The first known reference to yoga is in the Upanishads Sanskrit texts, written 2,500 years ago. The practice originally comprised breath work; the physical postures developed over time. According to Statista, nearly 34 million Americans practice numerous types of yoga, while science continues to provide evidence of its healing potential.

Calming Effects

With the frenetic pace of life today, many people live in a permanent state of anxiety. Yoga can ease the panic and malaise by activating the parasympathetic nervous system to decrease stress hormones, blood pressure and heart rate.

“Yoga therapy differs from traditional psychotherapy in scope and aim. Rather than delving into traumas, yoga empowers individuals to be present, moving away from personal narratives,” says Adam Flores, a certified yoga therapist from Port St. Lucie, Florida, specializing in addiction and mental health. “Trained yoga therapists offer grounding techniques and skillful check-ins, especially for trauma cases, improving heart rate variability, vagal tone and overall nervous system health.”

Mental Health Benefits

A 2011 meta-analysis study published in Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders indicates that yoga may be an effective treatment option for severe mental illness, with the added advantage of being less toxic than pharmaceutical treatments.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant issue facing the U.S. military and a growing problem for teens that have experienced violent or traumatizing events. Conventional treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing have shown limited effectiveness due to high dropout and nonresponse rates. On the other hand, studies have found that engaging in yoga and other mind-body practices can reduce intrusive memories, avoidance and emotional arousal symptoms, as well as anxiety, depression and anger associated with PTSD.

Yoga therapy improves critical factors in addiction recovery, including emotional balance, mental clarity and stress reduction. In a 2021 study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, yoga for the treatment of substance abuse disorder was determined to be an effective option.

Popular Yoga Disciplines

Yoga has developed into a variety of styles that can meet the goals and objectives of their practitioners. Some of the more popular formats include:

• Vinyasa: An up-tempo class of postures or poses (asanas), often accompanied by high-energy music that typically results in a consistently elevated heart rate. A 2017 study published in The FASEB Journal found that eight weeks of vinyasa yoga improved physical fitness, relieved stress and improved mental well-being.

• Yin: This form of yoga focuses on gentle, passive stretches held for one to three minutes, offering ample opportunity to release stress and tension. Poses are often supported by props such as bolsters, straps, blocks, pillows and blankets. Long, slow, deep breathing promotes relaxation to help the practitioner hold each pose for extended periods of time. Yin yoga stimulates and stretches fascia, the thin connective tissue throughout the body, as well as ligaments and joints, resulting in increased flexibility.

• Hatha: This is a classic yoga style involving breathing exercises and poses that are held for longer periods of time than other formats. Although the slower, more meditative pace may seem easier, holding a proper pose for extended periods of time can be challenging for the body and mind. According to a 2018 study in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 12 sessions of hatha yoga significantly reduced stress, anxiety and depression in women.

• Kundalini: This yoga style prioritizes spiritual growth and awareness, with a focus on energy and chakras. Kundalini awakenings are common via movement sequences, breath work, mantras and chanting. Different studies in 2021 found that kundalini yoga is an effective short-term therapy for generalized anxiety disorder and can be helpful in reducing the severity of insomnia.

Maintaining Self-Esteem

One of the core tenets of a yogic practice is self-compassion, and it is important to resist the inclination for negative self-talk. To adopt the yogic way is to choose happiness over suffering. 

“In my experience, the best healing experiences happened by tapping into the body and unlocking the energies we hold onto,” says Paty Renda, a certified Ananda hatha yoga instructor and co-owner of Premah Wellness, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “I believe in serious work done through fun exercises such as breath, dance, laughter and movement. A simple, slow and deep hatha yoga practice can create profound changes. Gratitude is another very easy, and yet immensely powerful, practice I infuse into everything I do.”

Carrie Gauthier is a writer in the healing arts with interests in clinical and transpersonal hypnotherapy.

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