Yoga guide
Yoga may sharpen attention and thinking a little, but the evidence is weak. Across trials, regular classes improved test scores for attention and planning by a small to moderate amount, and memory by less, in studies that were mostly small and at high risk of bias. In schoolchildren, yoga did about as well as PE, and in healthy people the effect of exercise of any kind on thinking nearly disappears in the most careful analyses.
What yoga can't do is pump extra blood to your brain through headstands, or prevent dementia. If memory problems are affecting your daily life or getting worse, see a GP (general practitioner): the cause may be treatable. If someone suddenly becomes confused, call 999.
This guide covers what the trials show for students, adults and older adults, how yoga compares with other exercise, breathing and meditation, sleep, the claims that don't hold, and when forgetfulness needs a GP, with 3D demos of the poses the trial classes used.
The NHS says most people forget things from time to time, and to see a GP if memory problems are affecting your day-to-day life, because the cause may be treatable. Stress, anxiety, depression and poor sleep are common causes. Sudden confusion is a 999 call.
Across trials, yoga improved attention and planning skills a little, and memory less. Most trials were small and at high risk of bias. The most consistent finding is small gains in adults aged 55 and over.
In three trials of schoolchildren and teenagers, yoga and physical activity improved thinking tests about equally.
Exercise improved thinking tests a little across many reviews, but in healthy people the effect nearly vanished once the best-controlled trials and missing negative studies were taken into account.
Losing sleep hits attention hardest, and the NHS says insomnia makes it difficult to concentrate during the day.
In 20 people, blood flow in the main artery to the brain fell during a headstand, because the brain keeps its own blood flow steady. Headstands carry real risks and aren't needed for anything on this page.
The NHS says to see a GP if "memory problems are affecting your day-to-day life": "It's often nothing serious, but it's best to get checked because any treatment you need may work better if it's started early." Early dementia symptoms include memory loss, difficulty concentrating, struggling with familiar tasks and being confused about time and place, and the NHS says "Dementia is not a natural part of ageing", so talk to a GP "sooner rather than later" if you're worried.
Go to A&E (accident and emergency) or call 999 if someone suddenly becomes confused. Causes include infections, a stroke, low blood sugar in people with diabetes, a head injury and some medicines. Our yoga for dementia guide covers memory problems short of dementia (mild cognitive impairment) and dementia itself.
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Concentration (attention) is keeping your focus on one thing. Working memory holds information in mind while you use it, and executive function covers planning, switching between tasks and holding back the wrong response. Trials measure these with timed tests on paper or a computer, and most effects of yoga show up on attention and executive function rather than on remembering things later.
The NHS lists stress, anxiety, depression and sleeping problems as common, treatable causes of memory problems. Insomnia makes it difficult to concentrate during the day, and across 70 studies, short-term sleep loss impaired attention most, with smaller effects on working memory.
Yoga combines physical effort, holding attention on the breath and body, and relaxation. In one trial of older adults, people whose stress and cortisol response fell more after 8 weeks of yoga did better on working memory tests, which suggests lower stress is part of the story. This is a proposed explanation, not a proven one.
Effect sizes put different tests on one scale: about 0.2 is small, 0.5 moderate and 0.8 large. Most yoga trials of thinking are small, compare yoga with doing nothing, and are at high risk of bias.
Across 15 randomised trials, yoga improved thinking tests by a small to moderate amount overall (0.33): most for attention and processing speed (0.29) and executive function (0.27), and least for memory (0.18, which wasn't quite statistically significant). The authors point to small samples, varied groups and doses, and many different tests. A review of 11 hatha yoga studies found promise for executive function but too few good studies to be sure.
This is the group where several reviews agree. Across 12 studies of 912 older adults, yoga-related practices improved memory (0.38), executive function (0.40) and attention (0.33). An umbrella review of reviews in healthy adults aged 55 and over found mind-body exercise did better than exercise in general (0.48 against 0.22), with very mixed results between studies. Across 41 studies in people over 60, meditation and mind-body exercise helped only in programmes longer than 12 weeks, 3 to 7 times a week. A 2025 review of 45 studies of mind-body exercise (mostly tai chi, qigong and yoga) found small gains in memory and processing speed and none in attention, larger in people with memory problems.
Reviews limited to healthy people over 60 found 5 to 13 trials, mostly with positive results but at high risk of bias, and in one review 2 of 5 trials found no improvement. One meta-analysis concluded it isn't possible to say yoga improves thinking in older people, though it did ease low mood.
