime dysfunction (e.g., excessive napping) were significant components of yoga’s effect on CRF. According to the authors, “Oncologists should consider prescribing yoga to cancer survivors for treating CRF and sleep disturbance.”
The 87 participants in this randomized controlled trial had experienced a current or recent episode of major depression, had elevated depression symptoms, and were taking antidepressant medication. Inflammatory markers were measured over time in a hatha yoga group and a health education group. Participants in the yoga intervention, which included breathing practices, movement, rest, and meditation, showed a significant reduction in interleukin-6 concentrations.
This first systematic review of randomized controlled trials on yoga’s effects on mood and the brain found that yoga decreases blood pressure, heart rate, and expression of stress markers such as cortisol and cytokines.
This IAYT white paper explains that “yoga therapy can make a meaningful contribution to solving the overlapping public health crises of chronic pain, opioid misuse and overdose, and mental health disorders.” The authors describe yoga therapy as a key component in comprehensive integrative pain management, noting that this patient-centered intervention “positively addresses body and mind and focuses on overall well-being, quality of life, and flourishing within one’s life circumstances.”
This paper outlines the benefits of exercise, yoga, and meditation for depression: “Yoga as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy shows positive effects, particularly for depression.” Importantly, the authors also note that, “There are no apparent negative effects of mindfulness-based interventions, and their general health benefits justify their use as adjunctive therapy for patients with depression and anxiety disorders.”
The authors of this pilot randomized controlled trial note that holistic interventions featuring mind and body components are likely necessary to best treat the complexities of chronic pain. They therefore developed and tested a yoga intervention for people with chronic pain and randomized them to receive either the yoga intervention or usual care for 8 weeks. The results indicated that yoga may be an effective therapeutic intervention for people in chronic pain to improve occupational performance, increase engagement in activities, and decrease depression.
This study sought to understand the amount, or dose, of yoga needed to improve symptoms of major depressive disorder. Both the high weekly dose of yoga (three 90-minute classes plus four 30-minute homework sessions) and the low dose (two 90-minute classes plus three 30-minute homework sessions) produced improvement in psychological symptoms that correlated with cumulative yoga practice. Possibly because of the small sample size of 32 participants, the study did not detect significant differences between the doses—both interventions reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety and increased feelings of positivity.
Yoga has far-reaching potential for the treatment of a broad array of disorders exacerbated by stress.
In this study a 12-week yoga intervention was associated with significantly increased levels of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and decreased depressive symptoms in participants with major depressive disorder. GABA is a well-known mood-regulating neurotransmitter, which makes this study especially interesting.
As an affordable and relatively accessible practice with research supporting cognitive and biological mechanisms, yoga is a promising modality for depression and anxiety management. According to this review, “The current evidence base is strongest for yoga as efficacious in reducing symptoms of unipolar depression.” It outlines potential risks that may be mitigated by working with a qualified yoga therapist.
Thirteen studies were included in this systematic review of randomized controlled trials of adult employees and yoga in the workplace through April 2017. Overall effects of yoga on mental health outcomes, especially stress. were beneficial.
“The evidence presented in this review suggests that mindfulness and yoga practice are feasible and cost-effective interventions to enhance maternal mental health, particularly for women experiencing mental health challenges.”
This randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of 9 weeks of mindful yoga for major depressive disorder in females aged 18–34. Eighty-eight of the 171 participants received the yoga intervention plus treatment as usual, whereas the control group received just treatment as usual. Although the results of the full study are pending, the authors note that mindful yoga may be well?suited to target depression?related processes such as rumination, self?criticism, intolerance of uncertainty, body awareness, and dispositional mindfulness. Furthermore, because of its attractiveness to participants, yoga may help to circumvent stigma associated with seeking treatment for depression.
This systematic review of scientific literature from 2014 to 2018 focused on 12 articles that assessed the effect of yoga and yoga-related interventions on stress reduction in nonclinical populations. Various types of yoga were included in studies ranging from 4–28 weeks long, and most had positive effects on stress in the healthy populations studied.
One hundred patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to two equal groups: Those in one group received conventional diabetes treatment, whereas those in a yoga group received conventional treatment plus training in diaphragmatic breathing and systematic relaxation. After 6 months, a significant decrease was seen in depression, anxiety, and stress scores in the yoga group.
