Research
As a growing body of clinical research studies suggest, Yoga therapy has the potential to support clients and patients in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, functional medicine and integrative health care clinics, pain care clinics, mental health clinics, and more. Yoga therapy is gaining considerable recognition as a clinically viable, complementary approach alongside traditional western medicine. Board certification exams are forthcoming, further supporting the legitimacy of this growing field.
Yoga therapy programs are currently offered at major medical institutions, including Children's Hospital Colorado, MD Anderson Cancer Center, among others. Interest continues to grow across a range in demographics and medical communities, keeping pace with the rise in research findings.
Below is a sampling of clinical research, including a select few prominent Yoga researchers, which helps informs my work.
Research clearinghouse: International Association of Yoga Therapists : clinical studies, systematic reviews, and and meta-analyses across a range of conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular health, chronic pain, diabetes, immune function, mental health, stress, and more.
Sullivan MB, Erb M, Schmalzl L, Moonaz S, Noggle Taylor J and Porges SW (2018) Yoga Therapy and Polyvagal Theory: The Convergence of Traditional Wisdom and Contemporary Neuroscience for Self-Regulation and Resilience. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 12:67. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00067
Naomi M. Simon, Stefan G. Hofmann, David Rosenfield et al. Efficacy of Yoga vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs Stress Education for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety DisorderA Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 2020 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2496
Yoga Regulates Stress Hormones and Improves Quality of Life for Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy
Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D: Associate Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital: "evaluation of the clinical effectiveness and basic psychophysiological mechanisms underlying the practice of yoga and meditation techniques. These behavioral techniques include specific manipulations of respiratory frequency and tidal volume, maintenance of body postures and stretching exercises, and meditation and mindfulness, which involves relaxed control of attention."