Cited by 472Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsPsychosomatic Disorders and Their TreatmentsBiofield Effects and Biophysics

Potential self-regulatory mechanisms of yoga for psychological health

Open access
Gard, Tim, Noggle, Jessica J., Park, Crystal L., Vago, David R., Wilson, Angela·2014·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Abstract

Research suggesting the beneficial effects of yoga on myriad aspects of psychological health has proliferated in recent years, yet there is currently no overarching framework by which to understand yoga's potential beneficial effects. Here we provide a theoretical framework and systems-based network model of yoga that focuses on integration of top-down and bottom-up forms of self-regulation. We begin by contextualizing yoga in historical and contemporary settings, and then detail how specific components of yoga practice may affect cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and autonomic output under stress through an emphasis on interoception and bottom-up input, resulting in physical and psychological health. The model describes yoga practice as a comprehensive skillset of synergistic process tools that facilitate bidirectional feedback and integration between high- and low-level brain networks, and afferent and re-afferent input from interoceptive processes (somatosensory, viscerosensory, chemosensory). From a predictive coding perspective we propose a shift to perceptual inference for stress modulation and optimal self-regulation. We describe how the processes that sub-serve self-regulation become more automatized and efficient over time and practice, requiring less effort to initiate when necessary and terminate more rapidly when no longer needed. To support our proposed model, we present the available evidence for yoga affecting self-regulatory pathways, integrating existing constructs from behavior theory and cognitive neuroscience with emerging yoga and meditation research. This paper is intended to guide future basic and clinical research, specifically targeting areas of development in the treatment of stress-mediated psychological disorders.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00770

Cites

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  • Physical Hatha yoga emphasizes becoming aware of the (moving) body and has been found to increase vagal/parasympathetic activity.

    “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 [8]

    The Top-Down Influences on Self-Regulation section describes yoga as focused attention during bodily movement, including attention to bodily sensations. The Bottom-Up Influences section says yoga practice *may* facilitate high vagal tone and discusses parasympathetic effects of breathing, but it does not establish that physical Hatha yoga has been found to increase vagal or parasympathetic activity. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Yoga and other movement-based mindfulness practices may be especially well-suited for high-stressed populations and novices to mindfulness due to their embodied nature relative to seated meditation alone.

    “First, there is evidence suggesting that yoga and other movement-based mindfulness practices may be especially well-suited for high-stressed populations and novices to the practice of mindfulness due to their embodied nature relative to seated meditation alone.30,31”

    From Being Mindful: A Long-term Investigation of an Interdisciplinary Course in Mindfulness (2019) · cites this paper as [31]

    The Bottom-Up Influences on Self-Regulation section says yoga may offer embodied tools that seated meditation cannot and may be better suited to people with chronic illness or trauma-related psychopathology. It does not make the same suitability claim for highly stressed populations generally or for mindfulness novices; its discussion of novices concerns meditation mechanisms, not a preference for movement-based practice. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • This supports the notion that postures, breathing, and meditation encourage an integrated and embodied way of processing and modulating bodily and emotional responses.

    “This supports the notion that postures, breathing, and meditation encourage an integrated and embodied way of processing and modulating bodily and emotional responses [8].”

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Chrousos G. P. Gold P. W. (1992b). The concepts of stress and stress system disorders. Overview of physical and behavioral homeostasis. JAMA 267 1244– 1252. 10.1001/jama.267.9.1244 1538563 · DOI · Paper page
  2. Noggle J. J. Braun T. D. Khalsa S. B. S. (2013). “Yoga during school may promote emotion regulation capacity in adolescents: a group randomized, controlled study,” in Proceedings of the 3rd Symposium on Yoga Research of the International Association of Yoga Therapists Newton, MA
  3. Park C. L. Groessl E. Elwy E. R. (2014). “Development of the EPYQ: an important new tool for yoga research,” in Proceedings of the International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health Miami, FL
  4. Vago D. R. Pan H. Silbersweig D. A. Stern E. (2013). “Neural substrates underlying modalities of awareness in mindfulness practice,” in Proceedings of the American Neuropsychiatric Association Annual Meeting Boston, MA
  5. Wielgosz J. Repshas L. M. Greischar L. L. Davidson R. J. (2012). “Protective body posture modulates physiological response to threat,” in Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Contemplative Studies Denver, CO

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Authors
Gard, T., Noggle, J. J., Park, C. L., Vago, D. R., & Wilson, A.
Affiliations
  • Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (DE)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
  • University of Connecticut (US)
Corresponding author
Vago, David R.
Venue
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Published
2014-09-30
Volume
8
Pages
770-770
ISSN
1662-5161 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2121755167
Cited by
472
References
181
Citations by year
2026: 36 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI
30.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Biofield Effects and Biophysics
Keywords
yoga, self-regulation, mental health, interoception, bottom-up control, top-down control, predictive coding, perceptual inference, stress, autonomic nervous system, brain network integration, meditation

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