Yoga guide
After a concussion, rest for the first 24 to 48 hours, then start moving again: strict rest until every symptom has gone doesn't help, and light activity such as walking or a static bike helps people recover sooner. Gentle yoga can fit those early stages if you keep your head up, your eyes open and your effort low, and stop if your symptoms rise by more than 2 points out of 10. But no good trial has tested yoga after a concussion, and in the trials that sped recovery, gentle stretching was the slower comparison group.
This guide covers the first days, when yoga fits the UK's stages, which poses and breathing practices to leave out and why, dizziness, the neck and headaches, sleep and mood, what the evidence shows, the warning signs that need 999 or NHS 111, and a free 15-minute head-up class. It goes alongside the graduated return in our exercise after a concussion guide, never instead of it.
The UK concussion guidelines: "All those suspected of sustaining a concussion should be assessed by an appropriate onsite Healthcare Professional or by accessing the NHS by calling 111 within 24 hours of the injury." Call 999 for any of the red flags below.
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Rest and sleep as you need to; easy daily activities and short walks are fine, and screens should be kept to a minimum. A few minutes of slow, easy breathing sitting up counts as an easy activity (our reading).
The international consensus: "The best available evidence shows that recommending strict rest until the complete resolution of concussion-related symptoms is not beneficial". Across 7 studies, early activity or exercise shortened recovery by about 4.6 days.
The trials that sped recovery used light aerobic exercise, and gentle stretching was the comparison group, which recovered more slowly (a median of 17 days against 13). Keep walking or a static bike as your main activity, with yoga alongside (our reading).
The evidence is pilots and uncontrolled studies, mostly in people with symptoms lasting months. A 2021 review of 20 small studies of meditation, yoga and mindfulness found a small to moderate benefit, with "lack of randomisation, blinding, and recording of adverse events".
Our suggestion, timed to the UK guidelines, which start sport training "once not experiencing symptoms at rest from the recent concussion". One brain injury yoga programme adapts its classes "without inversions"; no study has tested them after a concussion. Anything you could fall or be knocked in waits longer.
These are the lines from our exercise after a concussion guide, word for word. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
The UK guidelines call these red flags. They need urgent assessment, by ambulance if necessary. If a neck injury is suspected, only a trained healthcare professional should move the person.
Any red flag at any time, such as a severe or worsening headache, repeated vomiting, getting drowsier, or new weakness or double vision, means 999.
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The NHS (National Health Service): "Most head injuries are not serious, but it's important to get medical help for any symptoms. You might have concussion (a temporary brain injury) that can last a few weeks." You don't have to be knocked out: Headway says "only around 10% of reported concussions involve a loss of consciousness". Symptoms can be physical (headache, dizziness, feeling sick), in mood, in thinking and in sleep.
The UK guidelines: "Most symptoms of a concussion resolve by two to four weeks, but some can take longer." and "Although symptoms may resolve following a concussion, it takes longer for the brain to recover." Children and teenagers may take longer.
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A class can include head-down poses, upside-down poses, quick head turns and lying back fast, balances, fast breathing, heat, loud music, mirrors and screens. In the early weeks each can bring on a headache, dizziness or overload, and while your balance is off a fall or knock is a risk (our reading). Brain injury yoga programmes adapt classes "without inversions, with chairs as support, and with slow, repetitive instructions".
In 297 teenagers seen within 10 days of a concussion, 37% felt light-headed or dizzy on changing position, against 4% without one. In 117 people with a head injury, 21% developed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), spinning set off by head position, within 3 months. When symptoms last, the international consensus lists "dysautonomia, including orthostatic intolerance and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome" among things to check; in one US children's hospital, 11.4% of people with PoTS dated it to a concussion.
This page is for concussion (a mild traumatic brain injury). After a longer loss of consciousness, a scan showing damage or brain surgery, our exercise after a brain injury guide applies; NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) asks that people whose problems persist are referred "to a clinician trained in assessing and managing the consequences of traumatic brain injury". The jolt that causes whiplash can cause a concussion too; our yoga after whiplash guide covers the neck.
