International Journal of Yoga Therapy
January 1, 1998
John M. Miller, Ken Fletcher, Jon Kabat‐zinn
81 citations
An 8-week outpatient group stress reduction program based on mindfulness meditation produced lasting reductions in anxiety and panic symptoms. Twenty of 22 medical patients with anxiety disorders showed significant improvements on the Hamilton and Beck anxiety and depression scales immediately after the program and at 3-month follow-up. A 3-year follow-up of 18 of the original 22 subjects found that these gains were maintained on anxiety, depression, panic scores, number and severity of panic attacks, and measures of mobility and fear. Most subjects continued meditation practice. The long-term benefits suggest the intervention is effective for anxiety disorders.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
May 30, 2019
Amisha Klawonn, Dana Kernan, James Lynskey
34 citations
A 5-week seminar based on a biopsychosocial-spiritual model of self-care—including breathing, mindful movement, meditation, and education—improved self-compassion and mindfulness and reduced anxiety, depression, and stress in graduate healthcare students. Twenty-one students (20 in physical therapy, 1 in dental medicine) participated. Significant improvements were found for all measured outcomes: self-compassion, mindfulness, anxiety, depression, and stress. The results suggest that programs promoting self-awareness and self-care can benefit future healthcare providers.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
January 1, 2021
Andrea Zaccaro, André Riehl, Andrea Piarulli et al.
13 citations
Yoga nidra, an ancient meditative practice, induces an altered state of consciousness distinct from sleep. In a preliminary study, six healthy volunteers completed 12 guided sessions during a retreat. EEG recordings showed no sleep markers (K-complexes or spindles) during practice. Compared to a resting baseline, participants reported increased dissociative effects, altered body image, reduced rational thinking, and less volitional thought control. One subject's EEG analysis revealed early increases in alpha, beta, and theta power followed by reductions, with gamma power rising in later stages. These findings suggest yoga nidra produces a unique psychophysiological state, though larger studies are needed.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
January 1, 2023
Isabelle Ong Gaffney, Ashley W Gulden, Len Jennings et al.
6 citations
Yoga helps people recover from interpersonal trauma through several key mechanisms, according to a synthesis of six qualitative studies involving 105 participants. Four main healing factors emerged with strong support across studies: stabilization strategies that reduce trauma symptoms; fostering authenticity, inner attunement, and self-acceptance; equanimity through calming the mind and mindfulness; and community by reducing isolation through safe connection with others. The analysis provides a more integrated understanding of how yoga facilitates trauma recovery and demonstrates the value of qualitative meta-analysis for combining insights from individual studies.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
March 1, 2024
Danielle Rousseau, Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois, Josephine Johnson et al.
4 citations
A trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness program for incarcerated individuals improved mood and reduced stress immediately after each class. Over six weekly sessions, participants showed greater use of positive coping skills, increased forgiveness, and more posttraumatic growth compared to a waitlist control group. Qualitative reports indicated improvements in mood, physical health, communication, coping with anxiety and anger, focus, self-control, optimism, acceptance, and open-mindedness, and highlighted the importance of supportive instructor relationships. The findings suggest such a curriculum can support mental and physical well-being and build resilience among people who are incarcerated.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
January 1, 2021
Rachel Weinstein
4 citations
North American yoga practitioners can experience a mind-body connection that aligns with the traditional spiritual intentions of yoga, which originated in India thousands of years ago. In interviews with six practitioners, four core experiences of this connection emerged: the role of breath, localized or internal bodily sensations, heightened awareness and mindfulness, and transcendental or spiritual qualities. Four conditions enabling this connection were also identified: breath, physical postures (asana), the practitioner's intentionality, and the environment. The findings suggest that contemporary North American practice retains a capacity for the mind-body purification central to yoga's original purpose.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
December 1, 2023
Jennifer Ishaq, Kyle Eyman, Elizabeth Goncy et al.
3 citations
Yoga programs in juvenile correctional facilities can help incarcerated youth manage stress. This study measured stress and self-regulation in a sample of incarcerated adolescents using the combined Prison Yoga Project and Yoga FLAME framework. Although the study was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-assessment data showed a 38% average reduction in stress from the beginning to the end of a yoga session. Youth with higher initial self-regulation levels experienced greater stress reduction. The findings suggest that yoga practice can offer practical benefits for rehabilitation and skill development in juvenile correctional settings.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
April 1, 2024
Arndt Büssing
2 citations
Among 784 yoga practitioners surveyed online, most treat yoga as a conscious way of life and a path of spiritual development, searching for the Divine, living by their spiritual convictions, and using faith as a life orientation. They report high levels of peaceful attitudes, respectful treatment of others, and commitment to disadvantaged people and the environment. Frequency of asana or pranayama practice was only marginally linked to spirituality indicators, but meditation and studying yoga philosophy showed weak-to-moderate associations with spiritual experiences, awe/gratitude, and living by faith. Well-being was best predicted by experiential spirituality, inner congruence with yoga, and viewing yoga as a spiritual path (R² = 0.21).
