Bridging Yoga Therapy and Scientific Research

If you are a practicing yoga therapist or someone who has benefited from yoga therapy, you probably have little need for scientific research to validate your personal experience. However, you are also part of a rather elite group. The practice of yoga is largely dominated by Whites, women, those with higher education and incomes, and young and middle-aged adults who represent a very narrow segment of the population. The most compelling rationale for research on yoga therapy is to provide the evidence base required for its incorporation into our education and healthcare systems, thereby disseminating it more widely and equitably across the population. Scientific validation will boost the credibility of yoga therapy as a safe and cost-effective intervention. The time has come to construct a collaborative bridge between yoga therapy and scientific research.