Therapeutic and Medical Yoga Styles: What "Yoga Therapy" Means

Three things people call "yoga therapy"

The words are used loosely. Reading across the sources, at least three different things carry the label:

1. A therapeutic class. An ordinary or condition-specific group class (for example for cancer survivors, chronic pain or pregnancy) taught by a yoga teacher. A 2017 magazine article for dietitians says such classes can be therapeutic and possibly effective but do not meet the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) definition and standards for "yoga therapy". [1]
2. Yoga therapy as the IAYT defines it. The IAYT defines it as the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of yoga. [1]
3. Named clinical programs. Some groups build structured programs for health care use. One example is the Medical Yoga Standardized Intervention (MOSI) framework, published in 2026 by Swedish authors, which was proposed to address differences between yoga interventions in health care. [2] It is a proposed framework; I did not find trial evidence for the framework as a whole. Proper evidence not found.

No single official "medical yoga" style was found in the sources I read.

How yoga therapy is described

The same 2017 article describes yoga therapy as delivered in a series of sessions, typically one-to-one or in small groups, beginning with an intake and assessment interview to learn the person's needs. [1] It says yoga therapy integrates traditional practices with modern medical and psychological knowledge, and that physical postures may be only a small part of one person's plan. [1] The article was written by a fitness instructor and health care researcher, and it is a secondary source from 2017. Check current definitions with the organization itself; I could not open the IAYT website (access was blocked).

Yoga therapy is a modern field built on older practice: the article calls it modern and still emerging. [1] Yoga itself is rooted in Indian philosophy. [3]

What the research literature does with the term

A 2026 scoping review looked at yoga therapy in US clinical research from 2016 to 2024. [4]

• Of 22 US-based studies, 6 (27%) defined yoga therapy and 5 (23%) distinguished it from general yoga practice. [4]
• Individualized assessment was reported in 12 (55%), and goal setting in 5 (23%). [4]
• Yoga therapists delivered the intervention in 13 studies (59%), and only 4 (18%) reported certification. [4]

So a trial titled "yoga therapy" may be a standard class. That is why the evidence pages on this site name the style, dose and population instead of relying on the label. NCCIH notes that differences in the types of yoga used in research may affect study results. [3]

What the evidence says for common uses

These are findings about yoga in general, not proof that a credentialed "therapist" does better.

1. Low back pain

   Promising but limited

   NCCIH says a large amount of research suggests a slight benefit. [3]

2. Depression

   Promising but limited

   A 2020 review of 7 studies found small additional benefit when added to other treatment. [3]

3. Anxiety disorders

   Mixed

   A Kundalini yoga trial improved generalized anxiety symptoms but was less helpful than cognitive behavioral therapy. [3]

4. PTSD

   Insufficient evidence

   A 2018 evaluation found only low-quality evidence of possible benefit. [3]

Comparisons of yoga therapy delivered by credentialed therapists with ordinary classes: Proper evidence not found. I searched PubMed for yoga therapy definitions, scope and standards and found the scoping review above, but no trial comparing the two directly.