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The international consensus: "Relative (not strict) rest, which includes activities of daily living and reduced screen time, is indicated immediately and for up to the first 2 days after injury." The UK guidelines: "It is best to minimise any activity to 10 to 15-minute slots." Walking, reading and easy daily activities are fine if symptoms rise no more than mildly.
The UK guidelines: "Phone or computer screen time should be kept to the absolute minimum to help recovery." In a trial of 125 people aged 12 to 25, those told to use screens in the first 48 hours took longer to recover (a median of 8 days against 3.5). That includes follow-along yoga videos (our reading).
Not a class. A few minutes of slow, easy breathing sitting up, with your eyes open, is an easy activity (our reading). Headway describes mindfulness after brain injury as practices that are "shorter, simpler, less ‘wordy’ than traditional meditations".
The UK guidelines' six stages, with where yoga fits each one. The guidelines don't mention yoga, so the yoga in each stage is our suggestion; our exercise after a concussion guide has the stages in full.
"Progression through the stages below is dependent upon the activity not more than mildly exacerbating symptoms." If an activity makes symptoms more than mildly worse, rest until the next day. Get advice from NHS 111 if symptoms get worse or haven't improved by 14 days, and see a GP if they last beyond 28 days.
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Slow, easy breathing sitting up, for a few minutes. No class.
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The first block of our class: seated breathing, shoulder rolls and gentle spine movements, a few minutes at a time.
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The UK guidelines: "Brisk walks and low intensity, body weight resistance training are fine but no high intensity exercise or added weight resistance training." Our 15-minute head-up class fits here, alongside walking or a static bike.
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"Start training activities in chosen sport once not experiencing symptoms at rest from the recent concussion. It is important to avoid any training activities involving head impacts or where there may be a risk of head injury." This is when head-down poses, flowing classes and fuller practice can come back, building up gradually; still no arm balances, partner, acro or aerial yoga.
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"When free of symptoms at rest from the recent concussion for 14 days can consider commencing training activities involving head impacts or where there may be a risk of head injury." Then arm balances, partner, acro and aerial yoga can come back. Competition waits until day 21 at the earliest; if symptoms continue beyond 28 days, stay out of sport and see a GP.
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Before you start, score your worst symptom from 0 (none) to 10. A rise of no more than 2 points, settling within an hour, is acceptable, the international consensus says.
Stop and rest if your symptoms rise by more than 2 points out of 10, a new symptom starts, or the rise lasts more than an hour. Try again the next day at an easier level.
In the later stages, if symptoms come back, drop back to training with no risk of a knock to the head, and stop at once if they come back after a knock in training.
No adequately powered trial has tested yoga after a concussion. Light aerobic exercise and, for lasting symptoms, neck and balance rehabilitation carry the evidence.
In a meta-analysis of 7 studies, activity and prescribed exercise shortened recovery by 4.6 days on average (95% confidence interval 2.6 to 6.7 days). In a trial of 88 young people, "Recommending strict rest for adolescents immediately after concussion offered no added benefit over the usual care." Most of the evidence is in teenagers and young athletes.
In 103 teenagers, those who did light aerobic exercise recovered in a median of 13 days, against 17 with "a gentle, whole-body, progressive stretching program". In 118 teenagers, aerobic exercise about halved the risk of symptoms lasting beyond 28 days, with no adverse events. Reviews of 9 and 20 trials agree, with stretching among the comparison groups. The trials didn't test yoga, but they show gentle stretching on its own is the weaker choice.
Our searches of PubMed (77 records), Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov found no adequately powered randomised trial of yoga after a concussion.
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A 2021 meta-analysis of 20 studies (539 people) with lasting symptoms after mild brain injury found a small to moderate benefit overall, most for fatigue and low mood, but most studies weren't randomised or blinded, and it doesn't say how many were yoga. In a pilot of 6 young people, the authors call for "a larger sample and control group". In a 5-day video programme soon after concussion, 15 of 25 finished, and 1 stopped because symptoms got worse; with no comparison group, natural recovery explains much of the improvement. In an online pilot in women, 6 of 12 attended no sessions.
