Yoga and the thyroid, claims and evidence
2 min read · Updated October 17, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026
In short
Evidence on yoga and the thyroid is thin. A 2024 systematic review found only 11 small studies in hypothyroidism, four of them randomised, with promising but weak results, and we found no trial in an overactive thyroid. No study shows that a pose stimulates the thyroid. Yoga can accompany levothyroxine treatment, never replace it.
What we know
A review with few studies (2024). Researchers looked for every clinical study of yoga in hypothyroidism and found eleven, with 516 people in total. Only four were randomised trials; the others had no control group or no random allocation. Only one study was at low risk of bias. Most programmes combined sun salutations, postures, breathing and meditation for one to six months, and most reported improvements in thyroid tests, cholesterol, mood or quality of life. The authors conclude that yoga may have a role, but that adequately powered, high-quality trials are needed before any definite conclusion.
A trial at AIIMS Rishikesh (2025). Sixty-two women with an underactive thyroid were randomised: half followed three months of online yoga, five days a week for an hour, in addition to their levothyroxine; the other half did not do yoga. The yoga group reported better thyroid tests, lower cholesterol, less daytime sleepiness and fewer depressive symptoms than the control group, as well as lower levothyroxine dependence. It is one small, single-centre trial, and yoga was added to treatment, not used instead of it.
What we do not know
- Whether these results hold in larger, independent trials, and over years rather than months.
- Anything about an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease) or Hashimoto's thyroiditis as such: searching PubMed in October 2026, we found only single case reports, no trial.
- Whether any pose acts on the thyroid. Shoulder stand, fish pose and jalandhara bandha, the chin lock, are often presented as stimulating the gland. We found no study that measured such an effect. Claims you read elsewhere about "thyroid poses" are tradition or marketing, not evidence.
What this means for you
Treatment comes first. The NHS explains that an underactive thyroid is usually treated with levothyroxine, usually for life, with regular blood tests to check the dose, and that a wrong dose can cause side effects. Yoga can sit beside that treatment as gentle, regular activity; in the 2025 trial it came with less sleepiness and fewer depressive symptoms. It cannot replace treatment. If you feel better after a few months of practice, tell your doctor and let the blood test decide.
Practise kindly with the neck, our advice by prudence: shoulder stand and plough place a lot of weight on the cervical spine, and they are not needed to benefit from yoga. Begin with standing postures, gentle backbends, slow breathing and relaxation. If low mood is part of what you live with, our page on yoga and depression sets out what the trials show, and is yoga safe? lists the general precautions.
Questions people ask
Is yoga good for the thyroid?
It may help people with an underactive thyroid feel better, but the evidence is weak. A 2024 review found 11 small studies, only four randomised and one at low risk of bias; most reported improvements, and the authors call for larger, better trials before concluding.
Can yoga reduce thyroid problems or replace levothyroxine?
No. In a 2025 trial of 62 women at AIIMS Rishikesh, yoga was added to levothyroxine, not used instead of it. An underactive thyroid usually needs levothyroxine for life, with regular blood tests; never stop or change it without your doctor.
Which yoga poses are good for the thyroid?
None has been shown to act on the thyroid. Shoulder stand, fish pose and the chin lock are often said to stimulate the gland, but we found no study measuring that. The trials tested whole programmes of postures, breathing and relaxation.
How does yoga help with thyroid health?
We do not know. The small trials measured thyroid tests, cholesterol, mood, sleep and quality of life, and reported improvements, but they were too small and too few to explain a mechanism. Regular gentle activity, sleep and stress management are plausible reasons, not proven ones.
Sources
- Baishya A, Metri K. Effects of yoga on hypothyroidism: a systematic review. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 2024 DOI 10.1016/j.jaim.2024.100891 PMID 38507967 checked October 17, 2026
- Bhandari RB, Mahto PK, Mirza AA, Pathania M. Yogic management of hypothyroidism in females: a randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2025 DOI 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107646 PMID 41110211 checked October 17, 2026
- Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism): treatment — NHS, page last reviewed 28 April 2025 checked October 17, 2026
Yogide explains what the texts and the studies say; it is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or feel pain, talk to your doctor before practising, and stop any posture that hurts.