The effects of different components of yoga: A review of comparative studies and meta-analyses

Abstract

Traditional yoga encompasses a variety of practices, such as physical postures, breathing techniques, meditation practices, and ethical teachings. Numerous studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated yoga’s efficacy in promoting mental and physical health. Conversely, little is known about how the diverse components of yoga contribute to its overall effect. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on the differential and incremental effects of yoga components. We evaluated 18 comparative studies and 16 meta-analyses that conducted relevant subgroup analyses. These studies and meta-analyses examined a multitude of variables and varied greatly with regard to population, study design, and yoga components under investigation. Some meta-analyses included other mind–body interventions, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Nonetheless, combined interventions incorporating multiple components consistently outperformed simpler interventions. Adding breathing and/or meditation practices to yoga interventions proved particularly beneficial in this regard. However, specific components or combinations were more effective in enhancing certain variables or clinical conditions, suggesting a need for custom-tailored programs. Similarly complex mind–body interventions, such as yoga and MBSR, were often equally efficient. Still, most findings remain preliminary and more research is needed. The ethical component of yoga is particularly underresearched. Future studies should isolate and compare all of yoga’s components and evaluate additive effects by investigating different combinations of components. We encourage researchers to refer to theoretical frameworks, use rigorous methodology, and take into account individual factors.

Differential Effects of Ethical Education, Physical Hatha Yoga, and Mantra Meditation on Well-Being and Stress in Healthy Participants—An Experimental Single-Case Study

“…It is not easy to compare our findings to results of earlier studies. Although there have been some comparative or dismantling studies (Matko et al, 2021a), no study employed an additive design comparable to ours. Most studies compared rather complex interventions with each other, and only a few actually dismantled or added program components (e.g., Smith et al, 2011;Hunt et al, 2018).…”

“…A recent review summarized comparative studies and meta-analyses of the effects of yoga components (Matko et al, 2021a ). The authors concluded that although most of the treatments compared were equal in length, outcomes were better for those that combined several elements of yoga practice.…”

“…Both yoga theory and research literature suggest that combined interventions should be more effective than simple interventions. Yet, research findings were inconclusive on determining what specific combinations were best for what purpose (Matko et al, 2021a ). Consequently, we chose an additive design and designed four conditions (see below).…”

Effectiveness of Yoga Training on the Health-related Physical Fitness and Balance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Yoga, a mind-body exercise involving stretching, focus, and controlled breathing, has demonstrated bene ts for physical and mental health, including in healthy individuals [22,23]. Research indicates positive effects of yoga interventions on factors like cardiorespiratory endurance, exibility, muscular endurance, and balance in children [24].…”

Embodied Instruction: An Exploration and Qualitative Comparison of Expression and Performance of Yoga Instruction

“…Scholars often discuss that yoga treats mind, body, and spirit as an integrated unit Tyberg (1940). The four main components of yoga in schools are voluntary breathing, purposeful movement, mindful meditation and relaxation (Butzer et al, 2015;Matko et al, 2021).…”