In 31 adults, a yoga programme made no difference to quality of life against a comparison group. In 23 adults, balance improved with yoga and with exercise alike. A 2026 review of 72 articles found mostly uncontrolled studies, and a 2026 Cochrane review of fatigue treatments after brain injury doesn't name yoga.
In 26 rugby players with lasting symptoms, symptoms fell with two breathing methods, with no non-breathing comparison. In a sham-controlled trial of heart rate biofeedback after brain injury, "Cognitive and emotional gains were observed in both groups." A 5-minute paced breathing exercise in 15 young people slow to recover was well tolerated, but "Three participants reported a mild increase in headache, dizziness, or nausea."
Our search of 149 records found no study of yoga inversions, headstands or forward bends after concussion, and no guideline mentions them. The only direct statement is a brain injury yoga programme's adaptation "without inversions". Leaving them out until you have no symptoms at rest is our suggestion, built on the stages, dizziness on changing position and BPPV.
"If dizziness, neck pain and/or headaches persist for more than 10 days, cervicovestibular rehabilitation is recommended." In a trial of 31 people, 73% of those given neck and balance physiotherapy were cleared within 8 weeks, against 7% without. A 2023 review supports it for teenagers and adults.
Slow breathing: 1 to 2 minutes sitting, eyes open, gently with no holds (our light exercise session after a concussion); keep the breaths small, because its move page says dizziness or tingling means you're breathing too deeply. Breath reach: 5 breaths, exhale longer than inhale (the move page's dose), arms to shoulder height. Shoulder rolls: 10 each way, head still; upper-back lift: 5 holds of 3 to 5 seconds; seated cat-cow: 6 slow rounds, small, head in line; thoracic rotation: 5 each side with 5-second holds, eyes on a point ahead (our yoga for vertigo class).
3D demoSlow breathing (6 breaths a minute)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoBreath reachBeginner · No equipment
3D demoShoulder rollsBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSeated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back)Beginner · A bench or box
3D demoCat-cowBeginner · No equipment
3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipmentSit to stand: 5 slow; mountain pose: 5 to 10 slow breaths, twice, eyes open, fingertips on the counter; chair pose: 3 holds of 10 to 15 seconds; warrior II: 3 breaths each side, short stance; calf raise: 8 to 10 (our yoga for vertigo class). March on the spot: 1 minute (our light exercise session).
3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoMountain pose (Tadasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoChair pose (Utkatasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWarrior II (Virabhadrasana II)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoSlow calf raiseBeginner · A wall
3D demoStanding marchBeginner · No equipmentOnly once lying down and getting up don't bring on symptoms. Bridge: 8 to 10, then roll onto your side and sit up slowly (our light exercise session). Corpse pose: 3 to 5 minutes, a folded towel under your head, eyes open if closing them brings on symptoms (our suggestion, at or below the low end of the move page's "at least 5 minutes, up to 10").
Only once a GP or physiotherapist has ruled out a neck injury, as our exercise after a concussion guide says. Neck movements: "With a sore neck, use separate nods, tilts and turns instead: the NHS leaflet holds each for 5 seconds, 5 times." (from the move page's dose); its page says dizziness, light-headedness or tingling into an arm are stop signs. Chin tuck: 5 slow; lying chin tuck: 5 gentle holds of up to 10 seconds (our yoga after whiplash class).
Our exercise after a concussion guide says the vertigo guide's balance exercises are for once a GP or physiotherapist has checked your dizziness. Semi-tandem stance: 2 holds of 20 seconds each side; tandem stance: hold 20 seconds, then 5 to 10 steps along the counter; tree pose: 3 breaths each side, heel against your ankle, fingertips on the counter (our yoga for vertigo class).
Until you have no symptoms at rest, unless the note says otherwise. Each is our suggestion, from the stages and the symptoms; none has been tested.
