On college campuses across the country, students are taking care of their mental health with movement. But not just with the or workouts trending on TikTok. Instead, they鈥檙e turning to a practice that we鈥檝e known about for ages: yoga.

At the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, dozens of students take yoga classes at , a studio located on campus. Studio owner and certified yoga teacher Jessie Bryce Lipkowitz says some students have told her that the practice has eased their depression and anxiety, while others say it鈥檚 been a way to manage stress or improve their body image.

At in Chester, Pennsylvania, the athletics department provides a weekly yoga class for student athletes. They learn breathing exercises, which helps them regulate their response to tough emotions, says Larissa Gillespie, the associate director of athletics. She says that the yoga class also aims to help them manage the pressures that come with being high-performance athletes.

鈥淲ellness is trending,鈥� says Marcelle Hayashida, associate vice chancellor for wellness, health, and counseling services at the University of California, Irvine, where students can take yoga classes at the gym located on campus.

The need is there. Between 2013 and 2021, the percentage of college students with mental health concerns skyrocketed by nearly . In addition, a 2020 nationwide which included 33,000 undergraduates found that nearly 40 percent felt depressed, while more than 30 percent were anxious. Loneliness was also a top concern. Even before then, a 2016 survey revealed that many students issues with roommates, relationships problems, and academic stress.

Unfortunately, many college counseling centers don鈥檛 have enough therapists to meet the rising demand, says in Princeton. New Jersey. Wilson, who counsels college students in her private practice, says that students sometimes have to wait more than a month for an appointment in a college counseling center, and depending on insurance coverage, cost can be an issue.

There鈥檚 no clear-cut solution to this ongoing problem, but many colleges and universities are offering wellness classes like yoga to promote self-care.

Colleges See Yoga As a Powerful Wellness Tool

Yoga draws on the tradition of physical movement, breathwork, and mindfulness and has been backed by science time and again for its influence on reducing emotional and physical tension.

A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that students who participated in a including yoga, meditation, and positive psychology training felt better equipped to handle stress and reported fewer symptoms of depression. Yoga has also been credited with reducing in students and improving .

aUM鈥檚 Lipkowtiz can relate. Not long after college, she hit a rough patch. 鈥淚 was in a toxic relationship, and I was drinking too much,鈥� she admits. It was the 鈥渓owest point鈥� in her life, says Lipkowitz, who was 22 years old at the time.

Like many other young adults, Lipkowitz found solace through yoga. 鈥淢oving my body made me happier,鈥� she recalls. Attending classes also helped her connect with others, which eased her loneliness. Experiences like these can be invaluable, especially since the mental health crisis has made therapy harder to access.

Her experience inspired Lipkowitz to start aUM Yoga, where she strives to provide a community for students. Along with offering yoga classes, the teachers emphasize general wellness and creating a safe space for everyone, says Lipkowitz.

Since aUM yoga isn鈥檛 affiliated with the University of Michigan, classes aren鈥檛 free. However, Lipkowitz includes outreach to the student population by offering a select number of scholarships each year.

At many other colleges, the cost of on-campus yoga is included with the fees students pay each semester to use facilities on campus.

Maximizing the Effects of Yoga for Stress-Management

Certified yoga therapist is accustomed to teaching populations who rely on yoga as one component of a larger wellness program. Crane teaches yoga at an intensive outpatient program at in Chula Vista, California and explains that focusing on your breath during yoga and making sure your exhalation is longer than your inhalation can activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This, in turn, eases symptoms of anxiety, which can include an upset stomach, sweating, and a racing heart.

Depression, on the other hand, can make you feel lethargic and numb. Crane says that sequences of poses, such as Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar A), can get your blood flowing and heart pumping and reconnect you to sensations in your body.

It鈥檚 not just the physical exercise that bring benefits. The ancient practice is anchored in ethical principles, known as the and niyamas, which are essentially rules for living. When these are explained in a yoga class, they can become a guide for students outside of class as well.

For example, Crane says that the principle of means caring for yourself, as well as for others. Extending kindness toward yourself, or having self-compassion, is one way to practice ahimsa. This can be a powerful antidote to rumination and catastrophizing, which are common symptoms of anxiety, according to Crane.

Yoga also provides an opportunity for self-study, called svadhyaya. 鈥淚t invites you to examine what鈥檚 going on in your life and how it impacts the way you move through the world,鈥� Crane explains. Like self-reflection, this practice can spark insight. When used in conjunction with talk therapy, it can be a powerful tool.

This same approach has been relied on for years among incarcerated populations, such as what is provided by . indicates yoga can bring relief from and contribute to changed behavior, including enhanced self-compassion and .

Distinguishing Yoga From Therapy

Despite its proven benefits, yoga shouldn鈥檛 be mistaken for a cure-all. Wilson cautions that with the rise of wellness culture, almost anything can seem therapeutic. On social media, for instance, influencers tout the merits of ice baths for depression and lettuce water for insomnia. When it comes to any 鈥渞emedy,鈥� including yoga, it鈥檚 also important to understand the limitations.

This is especially the case with depression, generalized anxiety, eating disorders, and other serious afflictions. In these instances, yoga should never be relied upon as the answer. Mental illness can鈥檛 be fixed with movement alone. 鈥淵oga can be part of a wellness program, but it鈥檚 not a replacement for therapy,鈥� Hayashida says.聽Instead, yoga is a practice.

Most yoga classes are taught by certified yoga teachers which differ from certified yoga therapists, such as Crane, who complete 鈥測oga therapy training鈥� designed to teach instructors how to help students with specific needs. Even then, the teachers who complete this training are not licensed psychotherapists.

