Yoga and Meditation Improve Mental Health, with Outdoor Settings Offering Additional Benefits Where Differences Exist: A Systematic Review
Sarah E. Ahmadi, Camille L Garnsey, Erika K Osherow, Crystal L Park
Ecopsychology September 17, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/19429347261487068 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Yoga Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Across 13 studies, 12 reported significant improvements over time in at least one mental health outcome, and six reported group-by-time effects favoring outdoor over indoor yoga or meditation. The authors conclude that evidence for nature-based yoga and meditation is limited but promising, with the strongest support for alleviating stress and depression and improving mindfulness, while it remains unclear whether outdoor practice outperforms equivalent indoor practice. |
Abstract
Yoga and meditation are increasingly used to promote mental health and well-being. Exposure to nature has also demonstrated effects on mental health, leading to the development of nature-based interventions. Combining yoga or meditation with nature exposure may have cumulative or synergistic effects. This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of outdoor yoga and meditation interventions on mental health and compare the effects with equivalent indoor interventions. A systematic search was conducted. Titles and abstracts of articles, then full-text articles, were reviewed for inclusion. Study data were then extracted. Risk of bias among the included studies was assessed. Fourteen articles were included, representing 13 unique studies. Two studies compared yoga and 11 studies compared meditation in indoor versus outdoor settings. Of the 13 studies, 12 reported significant time effects on at least one mental health outcome. Six studies reported significant group-by-time effects in favor of the outdoor interventions on at least one mental health outcome, with group-by-time effects consistently favoring the outdoor interventions when found. Depression and mindfulness were the most frequently examined outcomes, measured in almost half of all studies. Overall, findings regarding the effects of nature-based yoga and meditation are limited but promising. There is strong evidence that outdoor yoga and meditation interventions improve mental health outcomes, but less clear evidence of whether they outperform equivalent indoor interventions. The greatest support was found for nature-based yoga and meditation interventions in alleviating symptoms of stress and depression and improving mindfulness. More research on nature-based yoga and meditation is needed.
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
Cites 17
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Nature-Based Mindfulness: Effects of Moving Mindfulness Training into an Outdoor Natural Setting International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health September 2, 2019
- Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, guided imagery and progressive relaxation use among US adults from 2002 to 2022 Scientific Reports July 1, 2024
and 12 more in the library