Getting your body moving after a brain injury takes patience, and a willingness to let go of who you were before. I used to play football several times a week and do long bush walks with friends. After my concussion, I had to learn a completely different relationship with movement.
What the research says
Yoga has been increasingly studied as a complementary approach for people with concussion and mild TBI. The evidence points to several mechanisms that make it particularly well-suited to recovery:
- Nervous system regulation, slow, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to reduce the elevated nervous system arousal common in concussion recovery
- Vestibular rehabilitation, gentle balance-based poses can support the vestibular system, which is often disrupted after head injury
- Reduced symptom severity, studies have found that adapted yoga programmes can reduce headache, fatigue, and anxiety in people with post-concussion symptoms
- Better sleep, regular yoga practice is associated with improved sleep quality, which is foundational to brain recovery
Not all yoga is equal for concussion recovery. High-intensity styles, rapid transitions, or poses that involve inversions or neck loading can aggravate symptoms. Starting gentle and building slowly is the approach that works.
Types of yoga and how they fit recovery
- Restorative yoga, holds poses for longer durations using props like bolsters and blocks. Low stimulation, deeply calming. Best starting point for most people in concussion recovery.
- Hatha yoga, slow-paced, focused on breath and alignment. A good second step once restorative feels comfortable.
- Yin yoga, similar to restorative, targeting connective tissue and the nervous system. Excellent for stress recovery.
- Vinyasa / Ashtanga, flow-based, building strength and lean muscle. The rapid transitions and neck loading can be challenging post-injury. Approach with care and modify heavily.
- Hot yoga / Bikram, the heat and humidity create significant physiological load. Not recommended during active recovery.
- Kundalini, deeply meditative with spiritual focus. Gentle on the body but can involve intense breathwork, monitor symptoms carefully.
Ally's experience
Finding restorative yoga changed everything
Before 2017, I stretched every morning without thinking about it. It was just part of how I started the day. After my injury, almost everything about Vinyasa yoga became difficult. Anything that extended or stretched through my neck and shoulders was painful. Bending over made me dizzy. Reaching up made me feel faint. The practice I'd loved felt out of reach.
Then I went on a beautiful retreat where they introduced me to restorative yoga. It was so gentle I could barely believe it counted as yoga. But something about the long holds, the props, the stillness, it gave my nervous system something it desperately needed. Space.
Since then I've slowly been exploring what else works for my body. A few things I've found genuinely helpful:
- Asana Rebel app, good range of gentle practices, easy to filter by intensity
- Yoga with Bird on YouTube, Bird has a beautiful slow, kind, clear way of talking through movements. She never rushes and never makes you feel behind.
The most important thing I've learned is to treat each session as information rather than performance. Some days my body can do more. Some days it can't. Both are useful data.