Learn more about yoga therapy…
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Yoga therapy is a personalized approach that uses traditional yoga practices—such as postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and relaxation techniques—to support physical, mental, and emotional health. Unlike general yoga classes, yoga therapy is tailored to an individual’s specific needs, conditions, or goals, often working alongside conventional medical or psychological treatments. It aims to promote balance, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.
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Research shows that yoga therapy can positively influence the nervous, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular systems, helping to reduce stress, improve flexibility and balance, and enhance overall physical function. Studies also suggest it can lower cortisol levels, reduce inflammation, and improve mood, anxiety, and quality of life. While evidence is strongest for conditions like chronic pain, stress, and anxiety, ongoing research continues to explore its broader therapeutic potential.
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Yoga therapy can benefit individuals dealing with chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges, as well as those seeking to improve flexibility, balance, or overall well-being. It is especially helpful for people looking for a personalized, holistic approach that integrates physical movement, breathwork, and mindfulness to support both body and mind.
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A good yoga therapy provider should be a trained and certified yoga therapist with experience in tailoring practices to individual health needs and conditions. They should offer personalized programs, emphasize safety, and integrate trauma-informed or health-informed approaches. Credible certifications typically come from organizations such as the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Therapist (RYT) programs, or other recognized professional yoga therapy training programs.
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Effectiveness of yoga for major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2023) — This is a recent meta‑analysis reviewing randomized controlled trials of yoga for major depressive disorder, finding that yoga interventions were associated with reductions in depression symptoms in clinical populations.
Yoga for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2013) — One of the earlier systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating yoga versus usual care, relaxation, or exercise in people with depressive symptoms or depressive disorders; concluded that yoga could be considered a useful adjunct treatment for depression.
Yoga for anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2018) — This review assessed yoga’s effects on anxiety (and secondary effects on depression). It found small-to-moderate short‑term reductions in anxiety among individuals with elevated anxiety when compared with no treatment or other controls, though evidence was limited for formally diagnosed anxiety disorders.
Yoga for posttraumatic stress disorder – a systematic review and meta-analysis (2018) — This meta‑analysis looked at randomized controlled trials of yoga for people with PTSD; results indicated a potentially meaningful reduction in PTSD symptom severity versus no treatment, though evidence quality was low and findings were more modest when compared to active controls.
Effectiveness of yoga on depression and anxiety in people with chronic primary pain: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2025) — This more recent meta‑analysis focused on people with chronic primary pain (chronic pain without a clear alternative diagnosis) and found that yoga significantly improved depression, anxiety, pain severity, and quality of life compared with controls.
Yoga and chronic diseases: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (2024) — This umbrella review (i.e. review of many systematic reviews/meta‑analyses) synthesized data from dozens of reviews and thousands of individual studies, suggesting that yoga interventions may have broad benefits for mental health (depression, fatigue), blood pressure, blood glucose, and other chronic‑disease outcomes. Effects on pain and arthritis were less consistent.
Effectiveness of Yoga Therapy as a Complementary Treatment for Major Psychiatric Disorders: A Meta-Analysis (2011) — This meta-analysis pooled data from several studies testing yoga as an adjunct therapy for psychiatric conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia), and found statistically significant overall effects favoring yoga-based interventions, suggesting potential as a low-risk complementary treatment.

