--- title: Yoga and Meditation Can Protect Genes From Stress description: A new study suggests that yoga and meditation can reverse stress-related changes in DNA linked to inflammation, poor health and depression. canonical: https://time.com/collections/guide-to-exercise/4822302/yoga-meditation-genes-stress/ article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-16T20:50:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-02T23:22:11.289Z article:section: Health og:title: Yoga and Meditation Can Change Your Genes, Study Says og:description: The benefits could translate to less inflammation and a lower risk of disease. og:url: https://time.com/collections/guide-to-exercise/4822302/yoga-meditation-genes-stress/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3dcf9e36bbba7b80/6988d47bab6d7722aa6aed6e/time-magazine-exercise-fitness-health-bethan-mooney-38.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Yoga and Meditation Can Change Your Genes, Study Says og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Yoga and Meditation Can Change Your Genes, Study Says twitter:description: The benefits could translate to less inflammation and a lower risk of disease. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3dcf9e36bbba7b80/6988d47bab6d7722aa6aed6e/time-magazine-exercise-fitness-health-bethan-mooney-38.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Jun 16, 2017 # Yoga and Meditation Can Change Your Genes, Study Says > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. by [Amanda MacMillan](https://time.com/author/amanda-macmillan/) ## Amanda MacMillan  Bethan Mooney for TIME Yoga and meditation may do more than just help you feel relaxed in the moment. A new scientific review suggests that these and other mindfulness exercises can actually reverse stress-related changes in genes linked to poor health and depression. In the new [paper, published in _Frontiers in Immunology_](http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00670/full), British researchers analyzed the findings from 18 previously published studies—involving a total of 846 people—on the biological effects of meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, Qi gong and Tai Chi. Together, the authors say, the studies show that these mind-body exercises appear to suppress the expression of genes and genetic pathways that promote inflammation. Inflammation can temporarily boost the immune system, and can be protective against infection and injury, the authors write in their paper. But in today’s society, in which stress is primarily psychological, the body’s inflammatory response can become chronic and can impair both physical and mental health. Researchers found that people who practiced these activities regularly had fewer signs of inflammation, including a decrease in their production of inflammatory proteins. This signals “the reversal of the molecular signature of the effects of chronic stress,” they wrote, which may translate to a reduced risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions. Environment and lifestyle can both affect which genes are [turned on and off](http://time.com/3911161/explaining-epigenetics-the-health-buzzword-you-need-to-know/), and that can have real effects on disease risk, longevity and even which traits get passed on [to future generations](http://time.com/4798157/men-children-health-alcohol/). Stressful events, for example, can activate the fight-or-flight response and trigger a chain reaction of stress-related changes in the body—including activating specific genes involved in making proteins that produce inflammation. Lead author Ivana Buric, a PhD student in Coventry University’s Brain, Belief and Behaviour Lab in England, says her team was surprised to see that different types of mind-body techniques had such similar effects at the genetic level. “Sitting meditation is quite different than yoga or Tai Chi,” she said in an email, “yet all of these activities—when practiced regularly—seem to decrease the activity of genes involved in inflammation.” This is a relatively new field of research, she adds, and it’s likely that similar benefits could be obtained from [other lifestyle changes](http://time.com/4803382/drinking-tea-health-benefits/) like healthy eating and exercise. There aren’t yet enough studies to know how activities like yoga compare to other types of physical activity in terms of altering gene expression. Buric says the existing studies suggest that mind-body interventions “cause the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which improves our well being.” She also emphasizes that inherited genes are not static and that DNA activity can depend on things people can control. “By choosing healthy habits every day, we can create a gene activity pattern that is more beneficial for our health,” she says. “Even just 15 minutes of practicing mindfulness seems to do the trick.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/guide-to-exercise/4822302/yoga-meditation-genes-stress/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/guide-to-exercise/4822302/yoga-meditation-genes-stress/"},"headline":"Yoga and Meditation Can Change Your Genes, Study Says","datePublished":"2017-06-16T20:50:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-02T23:22:11.289Z","description":"A new study suggests that yoga and meditation can reverse stress-related changes in DNA linked to inflammation, poor health and depression.","url":"https://time.com/collections/guide-to-exercise/4822302/yoga-meditation-genes-stress/","keywords":["Exercise & Fitness"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3dcf9e36bbba7b80/6988d47bab6d7722aa6aed6e/time-magazine-exercise-fitness-health-bethan-mooney-38.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda MacMillan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/amanda-macmillan/"}],"creator":"Amanda MacMillan","articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3dcf9e36bbba7b80/6988d47bab6d7722aa6aed6e/time-magazine-exercise-fitness-health-bethan-mooney-38.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/exercisefitness/","name":"Exercise & Fitness"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/guide-to-exercise/4822302/yoga-meditation-genes-stress/","name":"Yoga and Meditation Can Change Your Genes, Study Says"}}]}] ```