Downward dog, standing forward folds, sun salutations and deep hip hinges. For child's pose, rest your forehead on a block so your head stays level, or skip it.
Headstand, shoulder stand, plough, handstand and forearm stand. They also carry a risk of a fall or of loading the neck, so they wait until you've been free of symptoms at rest for 14 days.
With glaucoma, or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds. With osteoporosis, swap deep forward folds for a flat-back hinge from the hips, and twist smoothly. In pregnancy, our yoga in pregnancy guide covers the changes. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing.
Fish pose, camel and wheel: their pages already warn that with vertigo or BPPV these can bring on a spin. The NHS advises people with vertigo to "move your head carefully and slowly during daily activities".
Warrior III, half moon and crow: a fall risk while your balance is off. Do balances at a counter. The international consensus recommends early activity "while avoiding the risk of contact, collision or fall"; arm balances wait until you've been free of symptoms at rest for 14 days.
Kapalabhati, bhastrika, box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing: leave out in the early weeks, because dizziness is a common symptom and even a paced breathing exercise brought on mild symptoms in 3 of 15 young people.
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Wait until symptoms have settled, and keep screens to a minimum in the first 48 hours.
A fall or knock risk: wait until you've been free of symptoms at rest for 14 days, as the UK guidelines say for anything with a risk of a knock to the head.
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You can say no to any hands-on adjustment, and a teacher registered with Yoga Alliance must get your explicit consent each time.
After a head injury, ask for no adjustments to your head or neck (our suggestion).
If dizziness, neck pain or headaches last more than 10 days, physiotherapy for the neck and balance system is recommended, and helped people back to sport sooner in a small trial. More yoga isn't a substitute.
It can be BPPV, which followed 21% of head injuries in one study and is "often not diagnosed and treated until many weeks after the injury" in children. See a GP, who can test and treat it; our yoga for vertigo guide has the head-up class. The NHS advises people with vertigo to squat rather than bend over to pick things up.
Common after a concussion, and sometimes PoTS (postural tachycardia syndrome); one review suggests "emphasis on initial recumbent exercises" then. See a GP, and our yoga for PoTS guide.
Headaches can last months, the UK guidelines say: "Sometimes they are from a neck injury." Our yoga for headaches guide covers tension-type headaches and migraine.
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"Strict physical rest until symptom resolution is not effective, and sleep disturbance impairs recovery". A regular bedtime and a short, slow breathing practice sitting up can help you wind down (our suggestion).
Concussion can affect mood. Small studies of meditation, yoga and mindfulness suggest benefits for low mood and fatigue when symptoms last, but they are low quality. See a GP if low mood, anxiety or poor sleep isn't settling; our yoga for anxiety and sleep guide has gentle practices.
Fine once lying still and getting up don't bring on symptoms. Start short: long spoken practices can be hard to follow early on, and Headway's account favours ones that are "shorter, simpler, less ‘wordy’ than traditional meditations".
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Our head-up class is 15 minutes, sitting then standing at a counter, with a symptom check before and after; its structure is our editorial choice and hasn't been tested. Do the light exercise session (walking or cycling) as your main activity in stage 3. The vertigo and vestibular classes are for lasting dizziness once it's been checked, the whiplash class for the neck once a neck injury has been ruled out, and the breathing class without its breath holds.
A 15-minute head-up yoga class after a concussion: seated breathing and spine moves, then gentle standing poses at a counter, with a symptom check.
15 minBeginner12 movesA bench or box, A wallA 20-minute light session after a concussion: a symptom check, 10 to 15 minutes of easy cycling or walking, gentle bodyweight moves and a cool-down.
20 minBeginner8 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxA 20-minute yoga class for people who get dizzy: slow breathing and spine moves sitting down, then strength and balance at a counter, with no head-down poses.
20 minBeginner15 movesA bench or box, A wallA 15-minute routine for lasting dizziness from an inner-ear problem: the vertigo guide's head and eye exercises, then balance at a counter and a short walk.
15 minBeginner7 movesA wall, Cardio machineA 15-minute yoga class for the first weeks after whiplash: slow breathing, small separate neck movements, shoulders and upper back, seated and lying.
