How yoga shapes the brain: a systematic review.
Frontiers in Neuroscience January 1, 2026 Laura Stoelers, Samuel Arias-Sánchez, Paloma Domínguez et al.
Yoga, an ancient mind-body practice from India, has become globally popular, and neuroimaging studies indicate it can reduce stress, modulate neurotransmitters, increase cerebral blood flow, and affect brain structure and function. This review synthesizes 23 peer-reviewed neuroimaging studies (MRI, fMRI, EEG) with healthy participants, selected from 216 records. The findings suggest yoga may exert multiple effects on the brain, but results are heterogeneous due to differences in sample characteristics, study designs, and inconsistent definitions of yoga versus meditation.