In 118 inactive adults with an average age of 62, hour-long hatha yoga classes (poses, breathing and meditation) 3 times a week for 8 weeks improved working memory and task switching more than a stretching and strengthening class, by small amounts, and also attention and processing speed. It's one trial. A 6-month trial comparing yoga with aerobic exercise in 168 adults aged 55 to 79 is under way.
Across 133 reviews (2,724 trials), exercise improved general thinking (0.42), memory (0.26) and executive function (0.24), and less in the best reviews (0.23, 0.22 and 0.16); mind-body exercise did best for memory. But an umbrella review limited to trials in healthy people found an effect of 0.22 that fell to 0.13 once active comparison groups and differences at the start were accounted for, and to 0.05, close to nothing, after correcting for negative studies that were never published.
In healthy older adults, network analyses ranked strength training best for overall thinking, mind-body exercise such as yoga and tai chi best for working memory and switching between tasks, and aerobic exercise best for memory. In young and middle-aged adults, exercise that needed coordination helped about as much as brain training, and endurance exercise did no better than other activities. Network analyses compare trials indirectly, and Asian studies showed larger effects.
In 7 studies of single sessions, the short-term effects were bigger than for courses (0.56). In 30 female students, one yoga session improved two thinking tests more than one aerobic session or none. These are test scores straight afterwards, not results in real study or work.
In 200 children aged 7 to 9, yoga and physical activity improved thinking tests equally over 3 months. In 98 children aged 8 to 13 who did 45 minutes of yoga or exercise a day, 5 days a week for 3 months, the only difference between the groups favoured exercise. In 802 teenagers given an hour a day of yoga or exercise for 2 months, both groups improved on attention tests, with no clear difference.
In 2,000 Indian teenagers in 24 schools, 17 weekly yoga sessions lowered stress scores and improved an attention test more than health talks did. It's one trial, against talks rather than another activity.
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In 198 teenagers, mindfulness meditation improved working memory and hatha yoga didn't. In 180 university students, not randomly assigned, mindfulness training with or without yoga made no consistent difference to attention. In 8,376 UK pupils, a 10-lesson school mindfulness course was no better than usual teaching for mental health a year later.
In 13 university students, 30 minutes of yoga before a mock exam lowered how stressed they felt, without changing cortisol or heart rate variability. Our yoga for stress guide covers stress in more depth.
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An international guideline says mind-body activities have the most supporting evidence in mild cognitive impairment, on low-certainty evidence. In 81 people with it, 12 weeks of Kundalini yoga and memory training both improved memory, and only yoga improved planning skills (executive function) and low mood. In 79 older women at risk of Alzheimer's disease, yoga improved how they rated their own memory, but 35% of them dropped out. Our yoga for dementia guide covers this in full.
In 120 residents of homes for older people in India, 6 months of yoga improved memory, attention and planning tests compared with a waiting list. There was no comparison activity, so some of the gain may come from attention and company.
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Across 56 trials (2,931 adults), mindfulness programmes improved thinking tests by a small amount (0.15), mostly working memory (0.23), and beat doing nothing but not other active programmes. The NHS says mindfulness can help with stress, anxiety and depression, that yoga can help you become aware of your breathing, and that some people find mindfulness makes them feel worse.
In 84 young adults, 12 weeks of fast or slow yogic breathing (35 minutes, 3 times a week) improved reaction time and some thinking tests; in 96 medical students, 6 weeks of slow breathing improved a memory scale where sun salutations didn't. Single sessions of several breathing practices, candle gazing (trataka) and kapalabhati reported short-term changes, the kapalabhati study with no comparison group and slower reactions afterwards. Against that, 15 minutes of mindful breathing didn't improve working memory in two experiments with 506 people.
In trials of yogic breathing for mental health conditions, fast techniques caused more side effects than slow ones. The NHS breathing exercise is slow, with no holds. Use it to settle before study or work, not as a memory treatment.
From the NHS breathing exercise for stress. If you feel light-headed, make the breaths smaller or go back to normal breathing (our suggestion).
See the movement on the 3D figure: Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)
Across 70 studies, a short spell without sleep impaired attention most, with lapses in focus the largest effect (0.78), and smaller effects on working memory and short-term memory. The NHS says insomnia makes it difficult to concentrate during the day, and to see a GP if you've had trouble sleeping for months or it's affecting your daily life.
In 16 trials of women with sleep problems, yoga improved sleep quality scores, though not insomnia severity in 3 trials. Our yoga for anxiety and sleep guide covers sleep in more depth.
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Slow breathing: at least 5 minutes, regularly, as part of your daily routine; corpse pose: at least 5 minutes, up to 10 (the moves' pages). Alternate nostril breathing: 3 to 5 minutes of slow rounds with no holds, once or twice a day (the move's page, which calls it an editorial starting point).
