Yoga Research - Articles

Articles

The IYNAUS Yoga Research Committee is committed to promoting and advancing the study of Iyengar Yoga as a means of improving the mental, physical, and spiritual health of our community.

Here you will find links to primary research articles investigating the feasibility and efficacy of utilizing yoga for a variety of conditions such as: aging, anxiety, depression and stress, asthma, autoimmune diseases and inflammation, back pain, cancer, cardiac health, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, general health & well-being, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, neck pain, and spinal cord injury.

In addition to articles investigating the physical and mental health benefits of yoga, you will also find links to explore research into yoga history and philosophy.

It is our hope that this resource will be an ever evolving and expanding compilation of research efforts to establish correct knowledge further defining the benefits of Iyengar Yoga in promoting mental, physical and spiritual health. Please send citations and links that might be worthy of inclusion to: research@iynaus.org

Aging

DiBenedetto, M., et al. (2005). Effect of a gentle Iyengar Yoga program on gait in the elderly: an exploratory study. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 86(9):1830-7. Full text available at: https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(05)00317-5/fulltext

Oken, B.S., et al. (2006). Randomized, controlled, six-month trial of yoga in healthy seniors: effects on cognition and quality of life. Altern. Ther. Health Med. 12(1): 40–47. Full text available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1457100/

Patel, N.K., et al. (2012). The effects of yoga on physical functioning and health related quality of life in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J. Altern. and Complement Med. 18(10): 902-917. Abstract available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/acm.2011.0473

Anxiety, Depression and Stress

Shapiro, D., et al. (2007). Yoga as a complementary treatment of depression: effects of traits and moods on treatment outcome. Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 4(4):493-502. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2176141/

Streeter, C., et al. (2007). Yoga asana sessions increase brain GABA levels: A pilot study. J. Altern. Complement. Med. 13(4):419-26. Abstract available at: http://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2007.6338

Shapiro, D., et al. (2008). Iyengar yoga as a complementary treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: Pilot study. Scientific Evidence on the Therapeutic Efficacy of Iyengar Yoga: A Compilation of Research Papers. Retrieved from http://iynaus.org/sites/iynaus_files/pages/research/Mumbai_research_compilation.pdf

Streeter, C., et al. (2010). Effects of yoga versus walking on mood, anxiety, and brain GABA levels: a randomized controlled MRS study. J. Altern. Complement. Med. (11):1145-52. Link to full text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3111147/

Michalsen, A., et al. (2012). Iyengar Yoga for distressed women: a 3-armed randomized controlled trial. Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 2012:408727. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3463199/

Streeter, C., et al. (2017). Treatment of major depressive disorder with Iyengar Yoga and coherent breathing: a randomized controlled dosing study. Altern. Complement. Ther. 23(6):236-243. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5717996/

Streeter, C., et al. (2020). Thalamic gamma-aminobutyric acid level changes in major depressive disorder after a 12-Week Iyengar Yoga and coherent breathing intervention. J Altern Complement Med. 26(3):190-197. Full text available at: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2019.0234?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

Asthma

Nagarathna, R. and Nagendra, H.R. (1985). Yoga for bronchial asthma: a controlled study. Br. Med. J. (Clin. Res. Ed.). 291(6502): 1077–1079. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1417003/

Sabina, A.B., et al. (2005). Yoga intervention for adults with mild-to-moderate asthma: a pilot study. Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 94(5): 543-8. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15945557

Autoimmune Diseases and Inflammation

Oken, B.S., et al. (2004). Randomized controlled trial of yoga and exercise in multiple sclerosis. Neurology 62(11): 2058–2064. See abstract at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000129534.88602.5C

Morgan, N. et al. (2014). The effects of mind-body therapies on the immune system: meta-analysis. PLoS One 9(7):e100903. Full text available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0100903

Moonaz, S. et al. (2015). Yoga in sedentary adults with arthritis: effects of a randomized controlled pragmatic trial. J. Rheumatol. 42(7): 1194–1202. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4490021/

