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THERAPIES & TRADITIONS · GUIDE

Yoga and the Brain: What Imaging Studies Show and Do Not Show

What brain-scan studies of yoga have reported, how small and varied they are, and why a difference on a scan is not the same as proof of a health benefit.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

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Why people look at the brain

Researchers use brain scans to look for physical traces of a practice. MRI looks at the size of brain regions, fMRI and EEG record activity, and spectroscopy measures some brain chemicals. This page summarizes what reviews and small trials of yoga have reported with these tools. A scan describes the brain; it does not tell you whether you will feel or function better.

What the reviews found

3 findings · 3 limited or unclearThe colour follows the evidence label on each card.

  1. Gothe and colleagues, 2019

    11 studies of yoga and brain structure, function and blood flow

    What it reported: A positive effect on the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex and the default mode network, described as promising early evidence [1]

  2. van Aalst and colleagues, 2020

    34 neuroimaging studies of yoga practitioners

    What it reported: Consistent findings of more gray matter in the insula and hippocampus, more prefrontal activation and changes in default mode network connectivity; but variable results, small samples and few comparator groups such as physical activity [2]

  3. Stoelers and colleagues, 2026

    23 neuroimaging studies in healthy people

    What it reported: Yoga may have multiple effects, but results varied with sample, study design and the lack of a consistent definition of yoga and its distinction from meditation [3]

Experienced practitioners compared with other people

One study used MRI to compare gray matter in yoga practitioners and controls. Controls showed the usual age-related decline in global gray matter while yogis did not, and years of yoga experience and weekly hours of practice correlated with volume in several regions. [4] The authors suggested yoga may protect the brain against age-related decline. [4]

This kind of comparison cannot show that yoga caused the difference. People who take up and keep a yoga practice may differ from others in activity, health or lifestyle. Treat it as a correlation.

Randomized trials with scans

Randomized trials are better suited to asking what yoga changes, but the ones we found were very small.
3 findings · 3 limited or unclearThe colour follows the evidence label on each card.

  1. Krause-Sorio and colleagues, 2022

    The memory-training group showed gray matter reductions in several regions compared with yoga; right hippocampal volume rose after yoga but did not survive correction [5]

    Design: 22 older women with memory complaints and heart-disease risk factors; Kundalini yoga with Kirtan Kriya versus memory training for 12 weeks

  2. Ibrahim and colleagues, 2022

    Right hippocampal volume increased in the yoga group (P = 0.034) [6]

    Design: 11 healthy older adults; Kundalini yoga versus psychoeducation

  3. Yang and colleagues, 2016

    Structural and chemical changes were linked to memory training; the authors said more research is needed to see whether mind-body practices like yoga yield similar changes [7]

    Design: 25 older adults with mild cognitive impairment; memory training versus Kundalini yoga

Evidence label: promising but limited. These are pilot-scale studies. The abstracts we read do not state who funded them, and brain measures were the outcome, not memory, daily function or whether anyone developed dementia.

Brain chemistry

One randomized study used scans to measure GABA, a brain chemical, in healthy adults after yoga or walking, and reported correlations between GABA changes and mood changes. [8] See how yoga may work for what that does and does not show.

What imaging does not show

  • Cause. Comparisons of practitioners with non-practitioners show association only.
  • Size and duration. Samples of 11 to 25 people are too small to generalize from, and the trials above ran 12 weeks.
  • What yoga is. The reviews noted differing yoga styles and approaches, and no consistent definition of yoga or clear line from meditation. [3] [2]
  • Whether yoga beats other activity. Direct comparators such as physical activity have been scarcely used. [2]
  • Meaning. A bigger or more active region is not automatically better health.

Proper evidence not found that yoga prevents dementia or other brain disease. I searched PubMed on 2026-10-22 for yoga with brain-imaging terms and found reviews and small trials that measured scans, not diagnoses. For trial evidence on thinking and memory, see yoga for cognitive health and healthy aging.

Frequently asked questions

Does yoga change the brain?

Some imaging studies report differences in regions such as the hippocampus and insula, but samples are small and results vary. [2]

Does yoga make the hippocampus bigger?

Two small randomized trials of Kundalini yoga reported right hippocampal findings: one was statistically significant in 11 people, and the other did not survive correction. [6] [5] It is not settled.

Does yoga prevent dementia?

Proper evidence not found. The imaging studies we read measured brain structure, not dementia diagnoses.

Is a bigger brain region a health benefit?

Not necessarily. The reviews described variable findings and called for better definitions and comparators. [3] [2]

Is yoga different from meditation on a scan?

It is hard to say. A 2026 review pointed to the lack of a consistent definition of yoga and of its distinction from meditation. [3] See yoga and meditation together.

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

A note on safety
Imaging studies do not change the usual cautions. If you have a medical condition, read who should check with a clinician before yoga.
References
  1. Gothe NP, Khan I, Hayes J et al. Yoga Effects on Brain Health: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature. Brain plasticity (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 2019. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  2. van Aalst J, Ceccarini J, Demyttenaere K et al. What Has Neuroimaging Taught Us on the Neurobiology of Yoga? A Review. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience 2020. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  3. Stoelers L, Arias-Sánchez S, Domínguez P et al. How yoga shapes the brain: a systematic review. Frontiers in neuroscience 2026. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  4. Villemure C, Čeko M, Cotton VA et al. Neuroprotective effects of yoga practice: age-, experience-, and frequency-dependent plasticity. Frontiers in human neuroscience 2015. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  5. Krause-Sorio B, Siddarth P, Kilpatrick L et al. Yoga Prevents Gray Matter Atrophy in Women at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD 2022. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  6. Ibrahim M, Therriault J, Nair VP et al. Kundalini Yoga Intervention Increases Hippocampal Volume in Older Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. International journal of yoga 2022. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  7. Yang H, Leaver AM, Siddarth P et al. Neurochemical and Neuroanatomical Plasticity Following Memory Training and Yoga Interventions in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment. Frontiers in aging neuroscience 2016. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
  8. Streeter CC, Whitfield TH, Owen L et al. Effects of yoga versus walking on mood, anxiety, and brain GABA levels: a randomized controlled MRS study. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) 2010. Abstract read via PubMed 2026-10-22.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.