Mountain pose: 5 to 10 slow breaths, 2 or 3 times (the move's page). Tree and warrior II: 5 breaths each side; chair pose: 3 holds of 3 to 5 breaths; triangle: 5 breaths each side, a hand on a block or chair seat (our hatha yoga class). Keep fingertips on a wall for balance poses.
Sun salutation A: 3 slow rounds, stepping rather than jumping (our yoga for stress class). Cat-cow: 8 waves, slower than feels natural; thoracic rotation: 6 rotations each side, moving with the breath; breath reach: 5 breaths, breathing out for longer than in (the moves' pages).
In the trials, 45 to 60 minute classes about 3 times a week for 8 weeks or more, and mind-body programmes helped older adults most when they lasted longer than 12 weeks. Make it part of the 150 minutes of moderate activity a week the NHS recommends, with strength work on 2 days, and balance work too if you're over 65. For students and desk workers, a short practice or the NHS breathing exercise before study, and sport or PE count as much as yoga.
In 20 people doing a headstand, blood flow in the internal carotid artery, the main artery to the brain, fell, then returned to normal when they came down. The brain keeps its own blood flow steady as you change position: in 17 healthy adults tipped 10 and 30 degrees head down for 10 minutes, blood flow speed in a main brain artery didn't change. No study has tested headstands for memory.
In a headstand, the head carries 40% to 48% of your body weight. Head-down poses raise the pressure in the eyes within a minute. Headstands were the pose most often named in published reports of harm from yoga, and the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says people new to yoga should avoid headstands and shoulder stands.
Reviews of 11 and 23 brain imaging studies found changes linked with yoga in areas involved in memory and attention, but the studies were small and varied. One snapshot study found a slightly larger memory area (the left hippocampus) in 13 experienced practitioners than in 13 people who didn't practise, with no difference in memory test results. In 88 young adults, 30 minutes of yoga didn't change BDNF, a brain growth factor often named in popular articles.
No study has measured dementia in people who do yoga. Across 58 studies, active people developed dementia about 20% less often. But in a large pooled analysis, inactivity measured 10 or more years before diagnosis wasn't linked with dementia, which suggests part of the link runs backwards: people become less active in the years before dementia is diagnosed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends physical activity for adults with normal thinking to reduce the risk of cognitive decline. The NHS says around 4 in 10 cases of dementia could be prevented by changing the risk factors we can change, and suggests 150 minutes of moderate activity a week plus strengthening exercises "such as gardening or yoga". Alzheimer's Society lists yoga, tai chi and Pilates among strength-building activities and says regular activity is "one of the best things that you can do to reduce your risk".
Leave out headstands and shoulder stands: they don't raise blood flow to the brain, they load the head and neck, and beginners should avoid them. Skip fast, forceful breathing such as kapalabhati too.
The 45-minute hatha yoga class is the closest match to the trial classes: 2 or 3 times a week. On busy days, the yoga for stress class or the 10-minute desk routine. The walk and yoga workout adds aerobic exercise. For older adults, the chair classes; for children with attention difficulties, the ADHD practice.
A 45-minute beginners' hatha yoga class in the order trial teachers used: relaxation, breathing, floor and standing poses held for a few breaths, then rest.
45 minBeginner20 movesA step, Firm cushionTwenty minutes of yoga for stressful days: the NHS breathing exercise, neck, shoulder and spine moves, standing poses that warm you up, then a slow wind-down.
20 minBeginner13 movesA wallTen minutes of yoga at your desk, no mat needed: slow breathing, neck, shoulder, wrist and spine moves in your chair, then standing poses with a hand on the desk.
10 minBeginner13 movesA bench or box, A wallA 6-minute breathing routine: slow breathing, crocodile breathing, alternate nostril breathing, box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing.
6 minBeginner5 movesNo equipmentA 45-minute session for weight loss and health: a 20-minute brisk walk, which does more for the scales, then a standing yoga flow for strength and balance.
45 minBeginner12 movesCardio machineA free 20-minute chair yoga class for older adults: slow breathing, gentle seated stretches and twists, standing poses holding the chair, and a calm finish.
20 minBeginner18 movesA bench or box, Something with weightA 30-minute chair yoga class to do with someone living with dementia: slow breathing, gentle seated moves, an optional standing block and a seated rest.
30 minBeginner15 movesA bench or box, Something with weightA 15-minute yoga practice for children with ADHD, done with a grown-up in the same order every time: star jumps, balloon breaths, balance poses and a rest.
