Yoga is a practice originating in India which usually consists of physical exercises (stretches or asanas), breathing techniques and meditation or relaxation. It is taught in yoga classes or on a one-to-one basis, can be practised by the individual or is incorporated into stress management programmes. Yoga is claimed to have a range of physical, psychological and spiritual benefits.
Anxiety and depression
Evidence from four systematic reviews (SRs) suggests that yoga is associated with improvements in psychological well-being among individuals with cancer.
Yoga reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, with benefits observed across different cancer populations and intervention formats. Improvements may be particularly pronounced among patients undergoing active cancer treatment.
Yoga may also enhance emotional and spiritual well-being, although evidence does not support clear benefits for stress or mindfulness.
Fatigue
Evidence from one Cochrane SR is mixed.
During anticancer treatment, yoga has not demonstrated clear or clinically meaningful benefits for fatigue, and the certainty of evidence is low.
After completion of treatment, yoga is likely to reduce fatigue in the short term, although longer-term effects remain uncertain.
Pain
Current evidence from one SR does not indicate a significant effect of yoga, and confidence in the available evidence is limited.
Sleep disturbances
Based on evidence from three SRs, yoga may improve subjective sleep quality and reduce sleep disturbances, although the magnitude of benefit is generally small and the certainty of evidence is low. Benefits are less apparent when yoga is compared with active interventions.
Evidence for objective sleep outcomes is sparse and inconsistent, with only limited indications of improvement in specific sleep parameters.
Safety
Yoga is generally considered safe for healthy individuals when practised appropriately and under the supervision of a qualified instructor. As any form of exercise, it carries a risk of injury and the most commonly reported adverse events are minor musculoskeletal injuries, particularly sprains and strains.
Certain populations including older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions including cancer might require modifications to or omission of specific postures, breathing techniques, or other practices.
Description
Yoga is a mind–body practice rooted in Indian philosophy. It combines physical postures (asanas), controlled breathing techniques (pranayama), meditation, and relaxation aimed at improving physical, mental, and spiritual health. [WHO]
It is considered both a physical fitness activity and a therapeutic intervention. Yoga styles vary widely from gentle, restorative approaches (e.g., Hatha, Yin) to vigorous, dynamic forms (e.g., Vinyasa, Ashtanga). In therapeutic contexts, yoga is adapted to individual needs, often focusing on gentle movement, breath awareness, and mindfulness.
Background
The word yoga derives from the Sanskrit root “yuj” which can be translated as to bind or yoke together and refers to the supposed union between mind, body and spirit (Feuerstein 2001). Yoga originated in India as a system of spiritual, moral, and physical practices aimed at self-awareness (Riley 2004).
Early studies examined physiological effects such as heart rate and blood pressure (Wenger 1961), followed by trials on hypertension (Patel 1975a,b) and psychological aspects (Malhotra 1963). In the West, yoga was initially popularized as primarily a fitness workout. In the 1980s–1990s, Dean Ornish published his research findings on how intensive lifestyle changes including yoga, meditation, and diet could reverse coronary heart disease. (Ornish 1983, 1990).
The establishment of the International Association of Yoga Therapists in 1989 marks the beginning of standardizing training and transforming yoga into a therapeutic intervention. Clinical trials have explored yoga for various medical conditions (Khalsa 2004; Saper 2004). Yoga’s popularity has continued to rise in the West, with widespread classes offering many variations on the traditional practice.
Alleged Indications
Generally yoga is aimed at stress relief; enhanced emotional and mental well-being; improved sleep, balance, and fitness. It is also used to manage pain conditions, in particular it is recognized by the American College of Physicians and NICE for managing chronic low-back pain. (NCCIH NIH 2026)
In a cancer-specific context, yoga practices are adapted to support people during and after cancer treatment. The aim is to improve quality of life by reducing fatigue, stress, pain, and anxiety, and enhance sleep, mood, and physical functioning. (Cramer 2017)
Application and providers
Yoga can be delivered in group classes, one-on-one sessions, or home-based online sessions. In clinical or supportive care settings, yoga is typically offered as yoga therapy, which involves personalized sequences designed to address specific symptoms or conditions.
A typical session lasts 60–90 minutes with commonly 1–2 sessions per week in clinical programs, though daily short practices of 10–20 minutes are encouraged for ongoing benefit.
Cancer-specific protocols like YOCAS© (Yoga for Cancer Survivors) typically include gentle physical postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation or meditation techniques tailored to individual abilities and medical conditions. (Mustian 2013) These interventions often run for 6–12 weeks, with sessions scheduled weekly or bi-weekly.
Mechanisms of Action
The main mechanisms of action have been described as:
- Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to decreased stress and lower heart rate.
- Combined physical exertion and meditative focus improving mobility, balance, and psychological resilience.
- Facilitating mind–body regulation via stress reduction, enhanced sleep, and better coping strategies—especially in chronic disease and cancer.
