The DOI matches its Crossref record; 65 of the 65 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
How does yoga reduce stress? A systematic review of mechanisms of change and guide to future inquiry
Abstract
Yoga is increasingly used in clinical settings for a variety of mental and physical health issues, particularly stress-related illnesses and concerns, and has demonstrated promising efficacy. Yet the ways in which yoga reduces stress remain poorly understood. To examine the empirical evidence regarding the mechanisms through which yoga reduces stress, we conducted a systematic review of the literature, including any yoga intervention that measured stress as a primary dependent variable and tested a mechanism of the relationship with mediation. Our electronic database search yielded 926 abstracts, of which 71 were chosen for further inspection and 5 were selected for the final systematic review. These five studies examined three psychological mechanisms (positive affect, mindfulness and self-compassion) and four biological mechanisms (posterior hypothalamus, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and cortisol). Positive affect, self-compassion, inhibition of the posterior hypothalamus and salivary cortisol were all shown to mediate the relationship between yoga and stress. It is striking that the literature describing potential mechanisms is growing rapidly, yet only seven mechanisms have been empirically examined; more research is necessary. Also, future research ought to include more rigorous methodology, including sufficient power, study randomisation and appropriate control groups.
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“Physical Hatha yoga emphasizes becoming aware of the (moving) body and has been found to increase vagal/parasympathetic activity [8,25].”
From Embodied Cognition in Meditation, Yoga, and Ethics—An Experimental Single-Case Study on the Differential Effects of Four Mind–Body Treatments (2022) · cites this paper as [25]
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Cited by
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Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353 · Cited by 820
“Some authors have even attempted at modeling the effects of Pranayama (Brown and Gerbarg, 2005b; Jerath et al., 2006; Brown et al., 2013; Gard et al., 2014; Riley and Park, 2015; Schmalzl et al., 2015), but a general consensus on the identification of the psychophysiological mediators that link Pranayama to its benefi…”
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“Aldwin (2007) emphasized the negative part and defined stress as the quality of an experience, produced through a person-environment transaction that, through either overarousal or underarousal, results in psychological or physiological distress (Aldwin, 2007; Riley & Park, 2015).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Riley, K. E., & Park, C. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Connecticut (US)
- Corresponding author
- Riley, Kristen E.
- Venue
- Health Psychology Review
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-04-15
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 379-396
- ISSN
- 1743-7199 (ISSN-L)
- 1743-7202
- OpenAlex
- W1971363556
- Cited by
- 287
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 26 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 2.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Health Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- yoga, stress reduction, mechanisms of change, mediation, positive affect, mindfulness, self-compassion, posterior hypothalamus, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, salivary cortisol, stress-related disorders
- MeSH terms
- C-Reactive Protein, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Stress, Psychological, Yoga, Interleukin-6, Treatment Outcome, Meditation
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