Author: Cheryl Albright, OTR/L, C-IAYT

Presented at the “9th Systemic Sclerosis World Congress” Athens, Greece, March 5-7 2026.

Published in the British Medical Journals: Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders, P324. https://jsrd.bmj.com/content/11/Suppl_1/A309.2

Presented at the "Neuroscience and Yoga Conference", virtual from New York City, New York, March 28-29, 2026.

Presented at the International Association of Yoga Therapists Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research", Costa Mesa, California, June 11-13, 2026.

Published in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy (2026 Supplement 1).

Presented at the 2026 National Scleroderma Conference, Baltimore, Maryland, July 17-19, 2026.

The work focused on three adults, ages 44–68, living with diagnoses including systemic sclerosis, IBS, gastroparesis, and connective tissue disorders. Each person received individualized yoga therapy sessions emphasizing “rest and digest” principles: supine and seated postures, gentle spinal rotations, 1:4:2 pranayama, and constructive rest. Sessions were delivered in person, via Zoom, and by phone, with home practice woven in throughout.

All three participants reported improvements in digestive regularity and symptom management. Across cases, they also described increased body awareness, greater autonomy in choosing supportive practices, and more confidence in managing their symptoms day to day.

The conclusions are appropriately cautious: this is a practice-based case series, not a controlled trial. But the feasibility is clear, and the patient-reported outcomes point toward something worth continuing to study.

Read Cheryl's articles for more on the science!

Yoga Therapy, Digestion, and Scleroderma: What the Research is Telling Us June 10, 2026

The Vagus Nerve, Autoimmune Disease, and What Yoga Therapy Has Been Saying All Along June 24, 2026

Yoga Therapy, Digestion, and Scleroderma July 1, 2026

Yoga Therapy, Digestion, and Scleroderma: What the Research is Showing July, 8, 2026