Effect of a single session of yoga and meditation on stress reactivity: A systematic review.
Gandhar V Mandlik, George Siopis, Binh Nguyen, Ding Ding, Kate M Edwards
Stress and Health June 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3324 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,574 |
| Population | Healthy adults |
| Intervention | breathing techniques |
| Topics | Breathwork Meditation |
| Keywords | Breathing Stress Yoga |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key findings | A single session of yoga components (meditation, breathing, yoga) reduces acute stress reactivity in healthy adults, as supported by 21 of 28 eligible studies. |
Abstract
This systematic review synthesises the evidence for the effectiveness of a single session of yoga or its components including meditation and breathing techniques in reducing acute stress reactivity in healthy adults. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, and PsycINFO on 30th July 2023 for randomised controlled or crossover trials of yoga components and reporting physiological and/or psychological outcome measure(s) related to stress reactivity. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using the Cochrane ROB 2 tool. Data were synthesised narratively. Twenty-one out of 28 eligible studies (n = 2574) relating to 31 interventions (meditation [n = 22], breathing [n = 4] and yoga [n = 5]) reported outcomes in favour of the intervention. Stress reactivity was reported to be reduced by 71% of studies measuring physiological outcomes and 65% of studies measuring psychological outcomes. These studies show that a single session of yoga components is effective in reducing acute stress reactivity in adults and could be recommended for stress management. Future studies with larger populations and a more equal representation of genders and age groups are warranted.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Effect of a single-session mindfulness-based intervention for reducing stress in family caregivers of people with dementia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychology October 21, 2024
- The role of decentering and self-compassion in self-esteem regulation: how meditation and metacognition shape the use of self-esteem regulation strategies Frontiers in Psychology July 10, 2026
- Amrutha Yoga (Aithal Yoga) as a New Yoga for Healthy Aging and Cognitive Wellness: A Conceptual and Exploratory Research Based Proposal Poornaprajna International Journal of Philosophy & Languages May 31, 2026
- EMOTIONAL REGULATION THROUGH YOGA AND MEDITATION IN INDIAN PSYCHOLOGY International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH May 4, 2026
- The Impact of Meditation on Instantaneous Respiration Rate and Amplitude: A Secondary Data Analysis Mindfulness February 1, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 16
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- Meditation as an intervention in stress reactivity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1976
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Massachusetts Correctional Facilities The Prison Journal June 1, 2007
- Divergent effects of brief contemplative practices in response to an acute stressor: A randomized controlled trial of brief breath awareness, loving-kindness, gratitude or an attention control practice PLoS One December 12, 2018
and 11 more in the library