A Quick Mashup of the Latest Research on the Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is finally getting massive medical attention in the West, and yours truly couldn’t be more delighted. Because holistic health is pretty much my ultimate special interest these days, I decided to see what was up with the latest research news.

Here are six studies that once more underscore the benefits of a regular yoga practice. Get inspired and talk to your mat today.

1. Yoga Improves Immunity and Metabolic Markers Among Medical Students

While my failure to attend medical school remains among my greatest life regrets, I’m pretty sure that few people experience more psychic stress than those cramming for finals, especially when said exam involves literally cutting into another person’s body. Talk about pressure! I suddenly hear Queen and David Bowie.

Such intense effort is sure to wreak at least a little havoc on your immune system, and how many hard-grinding students complain about frequent colds or stress-related weight gain? However, one recent study in Nature followed 37 medical students, 81% of whom were female, in a 10-week yoga intervention at the University of Pecs, Hungary. 

After the 10-week intervention, participants showed improved Immunoglobulin A levels, a protein that acts as one of your body’s first line of defense against germy invaders to the mucus membranes of your nose, throat and lungs. Furthermore, while there was no significant change in the participant’s total cholesterol levels, their HDL or “good” cholesterol significantly increased [1].

2. Yoga Protects Your Brain as You Age

Yoga doesn’t only make your limbs more flexible. It may also keep your brain sharper as you age.

A recent article published by the American Heart Association reviews multiple yoga studies. It found evidence that this ancient practice may preserve gray matter and offset neurodegenerative decline, even better than other exercise forms. Researchers point to factors including the break yoga provides from stress and tension, as well as the mind-body connection fostered by this unique form of physical movement. [2]

3. Pair Yoga With More Structured Exercise for the Best Heart Health Results

While I may personally cast aspersions on whether or not the researchers behind the next study have ever gone on an Ashtanga retreat, a recent article in Science Direct states that yoga may not be as effective as other exercise forms at protecting your heart. Tai chi, Pilates and HIIT consistently outperform yoga in improving vascular function — the health of your blood vessels.

The study’s authors recommend combining yoga with more vigorous exercise forms if your goal is to maximize your cardiovascular benefits. However, they also state that yoga alone is better than no movement at all. [3]

4. However, Yoga Still Improves Heart Health

That’s also not to say that you reap zero heart benefits from yoga — they just might not be as pronounced as they would be with a combination exercise approach. A recent article in Harvard Health reviewed dozens of studies. It found that yoga can decrease body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat percentage while improving blood pressure and cholesterol numbers. [4]

It helps to look at your heart health holistically. Yes, vigorous exercise gets it pumping, which puts moderate stress on your veins and arteries, improving your blood vessels. However, your heart is an electrochemical organ, meaning various other factors impact its function, from hormones to peptides. Stress also impacts your ticker, and few exercise forms are as effective at easing stress as yoga.

5. Can’t Sleep? Try High-Intensity Yoga

A recent meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials showed that of all forms of activity, regular, intense yoga was the most associated with improved sleep. It beat out walking, resistance training, a combination exercise approach, tai chi, and qi gong. [5]

Interesting. The next time I can’t sleep, maybe I’ll pop on one of our MSM yoga videos, which have recently moved over to Patreon, along with some other fabulous bonus flows. This series was specifically designed to segue from Hatha yoga to restorative and closes with a brief meditation, which might be just what I need the next time I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back under.

6. And Finally Yes, Talking to Your Mat Will Likely Boost Your Mood

Yoga really is about the best all-around health intervention you can find for free. It makes me eternally grateful for all the enlightened ancestors who had sufficient wisdom to put together at least something of an owner’s manual for the human mind and body, unlike modern society, which seems to regard the magnificent creation that is homo sapiens as utterly disposable.

When I had absolutely nothing else, I had my mat. I love yoga for that reason. I also love it because it proves for once, my weirdo autistic self wasn’t “crazy.” I just process emotions somatically, which is an unfortunate curse to have in a society that wants to keep women as small, still, stationary, shrinking and silent as possible. Study after study, including this brief 2-week one, supports what my cells have always known: yoga eases everything from pain to insomnia to anxiety to depression.

This study, recently published in Frontiers in Medicine, added more evidence to the growing pile. It followed women with chronic pain for two weeks as they participated in a 60-minute Hatha yoga session twice per week. Despite the short study duration, participants who actively engaged in this intervention showed improvements in reported pain, sleep issues, depression, and anxiety. [6]

The Latest in Yoga Research

Yoga has oodles of benefits that Western medicine has only begun to explore. This mind-body activity proves time and again to be one of the most positive, free things you can do to boost your health, and nearly anyone can do it. Catch one of our free flows on YouTube or simply talk to your mat as your body feels called to do so. Thousands of years of proof of yoga’s perks can’t be wrong, and modern science now bears out ancient wisdom.

References:

[1] Chauhan, Shalini, et. al. “An exploratory study on the changes in immune and metabolic parameters by 10 weeks of yoga intervention among medical students.” Nature. November 5, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2026, from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-22421-4

[2] American Heart Association. “Yoga isn’t just for flexibility. It may also protect brain health.” AHA. September 9, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2026, from: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2025/09/09/yoga-isnt-just-for-flexibility-it-may-also-protect-brain-health

[3] University of Sharjah. “Yoga Isn’t as Heart-Healthy as You Think, New Study Reveals.” Science Direct. September 30, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2026, from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250930034240.htm

[4] Corliss, Julie. “More than a stretch: How yoga can improve heart health.” Harvard Health. July 1, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2026, from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/more-than-a-stretch-how-yoga-can-enhance-heart-health

[5] Cassella, Carly. “One form of exercise improves sleep the most, study finds.” Science Alert. November 22, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2026, from: https://www.sciencealert.com/one-form-of-exercise-improves-sleep-the-most-study-finds



[6] Andrade, Alexandro, et. al. “Immediate effects of yoga on anxiety, depression, and sleep on women with chronic pain in a rural community setting: a pilot feasibility study.” Frontiers in Medicine. November 2, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2026, from: https://www.sciencealert.com/one-form-of-exercise-improves-sleep-the-most-study-finds