Yoga Interventions Show Promise for School-Aged Children, New Review Finds

A systematic review out of Southern California University of Health Sciences is drawing attention to an unlikely intervention for kids: laughter yoga. Led by postdoctoral fellow Dr. Özüm Erkin, the review synthesizes findings from six experimental studies involving 305 school-aged children to assess whether laughter yoga can meaningfully reduce stress, anxiety, and pain in young people.

The work, published March 10, 2026, represents one of the more focused attempts to quantify what many practitioners have long intuited: that laughter yoga, with its blend of breathwork, intentional laughter exercises, and playful movement, does something measurable for the nervous system, especially in children navigating the pressures of school life.

Laughter yoga sits at an interesting intersection in the broader yoga world. It draws from pranayama traditions while deliberately stripping away the need for humor as a precondition, the laughter itself becomes the practice. For educators and school health advocates, that accessibility is part of the appeal. Unlike more posture-intensive styles, laughter yoga can be practiced in a classroom, requires no mats or props, and carries a low barrier to participation for kids who might be intimidated by a traditional asana-based session.

Dr. Erkin's review pools experimental data rather than relying on observational or anecdotal evidence, which gives the findings more traction in conversations with school administrators and pediatric health professionals. With 305 children across six studies, the sample is modest but meaningful for a modality that has historically been under-researched relative to its presence in community wellness settings.

The focus on stress, anxiety, and pain as outcome measures is also telling. These are not peripheral concerns in school-age populations. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health challenges in children, and somatic complaints like stomachaches and headaches tied to stress are a routine part of the school nurse's day. A low-cost, group-based yoga intervention that touches all three of those markers is the kind of finding that tends to move from academic journals into pilot programs.

Southern California University of Health Sciences has positioned itself as a research hub for integrative health modalities, and Dr. Erkin's work fits squarely within that mission. For the yoga community, the review offers something valuable: peer-reviewed scaffolding for conversations that teachers, studio owners, and school wellness coordinators have been having for years.