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
December 1, 2024
Kimberley Luu
1 citation
Yoga nidra, an adjunctive treatment for trauma, can alleviate symptoms like hypervigilance, sleep disturbances, and disembodiment, but may also cause re-traumatizing side-effects such as flashbacks, emotional distress, and dissociation if delivered without care. To prevent harm and maximize therapeutic potential, ten key components of trauma-informed yoga nidra practice are presented: a safe environment, personal autonomy and consent, mindful awareness, appropriate length and preparation, adequate settling and externalization, sleep permission, self-chosen intention, flexible rotation of consciousness and breath awareness, embodied pairs of opposites, and conscientious visualizations. These measures protect trauma survivors and benefit nonclinical populations, though adaptations may be made based on context.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
November 21, 2025
Nitu Sinha
More than 95% of university lecturers perceived positive impacts of yoga and meditation on physical and mental health, stress reduction, sleep quality, immune system strength, self-awareness, work-life balance, and job satisfaction. Despite these perceptions, only 11.1% practiced daily. However, 89.8% expressed willingness to participate in university-provided sessions. The findings suggest that although lecturers recognize the benefits, regular practice remains limited, and the high willingness indicates potential for implementing structured programs within university settings.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
December 1, 2024
Shirley Telles, Sachin Kumar Sharma, Kumar Gandharva et al.
Each of five pranayama techniques changes breathing in a distinct way. In 23 yoga practitioners, high-frequency yoga breathing increased breath rate by 373.3%, while bumblebee, hissing, and alternate-nostril breathing decreased it by 75.3%, 63.0%, and 55.3%, respectively. Depth of breathing increased across all five techniques, most markedly in bumblebee (307%) and high-frequency (275%) breathing. The ratio of inspiration to expiration rose during high-frequency breathing (177%) and fell during bumblebee (74.3%) and alternate-nostril (39.0%) breathing. Breath awareness produced no changes. These results support earlier findings that high-frequency breathing is activating and enhances attention, whereas bumblebee and alternate-nostril breathing are calming and may increase vagus nerve activity.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
November 1, 2019
Helané Wahbeh, Melissa Nelson
A pilot study tested whether an iRest meditation program is feasible and acceptable for older adults with depression symptoms. Thirty generally healthy adults aged 55–90 with depression symptoms were randomly assigned to a 2-day retreat of either iRest meditation training or a vacation, followed by 20 minutes of daily home practice for 6 weeks. The iRest intervention proved feasible and acceptable. Preliminary results at 6 weeks showed improvements in sleep impairment compared to the control group, with promising trends in depression symptoms and pain severity.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
November 1, 2019
Helané Wahbeh, Nina Fry
A preliminary study followed older adults with depression symptoms for 12 months after an iRest (Integrative Restoration) intervention. Twenty-five participants completed surveys at 6 and 12 months; nine still practiced guided meditations at 12 months. Both the iRest and vacation control groups showed improvements in depression scores from baseline to 12 months. No differences between groups emerged on depression symptoms or most measures, except negative mood and perceived stress improved more in the vacation group. Meditation practice did not predict depression score improvement.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
November 1, 2018
Crystal L Park, A Rani Elwy, Meghan Maiya et al.
Yoga interventions vary across multiple dimensions that may influence health outcomes through different mechanisms, yet most studies fail to adequately describe these components. To address this, the Essential Properties of Yoga Questionnaire (EPYQ) was developed to characterize interventions. Reliability and validity data from the final phases of the project identified fourteen key dimensions: acceptance/compassion, bandhas, body awareness, breathwork, instructor mention of health benefits, individual attention, meditation and mindfulness, mental and emotional awareness, physicality, active postures, restorative postures, social aspects, spirituality, and yoga philosophy. The EPYQ demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and evidence supports its validity. Currently, trained objective raters should score interventions to avoid bias, but alternative approaches may be developed. The measure enables linking specific yoga dimensions to health outcomes and optimizing intervention design.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy
January 1, 2016
Brandi M Crowe, Marieke Van Puymbroeck, Arlene A Schmid
Yoga, which combines breathing, meditation, and physical postures, is widely linked to decreased stress and considered a therapeutic intervention, yet few theories explain this link. This article proposes the leisure-stress coping conceptual framework as a model for understanding yoga's benefits. The framework suggests that leisure participation, including yoga, can decrease stress and build mental and physical capacities through three coping strategies: palliative coping, mood enhancement, and companionship. The authors argue that this framework may explain how yoga improves stress management.