Role of yoga in managing the consequences of work stress—a review.

This article systematically reviews the literature on the role of yoga in managing the consequences of work stress, focusing on three categories of stress outcomes—behavioural, physical, and psychological—and examining ten schools of thought in yoga: Hatha yoga (HY), Vini yoga (VY), Dru yoga (DY), Integrated yoga (IY), Kundalini yoga (KUY), Kripalu yoga (KRY), Iyengar yoga, Ashtanga yoga (AY), Power yoga (PY), and Yoga (General). The review, based on 35 peer-reviewed studies up to January 2022, highlights that while yoga is recognized as beneficial for reducing work stress, the mechanisms by which different yoga styles address specific stress consequences remain underexplored. Most empirical research has been conducted in large organizations and developed countries, with limited qualitative studies and scarce investigation in small firms or yoga practiced solely at home. The article identifies gaps in understanding how various yoga practices uniquely mitigate work stress and calls for more longitudinal, qualitative, and geographically diverse research to tailor yoga interventions effectively for work stress management.