Legal Issues
There are no uniform standards in curricula, certification and institutional governance of yoga. Significant variation exists between countries in yoga training programmes and regulation of yoga teachers is currently voluntary. It is provided through a number of organisations including the International Association of Yoga Therapists, which requires a minimum of 800 hours over two years and provides training with a curriculum centred on yoga therapy principles and clinical applications. The European Union of Yoga (EUY) requires 500 hours of training focusing on asana, pranayama, meditation and pedagogy.
A WHO technical report outlines training models, core competencies, and learning pathways for providing yoga services as a health intervention. Its emphasis is on patient safety and professional ethics, and it suggests minimum requirements. It also serves as a reference toolkit for professional educational institutions offering yoga training programmes and for national authorities to establish standards in courses, curricula, accreditation and licensing.
This evidence summary is based on systematic reviews (SRs) published between January 2021 and 2026, which were retrieved through systematic literature searches. It assesses whether yoga can improve various cancer-related symptoms:
CAM Cancer appraised the quality of the SRs with the AMSTAR2 tool and only included SRs of moderate or high quality, while SRs of low or critically low quality were excluded. The full description of the included studies can be viewed in the evidence tables.
Yoga is generally regarded as safe for healthy individuals when practised appropriately and under the supervision of a qualified instructor.
Adverse events
Like any form of exercise, it carries a risk of injury. The most commonly reported yoga-related adverse events are minor musculoskeletal injuries, particularly sprains and strains.
Serious injuries are uncommon, and the overall risk of injury appears to be lower than that associated with many higher-impact sports and recreational activities.
A systematic review of the safety of yoga including 301 RCTs found no differences in the frequency of intervention-related, nonserious or serious adverse events, and no differences in dropouts due to adverse events when comparing yoga with usual care or exercise. The frequency of adverse events in the yoga groups was 2.2%,10.9%, and 0.6% for intervention-related, nonserious, and serious adverse events, respectively. (Cramer 2015) Compared with psychological or educational interventions, more intervention-related adverse events and more nonserious adverse events occurred in the yoga group while serious adverse events and dropouts due to adverse events were comparable between groups. However, the authors highlight that only a third of the RCTs reported sufficient safety data to be included in the analysis. Adverse events may be underreported and risks cannot be assessed conclusively.
Contraindications and warnings
In general, certain populations including older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions might require modifications to specific postures, breathing techniques, or other practices. Some elements of yoga might be contraindicated depending on the individual's health status. Upon the advice of the primary healthcare professional.
Specific considerations in cancer patients should be given to:
- Patients with bone metastases are at increased risk of pathological fractures and spinal cord compression.
- Severe thrombocytopenia increases the risk of bleeding and bruising, while severe neutropenia significantly increases susceptibility to infection.
- Peripheral neuropathy can impair sensation, balance, coordination, and proprioception, increasing the risk of falls and injury.
- Recent surgical sites, healing tissues, open wounds, ports, drains, or other medical devices may be vulnerable to disruption or injury.
Interactions
None known.
Systematic reviews of yoga for anxiety and depression
Systematic reviews of yoga for fatigue
Systematic reviews of yoga for pain
Systematic reviews of yoga for sleep disturbances
Cheng, H., Zhou, Z., Wang, H., & Hang, X. (2025). Optimizing yoga interventions for mental health in cancer survivors: A quantitative assessment of dose, duration, and subgroup effects: A Bayesian and dose–response meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology, 34, e70222. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70222
Cramer H, Lauche R, Klose P, Lange S, Langhorst J, Dobos GJ. Yoga for improving health-related quality of life, mental health and cancer-related symptoms in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;1:Cd010802.
Cramer H, Ward L, Saper R, Fishbein D, Dobos G, Lauche R. The safety of Yoga: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Epidemiol. 2015;182(4):281–93. doi: 10.1093/aje/ kwv071.
Danon, N., Al‐Gobari, M., Burnand, B., & Rodondi, P.‐Y. (2022). Are mind–body therapies effective for relieving cancer‐related pain in adults? A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Psycho‐Oncology, 31(3), 345–371. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5821
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Gonzalez M, Pascoe MC, Yang G, de Manincor M, Grant S, Lacey J, Firth J, & Sarris J (2021). Yoga for depression and anxiety symptoms in people with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology, 30(8), 1196–1208. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5671
Han J, Shi M, Bi L-N, Wang, L.-l, & Cai Y-x. (2023a). Efficacy of mind–body therapies for sleep disturbance in patients with early-stage cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology, 32(9), 1315–1338. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.6187.pdf
Han, J., Cheng, H.-L., Bi, L.-N., & Molasiotis, A. (2023b). Mind-body therapies for sleep disturbance among patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 75, 102954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102954
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Citation
CAM Cancer Collaboration. Yoga [online document], August 31st, 2026.
Document history
Latest update by CAM Cancer Collaboration in August 2026. Revised and updated in November 2021, November 2019, August 2015 by Karen Pilkington.
Summary first published in June 2013, authored by Karen Pilkington.
Next update due: August 2029
Photo: mp65468702 from Mostphotos.com, licence via UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
