Current research exploring how the brain and body react to trauma and how trauma could be ‘stored' in the body means body-based therapies like yoga are in demand.
The integrated system of yoga is designed to support people to manage life’s challenges and has much to offer trauma survivors. Trauma-informed yoga was designed to respond to the unique needs of trauma survivors. At a minimum it provides a safe, secure, and predictable environment surrounded by a supportive community. It is not a style of yoga but a way of sharing the practice of yoga. Indepth research and lived experience has established that an approach to recovery which includes the body, the emotions and the cognitive is needed for recovery from trauma. The Blue Knot Foundation - Australia's National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma - states:
“This is important because complex trauma disrupts the connections between these different functions. The aim of therapy is to foster connections between them and to re-integrate (reconnect) emotions, sensations, awareness and thoughts. Body-based approaches such as trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness can help the body and mind reconnect.”
The Yoga Foundation aims to contribute to the evidence base of yoga as a therapy for mental health through research studies and stringent program evaluations. Please see our 2023 Deepen the Impact Report : a qualitative study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the experience of a range of some of our program participants. Participants were recovering from various mental and physical health challenges ranging from complex trauma to bipolar disorder.
Program evaluations
All stakeholders are involved with the evaluation and it is particularly important to give participant beneficiaries a voice. Structured feedback allows the beneficiaries to identify the benefits of yoga for them on a personal level and our partner organisations to know whether the yoga programs are effectively addressing the needs of their clients.
Our evaluation feedback loop enables The Yoga Foundation to continuously evolve and:
plan yoga programs effectively,
improve the quality and impact of yoga programs,
show evidence of yoga as a cost-effective health intervention for disadvantaged people with mental health concerns.
Evaluation requirements of our programs vary with the length of the program, the needs of partner organisation, funding, and intended target groups.
In 2016-17 we partnered with the Australian College of Applied Psychology on a 12 month project with two broad aims:
To clarify the demographics, mental health status and needs of homeless and disadvantaged persons attending The Yoga Foundation classes
To explore relationships between yoga class attendance, wellbeing and attitudes towards service engagement in homeless and at-risk populations
40 beneficiaries completed a print survey and 15 were interviewed by members of The Yoga Foundation team. Class attendance was positively correlated with participants beliefs in their ability to manage stress, manage anxiety, relax throughout the day and use less alcohol. Total yoga practice, as measured by both class attendance and private practice combined, returned the most correlations with indicators of wellbeing. Greater total yoga practice was correlated with lower levels of sadness, nervousness, worthlessness, anger, feeling unsupported, psychological distress, depression and alcohol use. Data collected showed:
The Yoga Foundation classes are a good self-help strategy for managing mental health in homeless and disadvantaged persons;
mental health benefits were the most frequently reported benefit of the yoga classes; and
43% reported being more confident to engage in other support services after attending the Yoga Foundation classes
Read the final evaluation report on our key services here.
Research studies
As well as quality service delivery, The Yoga Foundation is committed to being involved in the development of an evidence base for the benefits of yoga among various groups. As part of this commitment, Founding Director Michael de Manincor, PhD in yoga and mental health, conducted two studies through the National Institute of Complementary Medicine at the University of Western Sydney.
The first study sought to gain a consensus statement from experienced yoga teachers throughout the world on recommended approaches and techniques to include or avoid in yoga practices for people with depression or anxiety. The results of this study were used to develop Yoga for Mental Health Intervention Guidelines which have been presented at International Yoga Therapy and Positive Psychology conferences and published in the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine Journal.
The second study was a randomised clinical trial to evaluate the benefits of individualised yoga in addition to conventional or usual mental health care, for reducing depression and anxiety and improving well-being. This study and the results have been published in the journal Depression and Anxiety.
Research studies which support The Yoga Foundation’s work
Worldwide, yoga is gaining popularity as an accessible, acceptable, and cost-effective practice for mind and body. People are turning to yoga for mental health improvement because of preferences for: self-treatment as opposed to clinical intervention; perceived greater efficacy than medication; fewer side effects; lack of response to medication. Yoga has minimal side effects and is cost-effective in comparison with pharmacological treatments and psychotherapy. Yoga’s added benefit is that it improves physical fitness and encourages self-reliance.
We’ve aggregrated some of the most important yoga research here:
Yoga for At Risk Youth
Adolescent is a unique time of change and vulnerability. There is increasing evidence on the efficacy of yoga based interventions for young people affected by mental health challenges, disadvantage and/or addiction. Click here for an overview of key research and findings.
Yoga for Psychiatric Patients
Recent studies have shown that yoga can be an effective intervention for psychiatric patients across many areas including anxiety, depression, fear of falls, quality of life, and more. One study found that psychiatric patients participating in yoga showed a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms after their first yoga session, with 47% feeling less afraid and 76% feeling more relaxed (Bukar et al., 2019). The patients planned to use both yoga and meditation as coping skills after being discharged. Click here for our literature review.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
There is limited research in yoga for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; we have collated a summary of relevant findings and interesting articles here.
