Risks and benefits of practicing yoga with bipolar disorder are apparent in newly published results from individuals with the condition who practice yoga. This information, in conjunction with a pilot clinical trial that is presently underway, can assist psychologists in developing yoga as an adjunctive therapy for individuals with bipolar disorder.

Results from the study, which recently appeared in an article in the Journal of Psychiatric Practices, indicate no clear consensus at the moment of any clinical benefits linking practicing yoga to patients with bipolar disorder. In the article, researchers report several survey responses taken from individuals with bipolar disorder who practice yoga. The general consensus implies that although yoga for these individuals can be quite beneficial, it can also carry risks.

The study’s lead author, Lisa Uebelacker, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior in the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a staff psychologist at Butler Hospital, said in a statement, “There is no scientific literature on hatha yoga for bipolar disorder.” She continued, “There is reason to think that there are ways in which it might be wonderful and ways in which it might not be safe. We are interested in studying hatha yoga for bipolar as an adjunctive treatment to pharmacotherapy.”

Hatha yoga, a familiar Western yoga practice that involves moving between an array of poses, often includes breathing and meditation exercises as well.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder typically develops in an individual’s late teens or early adult years, with half of all cases beginning before the age of 25.