Yoga Asana Increases Prefrontal Cortex Activity and Reduces Resting-State Functional Connectivity

Various aspects of yoga have been researched for their psychological benefits, yet the neurological mechanisms underlying physical yoga postures (asana) remain inadequately explored due to limitations in prior neuroimaging techniques. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been established as an important region of interest concerning psychological health. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize changes in the PFC before, during, and after asana by applying the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) mobile neuroimaging technique.

Twenty-seven healthy adults completed two 6-min, task-independent resting states before and after a 23-min asana routine. With the fNIRS device positioned on the frontal region of the skull, PFC activity was measured during each asana and resting state. The block design involved alternating between three active postures and one control posture. Each active posture was performed for 30 s and repeated 8 times, while the control posture was held during inter-trial intervals lasting 25-30 s. Across the session, this block design resulted in a total of 24 active blocks (8 repetitions of each active posture) and 25 baseline blocks (control posture intervals).

All three active asanas significantly increased PFC activity versus baseline, particularly in the right PFC. Furthermore, analysis of short-term changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) revealed a significant decrease, primarily in the left medial PFC, a key region of the default mode network (DMN), an area known to exhibit heightened activity in individuals suffering from depression and anxiety.

This study provides neurological insight into the effects of yoga asana and supports fNIRS for assessing movement-based practices in real-world settings.