15 minBeginner13 movesA wallWalking builds towards 150 minutes a week; the seniors plan adds strength and balance.
A free 8-week walking plan for beginners: build to 150 minutes of brisk walking a week, with intervals, hills and two short strength sessions.
6 training days40 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week exercise plan for over-65s: strength and balance three times a week, short balance sessions and daily walks, based on falls-prevention trials.
3 training days40 minBeginnerThese follow the NHS and our yoga for dementia guide, word for word. A&E means accident and emergency. In the US, call 911 for 999.
The NHS says: go to A&E or call 999 if someone suddenly becomes confused. Sudden confusion (delirium) has causes that need treating quickly, such as an infection, a stroke, low blood sugar in people with diabetes, a head injury or some medicines.
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Call 999 (911 in the US) if you think you're having, or have had, a stroke, or you've had signs of a stroke in the last 24 hours, even if they've stopped. The NHS uses FAST:
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If slow breathing makes you dizzy, light-headed or tingly, make the breaths smaller or breathe normally. Stop for chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness. Call 999 (911 in the US) for chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or spreads to the arms, neck or jaw.
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Blood flow in the main artery to the brain fell during a headstand, and the brain keeps its blood flow steady in head-down positions. No study has tested headstands for memory, and they carry real risks for the neck and eyes.
No trial has tested a single pose such as lotus, shoulder stand or plough for memory. The trials used whole classes of poses, breathing and relaxation.
One study of 59 nursing students, which didn't randomise them, reported better memory test scores after ear-holding squats, but their grades were no different.
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No study has measured it. Active people get dementia less often, but part of that is because activity falls before diagnosis. The WHO recommends activity to lower the risk of cognitive decline.
In children, yoga matched PE. In older adults, different exercise ranked best for different skills, and in healthy people the effect of exercise of any kind shrank to almost nothing in the most careful analysis.
The studies are small and mostly single sessions, some with no comparison group, and mindful breathing didn't improve working memory in two larger experiments. Fast breathing causes more side effects than slow breathing.
Imaging studies are small and varied, the larger memory area came from a snapshot comparison of 26 people, and 30 minutes of yoga didn't change BDNF in a trial.
The NHS says see a GP if memory problems affect your daily life, because the cause may be treatable and treatment may work better early, and that dementia is not a natural part of ageing.
A little, in trials, and the evidence is weak. Across trials, yoga improved thinking tests by a small to moderate amount, more for attention and planning than for memory, and the most consistent gains were small ones in adults aged 55 and over.
Attention improved more than memory in yoga trials, and in a trial of 2,000 teenagers, weekly school yoga improved an attention test more than health talks. Expect a small change, not a transformation, and look after your sleep.
Yes, as one way to be active: in trials of schoolchildren, yoga did about as well as PE on thinking tests. Thirty minutes of yoga before a mock exam eased how stressed students felt, and protecting your sleep matters more than any pose.
No single pose has been shown to improve memory. The trials used whole classes of standing and balance poses, breathing and relaxation, so a regular class is the thing to do.
No. In 20 people, blood flow in the main artery to the brain fell during a headstand and came back afterwards, because the brain keeps its blood flow steady. Headstands aren't needed for focus and carry risks for the neck and eyes.
The studies are small and mixed: some short courses and single sessions improved attention or memory tests, while mindful breathing didn't improve working memory in two larger experiments. Slow breathing is a good way to settle before study; skip fast, forceful breathing.
Not clearly. In older adults, mind-body exercise ranked best for working memory and switching between tasks, aerobic exercise for memory and strength training for overall scores. Mixing them is a sensible choice.
The trials used 45 to 60 minute classes about 3 times a week for 8 weeks or more, and programmes longer than 12 weeks did better in older adults. Do it as part of 150 minutes of activity a week.
That hasn't been shown. Active people get dementia less often, but part of that is because activity falls in the years before diagnosis. The WHO recommends physical activity to lower the risk of cognitive decline, and yoga counts as strengthening activity.
A little: mindfulness programmes improved thinking tests by a small amount, more than doing nothing but not more than other active programmes. The NHS says mindfulness helps some people with stress, anxiety and depression, but it isn't right for everyone.
Brain fog has many causes, including poor sleep, stress, low mood, the menopause, long COVID and chronic fatigue. The NHS lists stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia as treatable causes of memory problems, so see a GP if it's affecting your daily life.
See a GP if memory problems are affecting your daily life or getting worse, or if a relative is becoming more forgetful. Call 999 if someone suddenly becomes confused.
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.