Domestic Violence Survivors/Women at-risk
Contemporary Yoga as Agent of Healing for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
This 2019 in depth study utilises an “interdisciplinary framework to analyse how and why the practice of yoga encourages personal growth, self-acceptance, and mindfulness, all of which help survivors rebuild their lives. The research uses the lenses of trauma and resilience theory to provide insight into how survivors of IPV integrate their experiences into a healthy post-trauma life”.
The study concludes that “there are very few resources for survivors long-term, that is, after they leave the abusive relationship”. Her research and personal experience shows that yoga provides an extensive number of benefits for a survivor’s mind and body. It should be a fundamental tool for survivors after leaving the toxic relationship. “Yoga therapy groups will provide peace, comfort, and support for survivors. When a survivor thinks positively and feels physically fit, she will have a greater sense of well-being.”
The women who participated in this 2013 study reported that yoga was beneficial for managing their stress levels and as an aid to get them out of the house, into a safe space where they feel a sense of connectedness with others. The techniques the women learned from yoga helped them focus their energy into positive thoughts instead of being consumed by negative thinking, which is common in those suffering from depression. The women also reported an enhanced sense of self-esteem and competence after completing the 8-week program.
Yoga as an adjunct to trauma-focused counselling for survivors of sexual violence: a qualitative study
Although evidence exists for the therapeutic effectiveness of yoga for people with a range of mental health difficulties, further research is necessary to determine its contribution to recovery from sexual violence. This 2018 study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the experience of a group-based Forrest yoga programme for woman recovering from experiences of sexual violence. The main themes to emerge were: the importance of being in a group; yoga as a means of facilitating personal learning and change; yoga as an on-going resource for living. These findings indicate that women recovering from rape and sexual abuse may experience yoga as a potentially valuable adjunct to counselling.
This study considers the effects yoga has on women who have experienced domestic abuse, resulting in anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The women participated in a 12-week yoga intervention once a week for 30-40 minutes after their group therapy session. Following the 12 weeks, the women reported that the intervention was meaningful and would benefit others.
Research of interest
The Use of Yoga, Meditation, Mantram, and Mindfulness to Enhance Coping in Veterans with PTSD
This study looks at 6 research studies, conducted from 2011 – 2013, examining the effect yoga, meditation, mantram, and mindfulness have on active duty and retired military personnel. Results show a significant decrease in stress and anxiety levels, daytime dysfunction, hyperarousal, depression, negative thinking, and symptoms of PTSD.
Managing Mental Health Disorders Resulting from Trauma through Yoga: A Review
This review article evaluates 11 research studies where mental health disorders resulting from trauma is being managed using yoga and meditation. The trauma they are referring to includes, natural disasters, motor vehicle accidents, child abuse, war, torture, rape and sexual assault, interpersonal traumas, etc. The review found that yoga helped the trauma victims gain a positive mental state, changing their negative thoughts into positive ones. There was also evidence that regular meditators exhibit higher plasma dopamine levels.
Yoga in an Urban School for Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Feasible Study
This study looks at the effects that yoga has on children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Most traditional special education programs do not take in consideration of the needs of children with emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD). During the 3 ½ month intervention, the children participated in yoga twice a week. 80% of the children said they were very satisfied with the intervention and the teachers reported improved attention in class.
The goal of this study was to examine the effects of yoga alone in 20 patients diagnosed with panic disorder, while also examining the effects of yoga combined with psychotherapy. The researchers found significant reductions in anxiety levels using yoga alone but saw even further reductions when yoga was occupied by psychotherapy.
This article reviews the psychological effects of meditation and yoga on neurotransmitters, using EEG and fMRI. They found evidence that meditation may encourage the growth of new neurons.
Yoga on Our Minds: A Systematic Review of Yoga for Neuropsychiatric Disorders
The article reviews several studies that investigated the effects of yoga as treatment for psychiatric disorders such as, schizophrenia, depression, sleep complaints and ADHD. Sixteen studies were reviewed, supporting the claim that there are benefits using yoga to help control these psychiatric disorders. The studies supported the claims, but the studies only looked at yoga as being secondary to tradition medicines.
Findings from a Pilot Prison Yoga Program in Australia
International research provides support for yoga as a well-being intervention in prison. In 2017 The Yoga Foundation supported an 8-week pilot for male adult prisoners in the ACT. The aim was to measure the impact on mental and physical well-being and was the first Australian clinical trial evaluating such a program. The findings indicate that participants attained statistically and clinically significant benefit from the program, demonstrated by improvements in their levels of depression, anxiety, self-esteem, goal-direction, negative affect, and non-acceptance. They also reported improved flexibility, sleep and relaxation, pain reduction, and identified improvements in their mental well-being, commenting that the program made them feel “calm” and “at peace.” These are important outcomes because they are all crucial for the healthy functioning of the prison, and prisoners’ ability to build strong relationships after release. The research was published in the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology and is summarised in this article.