Meditative movement, such as yoga, shows significant benefit for depression and anxiety severity, as well as remission rate. This systematic review and meta-analysis states that, “Given the fact that meditative movements are safe and easily accessible, clinicians may consider recommending meditative movements for symptomatic management in this population.”
MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS
In this case series, side-plank pose significantly reduced scoliotic curve when practiced properly for 6.8 months.
This clinical trial measured bone mineral density with DEXA scans, finding that, “Bone mineral density improved in spine, hips, and femur of the 227 moderately and fully compliant patients.”
This article explores the effects of yoga on conditions including lower-back pain, arthritis, and kyphosis, outlining clinically significant improvements in key areas including psychosocial outcomes. The authors conclude, “Evidence suggests that yoga is an acceptable and safe intervention, which may result in clinically relevant improvements in pain and functional outcomes associated with a range of musculoskeletal conditions.”
NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH AND CONDITIONS, BRAIN INJURY, AND DEMENTIA
“This review suggests that mind-body practices can target different brain systems that are involved in the regulation of attention, emotional control, mood, and executive cognition that can be used to treat or prevent mood and cognitive disorders of aging, such as depression and caregiver stress, or serve as ‘brain fitness’ exercise. Benefits may include improving brain functional connectivity in brain systems that generally degenerate with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other aging-related diseases.”
A literature review on the effect of yoga in people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia examined 8 studies that reported on yoga as either the primary intervention or one component of a multi-component intervention. Results suggest that yoga may have beneficial effects on cognitive functioning, particularly attention and verbal memory.
This article summarizes the documented positive effects of yoga practice on brain structure and function as assessed with MRI, fMRI, and SPECT. Collectively, the studies demonstrated a positive effect of yoga practice on the structure and/or function of the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and brain networks, including the default mode network. These studies offer promising early evidence that behavioral interventions like yoga may mitigate age-related and neurodegenerative declines, as many of these brain regions demonstrate significant age-related atrophy.
A systematic review on yoga for balance shows moderate evidence of decreased fall risk in community-dwelling older adults and people with cerebrovascular accidents, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
One hundred eighty-seven adults with Parkinson’s disease who were able to stand unaided and walk with or without an assistive device were randomized to receive mindfulness yoga or stretching and resistance training. The yoga group had significantly better improvement in outcomes than the stretching and resistance training group, particularly for anxiety, depression, perceived hardship, perceived equanimity, and disease-specific quality of life.
Meditation is associated with increased cortical thickness, a positive indicator of brain health and function.
This systematic review explored cognitive, physical, and psychological outcomes in controlled trials of yoga for acquired brain injury. Six eligible studies, four of which focused specifically on stroke rehabilitation, were reviewed. For people with acquired brain injury broadly, improvements were found after yoga for psychological and physical adjustment, quality of life, and respiratory functioning. For stroke specifically, physical and memory recovery were greater in the yoga groups compared to exercise controls.
This paper describes ancient yoga wisdom in terms of neuroscientific topics of self-regulation and resilience.
This exploration offers images and an explanatory model for the brain-activation patterns associated with mindfulness meditation.
This small study found positive changes in nonmotor symptoms among individuals with Parkinson’s disease following an 8-week yoga intervention. The participants who did yoga experienced statistically significant improvements in fatigue, balance confidence, and Parkinson’s-specific quality of life.
“This review found that mind-body exercises demonstrated immediate moderate to large beneficial effects on motor symptoms, postural instability, and functional mobility among individuals with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease.”
This comparative effectiveness randomized clinical trial found that Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga worked as well as cognitive processing therapy in reducing PTSD symptom severity in women veterans with military sexual trauma. The nearly 43% higher treatment completion rate for the yoga intervention indicates that such programs could address PTSD treatment limitations in Veterans Affairs facilities.
“Brief mindfulness training significantly improved visuo-spatial processing, working memory, and executive functioning.” Even just a few days of meditation training may improve ability to sustain attention, a benefit previously reported in long-term meditators.
PEDIATRICS
This paper concludes that “yoga may help children and young people cope with stress and thus, contribute positively to balance in life, well-being, and mental health.” According to the review, “yoga in schools helps students improve resilience, mood, and self-regulation skills pertaining to emotions and stress.”
