Yoga and the Healing of Interpersonal Trauma: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis

Although emerging research indicates that yoga facilitates healing from interpersonal trauma, consensus is lacking as to yoga's main facilitative factors. To address this limitation, we employed qualitative meta-analysis to analyze data from six qualitative studies (n = 105) that examined the healing agents of yoga that facilitated recovery from interpersonal trauma. The analysis process included coding data from each study and analyzing codes across all of the studies to derive meta-categories. Three researchers engaged in dual-level analyses (i.e., both inductive and deductive) to support consistency, address any inconsistencies, and develop a consensus. We identified and categorized six meta-categories based on the original 45 themes from the six studies and found differing levels of convergence across the studies. Meta-categories with high levels of convergence included (1) stabilization: coping strategies to reduce trauma-related symptoms; (2) authenticity, inner attunement, and self-acceptance; (3) equanimity: calming the mind and mindfulness; and (4) community: reduced isolation through safe connection with others. Our findings offer a more integrated, comprehensive, and consolidated understanding of the specific ways yoga can facilitate recovery from interpersonal trauma and demonstrate how qualitative meta-analysis methodology can tie together the richness of similar, stand-alone qualitative studies.