Bower, J.E. and Irwin, M.R. (2016). Mind-body therapies and control of inflammatory biology: A descriptive review. Brain Behav. Immun. 51: 1–11. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4679419/

Djalilova, D.M. et al. (2019). Impact of Yoga on Inflammatory Biomarkers: A Systematic Review. Biol. Res. Nurs. 21(2):198-209. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6700894/

Back Pain

Williams, K., et al. (2003) Therapeutic application of Iyengar Yoga for healing chronic low back pain. International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 13(1): 55-67. Retrieved from https://iynaus.org/sites/iynaus_files/pages/Therapeutic-Application-Yoga-Lumbar-pain-2003.pdf

Sherman, K.J., et al. (2005). Comparing yoga, exercise, and a self-care book for chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann. Intern. Med. 143(12):849-56. Full text available through: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16365466/

Williams, K., et al. (2005). Effect of Iyengar Yoga therapy for chronic low back pain. Pain. 115(1-2): 107-17. See abstract at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15836974

Williams, K., et al. (2009). Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficacy of Iyengar Yoga therapy on chronic low back pain. Spine 34(19): 2066–2076. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393557/

Wieland, L.S. et al. (2017). Yoga treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 2017(1): CD010671. See: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5294833/

Cancer

Duncan, M. D., et al. (2008). Impact and outcomes of an Iyengar Yoga program in a cancer centre. Curr. Oncol. 15 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):s109.es72-8. Link to full text: https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/15/12/284

Speed-Andrews, A.E., et al. (2010) Pilot evaluation of an Iyengar Yoga program for breast cancer survivors. Cancer Nurs. 33(5): 369-81. See abstract at: http://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0b013e3181cfb55a

Bower, J.E., et al. (2012). Yoga for persistent fatigue in breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. Cancer 118(15): 3766-75. Full text available through: http://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.26702

Chandwani, K.D., et al. (2014). Randomized, controlled trial of yoga in women with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 32(10): 1058–1065. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3965260/

Cardiac Health

Khattab, K., et al. (2007). Iyengar Yoga increases cardiac parasympathetic nervous modulation among healthy yoga practitioners. Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 4(4):511-7. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2176143/

Lakkireddy, D., et al. (2013). Effect of yoga on arrhythmia burden, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: The YOGA My Heart Study. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 61(11): 1177–1182. Full text available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109713000442?via%3Dihub

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

COVID Recovery

General Health & Well Being

Ross, A., and Thomas, S. (2010). The health benefits of yoga and exercise: a review of comparison studies. J. Altern. Complement. Med. 16(1):3-12. Abstract available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20105062/

Ross, A., et al. (2012). Frequency of yoga practice predicts health: results of a national survey of yoga practitioners. Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 2012:983258. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3425136/

Ross, A., et al. (2014). "I am a nice person when I do yoga!!!" A qualitative analysis of how yoga affects relationships. J. Holist. Nurs. 32(2):67-77. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4196270/

Belluz, J. (2015). I read more than 50 scientific studies about yoga. Here’s what I learned. Vox. Retrieved from http://www.vox.com/2015/7/22/9012075/yoga-health-benefits-exercise-science

Hypertension

Patel, C. and North, W.R. (1975). Randomised controlled trial of yoga and bio-feedback in management of hypertension. Lancet 2(7925):93-5. See abstract at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/49737/

Cohen, D. L., et al. (2011). Iyengar Yoga versus enhanced usual care on blood pressure in patients with prehypertension to stage I hypertension: a randomized controlled trial. Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 2011: 546428. Full text available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3145370/

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Evans, S., et al. (2014). Iyengar Yoga for adolescents and young adults with irritable bowel syndrome. J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 59(2): 244–253. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4146428/

Evans, S., et al. (2018). Yoga for teens with irritable bowel syndrome: results from a mixed-methods pilot study. Holist. Nurs. Pract. 32(5), 253-260. Full text available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6283406/

Neck Pain

Spinal Cord Injury

Yoga History and Philosophy