This review of 47 publications found that “yoga in the school setting is a viable and potentially efficacious strategy for improving child and adolescent health.” Yoga addresses the whole child, emphasizing a social and emotional learning model.
This review shows that for children and adolescents with asthma, “Interventions involving either mindfulness or yoga may be effective in reducing stress and anxiety and improving quality of life and lung function.”
REPRODUCTIVE AND WOMEN'S HEALTH
“[Y]oga is a noninvasive, easy to learn mind-body medicine and complementary health practice, effective in alleviation of labor pain and possibly improving birth outcome.”
“Preliminary evidence suggests that mind-body interventions, including mindfulness-based interventions and yoga, may be effective in reducing mental health difficulties and psychological distress in infertile patients undergoing fertility treatments.”
As disturbed sleep is a common and potentially debilitating component of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), this study sought to determine whether yoga practice could improve sleep quality in those suffering from PMS. The women randomized to the yoga group were offered three 60-minute yoga sessions a week for 10 weeks and expressed significant sleep improvement by the end of the study.
Participants in this randomized controlled clinical trial of yoga for people with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) suffered from depression during their menstrual cycles. They completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II before and after the intervention, and the group that did yoga experienced statistically significant improvement in depressive symptoms. The yoga group also had decreased diastolic blood pressure by the end of the 2-month study, during which they practiced yoga 3 times a week for 60 minutes per session.
This review concluded that yoga is a safe and effective intervention during pregnancy. “[Y]oga can be safely used for pregnant women who are depressed, at high-risk, or experience lumbopelvic pain. Moreover, yoga is a more effective exercise than walking or standard prenatal exercises.”
This meta-analysis concluded that yoga is an effective intervention for alleviating menstrual pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea.
This study showed increased vagal function (and autonomic nervous activity), accounting for lowered blood pressure and increased heart rate variability during the yoga practice of alternate-nostril breathing.
“The evidence presented in this review suggests that mindfulness and yoga practice are feasible and cost-effective interventions to enhance maternal mental health, particularly for women experiencing mental health challenges.”
RESPIRATORY HEALTH AND DISEASE
This study showed increased vagal function (and autonomic nervous activity), accounting for lowered blood pressure and increased heart rate variability during the yoga practice of alternate-nostril breathing.
Meditation, a key component of yoga, seems to improve efficiency of gas exchange and oxygenation. This paper concluded that, “Meditation induces favorable changes in cardiovascular and respiratory end points of clinical interest.”
This review shows that for children and adolescents with asthma, “Interventions involving either mindfulness or yoga may be effective in reducing stress and anxiety and improving quality of life and lung function.”
“Yoga and Tai Chi are widely available in the community and have been shown to be beneficial in patients with COPD as well as many of the co-morbid conditions associated with COPD.”
Yoga breathing demonstrated advantageous effects on the neurocognitive, psychophysiological, respiratory, biochemical, and metabolic functions in healthy individuals. These techniques were also found to be useful in the management of various clinical conditions.
This study was conducted to determine the effect of yoga on asthma. Respiratory function, symptom control, and quality of life were assessed in 112 people in an outpatient clinic for chest diseases. Six weeks of twice-weekly yoga positively influenced all of these measures.
STRESS
A review shows promising outcomes for stress management and burnout prevention in healthcare workers. Improvements were shown in physical health and quality of sleep. The researchers conclude that “stress levels and burnout are consistently reduced in subjects who practice yoga techniques and mind–body meditation.”
The length of telomeres, the “endcaps” of chromosomes, is considered an indicator of longevity. The authors of this article “propose that some forms of meditation may have salutary effects on telomere length by reducing cognitive stress and stress arousal and increasing positive states of mind and hormonal factors that may promote telomere maintenance.”
The stress response has wide-ranging implications in the human body-mind-spirit system, and yoga practices such as meditation appear to have the ability to address these effects via a number of channels.
When comparing the effects of yoga to written self-care advice for people with inactive ulcerative colitis and impaired quality of life, these authors found that perceived stress was important for reducing disease activity and increasing health-related quality of life. The study advised that yoga should be considered as an adjunct intervention for highly stressed people with ulcerative colitis.