There are also that are meant to help survivors of sexual violence and other traumatic experiences regain a sense of safety in their bodies, Hayashida says. Unlike a regular yoga class, who are trained in the subtle ways that post-traumatic stress disorder can present. These classes are designed to support survivors in ways both overt and less obvious. Teachers emphasize breathing as well as establishing safe boundaries with others and can foster a sense of community.

While there鈥檚 no denying that yoga can feel therapeutic, feeling better isn鈥檛 the same as recovery, especially in students who struggle with addiction, eating disorders, and trauma. This is where talking with a therapist comes in. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps individuals examine their feelings and question unhelpful thoughts.聽shows that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with a psychotherapist who has years of training and experience can reduce the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 鈥淚t鈥檚 evidence-based care that helps you heal,鈥� Hayashida says.

Bottom Line

If you or a college student you know are feeling sad, anxious, stressed to the point of overwhelm, or just not yourself, yoga might be able to help, but not in place of therapy. Yoga can, however, function as a complement to therapy or it may be able to moderate symptoms until you can access other forms of support.

Despite all its benefits, practicing yoga is like taking vitamins or any wellness routine鈥攊t can be beneficial for your mind and body when taken on a regular basis, but sometimes it鈥檚 not enough.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that yoga classes are provided to students at UC Irvine free of charge.

About Our Contributor
is a psychologist and freelance health writer who specializes in service journalism and human interest stories about women鈥檚 health topics. She also converts scientific findings from the latest mental health research into meaningful information for the everyday person. She has written for The New York Times, NPR, The Washington Post, Self, WIRED, and Real Simple.

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Regular exercise keeps illness at bay and promotes overall physical health. So why do we treat the mental side differently? 鈥淧eople often wait until things are completely falling apart to start therapy,鈥� says , a clinical psychologist and cofounder of , a mental health gym that offers classes on skills like resilience, mindfulness, and self-awareness. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 like waiting until you have heart disease to start cardio.鈥� Just as getting your blood pumping can help prevent cardiac disease, 鈥渢herapy can be a proactive way to stay on top of your emotional well-being,鈥� Anhalt says. According to the , therapy has been shown to increase career satisfaction, improve physical health, and enhance our connections to others. 鈥淭herapy can help us become more authentic versions of ourselves, which can improve how we feel in our skin and in our relationships,鈥� says Anhalt.

Know Your Options聽

Therapy can involve more than just talking about your feelings. Here are three other approaches, along with who benefits from each.

If: You鈥檙e struggling with self-critical thoughts, panic attacks, or phobias.

Try: Cognitive behavioral therapy.

鈥淐BT is a structured approach that begins with a treatment plan and goal setting, and it teaches people how to change their behaviors and think more flexibly,鈥� explains Jenny Taitz, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles.

If: You need help processing trauma.

Try: Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy.

As you talk about a traumatic event, an EMDR therapist asks you to track their hand movements with your eyes. Diverting attention from the memory decreases the distress associated with it, which can help the brain process.

If: You鈥檙e prone to codependency, conflict avoidance, or angry outbursts.

Try: Psychodynamic therapy.

鈥淧sychodynamic therapists help people uncover the why behind their relationship patterns,鈥� says Anhalt. 鈥淔or instance, a person who pulls away when others get close will start to do the same with their therapist at some point. When this happens, the therapist may say, 鈥楬ey, look what you鈥檙e doing here. Let鈥檚 understand it together.鈥欌€夆€�

Schedule an Interview

Don鈥檛 know where to start in your therapist search? Put these questions to prospective candidates to ensure that you receive the best help.

鈥淲hat experience do you have treating clients with similar struggles?鈥�

Some therapists specialize in eating disorders, while others focus on grief or substance use. Make sure yours is a good fit and has experience helping clients like you.

鈥淗ow would you describe your communication style?鈥�

This differs from therapist to therapist. Those who practice psychodynamic or supportive therapy may listen more and talk less. Those who practice behavioral therapies tend to be more direct.

鈥淚f I鈥檓 not getting what I want from therapy, are you open to feedback?鈥�

Don鈥檛 be shy if the process isn鈥檛 working for you. Research shows that being up front about your goals and progress is a key component of treatment success.

Decode the Titles

Mental health experts receive varying levels of education and training. Here are four of the most common credentials you鈥檒l encounter.

Psychiatrist: Psychiatrists are physicians鈥斅璭ither medical doctors (MDs) or doctors of 颅osteopathic medicine (DOs)鈥攚ho complete three to four years of medical school and four years of residency. They can prescribe medication such as antidepressants and diagnose mental health conditions. Some psychiatrists also offer psychotherapy.

Counselor: Also called therapists, licensed counselors complete two years of graduate school and earn a master鈥檚 degree. They 颅provide individual, family, and couples therapy, but many can鈥檛 prescribe medication. They may have a master of arts or science (MA or MS), a master of social work (MSW), or a marriage and family therapist (MFT) degree.

Psychologist: Most psychologists receive up to six years of graduate training and earn a 颅doctoral degree. They may become psychology professors, conduct research, provide psychotherapy, or supervise therapists in training. In some states, psychologists can prescribe medication. Common degrees you may encounter include PsyD (doctor of psychology), PhD (doctor of philosophy), and EdD (doctor of education).

Life coach: Like therapists, life coaches help clients set goals, modify behavior, and enhance well-being. Few receive graduate-level training to diagnose and treat mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. There鈥檚 no special schooling required to become a life coach, but many obtain advanced credentials鈥攍ook for certifications from the International Coaching Federation such as PCC (professional certified coach) and MCC (master certified coach).

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