15 minBeginner12 movesNo equipmentA 6-minute breathing routine: slow breathing, crocodile breathing, alternate nostril breathing, box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing.
6 minBeginner5 movesNo equipmentThese are the warning signs from our exercise after a concussion guide and our yoga guides, word for word. The red flags are at the top of the page. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
If you're told to go to A&E, don't drive yourself there after a head injury.
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Within 24 hours for any suspected concussion, and if, after a head injury, you:
Concussion can affect your mood. If you are thinking about suicide or can't keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent help, call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, or in England call 111 and select the mental health option. In the US, call or text 988. Headway, the brain injury charity, runs a nurse-led helpline on 0808 800 2244, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a session, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use an easier version, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal. In a hot class, stop if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell; our hot yoga guide lists the signs of heat illness.
Call 999 if:
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
Strict rest until symptoms resolve isn't beneficial, and in a trial of 88 young people it added nothing to usual care. Rest for 24 to 48 hours, then build up.
No adequately powered trial exists, and in the trials that sped recovery, gentle stretching was the slower comparison group.
No study supports it. A brain injury yoga programme adapts its classes "without inversions", and our suggestion is to leave them out until you have no symptoms at rest.
A mild, brief rise, no more than 2 points out of 10 and settling within an hour, is acceptable. More than that, stop and try again the next day at an easier level.
Light aerobic exercise sped recovery against a stretching programme.
Slow, easy breathing is the gentle option; in a pilot, a paced breathing exercise brought a mild rise in headache, dizziness or nausea for 3 of 15 young people.
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"Although symptoms may resolve following a concussion, it takes longer for the brain to recover." Anything with a risk of a fall or knock waits until you've been free of symptoms at rest for 14 days.
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Not in the first 24 to 48 hours, beyond easy breathing sitting up. After that, gentle, head-up yoga is fine if your symptoms rise by no more than 2 points out of 10 and settle within an hour. We suggest leaving out head-down poses and inversions until you have no symptoms at rest.
Once the first 24 to 48 hours of relative rest are over and easy daily activities don't make symptoms more than mildly worse. Start with a short head-up session sitting and at a counter, alongside walking or a static bike.
It may help you stay active and calm, but it isn't a proven treatment. Light aerobic exercise is what sped recovery in trials; gentle stretching was the slower comparison group.
Seated breathing, shoulder rolls and gentle spine movements, then standing poses at a counter such as mountain, chair and warrior II, with your head up and eyes open. Our 15-minute class puts them in order.
Head-down poses such as downward dog and forward folds, upside-down poses, quick head turns, lying back fast, and balances away from support. Hot classes, loud music and flashing lights can wait too.
We'd wait until you have no symptoms at rest and are back to normal training. No study has tested it, and heat and hard effort are what the early stages leave out.
Small studies of yoga, meditation and mindfulness in people with lasting symptoms suggest benefits for fatigue and low mood, but they are low quality. With dizziness, neck pain or headaches beyond 10 days, ask about physiotherapy for the neck and balance.
Slow, easy breathing with no holds is a gentle way to settle. It hasn't been shown to speed recovery, and big or fast breathing can make you dizzy, so stop if it brings symptoms on.
It's a lying relaxation, so it's fine once lying still and getting up don't bring on symptoms. Some people find long guided practices hard to follow early on, so start short.
Flowing and fuller classes can come back once you have no symptoms at rest, when the UK guidelines start training again. Anything with a risk of a fall or a knock, such as arm balances, partner or aerial yoga, waits until you've been free of symptoms at rest for 14 days.
Yes: ask for no hands-on adjustments to your head or neck, a spot near the wall, and permission to skip poses. Leave the class if your symptoms rise more than mildly.
Call 999 for getting drowsier, a seizure, repeated vomiting, a severe or worsening headache, new weakness, numbness, double vision or trouble speaking. Call NHS 111 if you're being sick or dizzy, or not improving by 14 days.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