This first systematic review of randomized controlled trials on yoga’s effects on mood and the brain found that yoga decreases blood pressure, heart rate, and expression of stress markers such as cortisol and cytokines.
This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving yoga postures compared to active controls found that yoga positively affects physiological measures of stress including heart rate, heart rate variability, fasting blood glucose, and cholesterol.
Yoga has far-reaching potential for the treatment of a broad array of disorders exacerbated by stress.
Thirteen studies were included in this systematic review of randomized controlled trials of adult employees and yoga in the workplace through April 2017. Overall effects of yoga on mental health outcomes, especially stress. were beneficial.
This systematic review of scientific literature from 2014 to 2018 focused on 12 articles that assessed the effect of yoga and yoga-related interventions on stress reduction in nonclinical populations. Various types of yoga were included in studies ranging from 4–28 weeks long, and most had positive effects on stress in the healthy populations studied.
URINARY HEALTH AND CONDITIONS
This study created a rigorous control group in the form of a nonspecific muscle stretching and strengthening program matched for time and attention with a group that received a yoga intervention. Fifty-six women aged 50 and older who reported at least daily stress-, urgency-, or mixed-type incontinence participated in this randomized trial. After 3 months, total incontinence frequency decreased by an average of 76% from baseline in the yoga group compared to 56% in the control group. Stress-incontinence frequency also decreased by an average of 61% in the yoga group versus 35% in the control group.
“Findings provide preliminary evidence to support the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a group-based yoga therapy intervention to improve urinary incontinence in women.”
This review of relevant research concludes that yoga may reduce lower urinary tract symptoms by “increasing the strength of pelvic floor muscle and/or regulating the autonomic nervous system and activating the central nervous system.”
Related Posts
Research indicates that meditation and other aspects of yoga can support healthy aging, including for those concerned about dementia. June is Alzheimer's and Brain...
This past weekend, the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) held its 16th Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR) in Costa Mesa,...
How comfortable are you with death? If you're like many Westerners, you may not be very comfortable at all—or you may not give your own inevitable final rest much...
Research recently published in IAYT's International Journal of Yoga Therapy found that 3 months of a specific yoga program significantly improved balance, strength, and...
Open-heart surgery is a scary thing—a serious procedure with an intense, potentially lengthy, recovery. Some good news: A study recently published in the medical...
Global Yoga Therapy Day is almost here! Every year on August 14, the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) honors the field of yoga therapy in a worldwide...
By Mounia Moalla As healthcare providers, we often encounter patients whose needs extend beyond the realm that traditional medical interventions can touch. A few years...
Yoga includes an array of techniques that can be tailored to literally anyone with the desire to practice. Can't move your arm or leg? No problem. Don't HAVE an arm or...
The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), which publishes yogatherapy.health, works to support yoga as a therapeutic option for physical health,...
Therapeutic yoga, including meditation, brings a range of benefits for those seeking to increase or preserve their neurological health. Here's a look at some of the...
Although they have gone on to receive additional specific training, all yoga therapists are also yoga teachers. And when you go to a yoga therapy session, you might...
When you think of getting older, do you automatically picture a life of less mobility and more pain? Maybe you remember grandma's perpetually sore back or Uncle Joe's...
By Monica Le Baron In Part 1 of this post, we explored the stress cycle and how everyday pressures like traffic, receiving a phone call, and work can trigger it,...
As this blog has previously highlighted*, a conference that brings together yoga therapy professionals is an event like no other! The annual Symposium on Yoga Therapy...
Dr. Catherine Justice is an integrative physical therapist, an IAYT-certified yoga therapist, and the program manager for the Division of Integrative Medicine at...
We've updated the yogatherapy.health Research page with new studies, which you can browse by area of concern. The list emphasizes good-quality reviews and randomized...
By Ainka J. Fulani I was initially drawn to movement for fun and to cope with my own sports injuries, then later to manage stress and heighten self-awareness. As I’ve...
Innovative researchers studied the relationship between practicing yoga and violence in a public housing community. Can practicing yoga change how violent societies...
Yoga, often seen as supporting mental and physical health, is perhaps the best practice for delivering a spiritual dimension to health care. And a number of studies...
What touches our hearts—and how and why we love—at times seems mysterious. Research, however, is helping us to understand more clearly how to take care of our cardiac...