Published in the British Medical Journal
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Author: Cheryl Albright, OTR/L, C-IAYT
Author: Cheryl Albright, OTR/L, C-IAYT
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 “9th Systemic Sclerosis World Congress” Athens, Greece, March 5-7 2026.
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.
Presented at Global Yoga Therapy Day on August 14, 2026, Cheryl Albright, OTR/L, C-IAYT, to the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
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.
Try it for Yourself!
Yoga Therapy for Digestive Health
with Kathy Randolph, Yoga Therapist
a reclining, 30 minute class
Our case series offered five individually designed yoga therapy classes to our participants. This is one of the classes, Reclining Class P(68). This class is done on a wedge pillow or inclined plane.
Have your inclined plane ready and come try it for yourself!
Listen to the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1314106/episodes/20001647
Listen to the audio on YouTube here:
Yoga for Digestive Health: Case Series Highlighting Patient Centered Approaches in Scleroderma
with Cheryl Albright, Occupational Therapist and Yoga Therapist
Cheryl reviews our case series, presented worldwide and published in the British Medical Journal, https://jsrd.bmj.com/content/11/Suppl_1/A309.2
Listen to the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1314106/episodes/20001647
Listen to the audio on YouTube here:
https://youtu.be/m-9B7cDpUl0?si=Czj3vr3BCRiNrzSR
Contact Cheryl: webpage, email
Read Cheryl's articles for more on the science!
Sign up for Cheryl's emails - get her articles right in your inbox.
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
A Practice for Digestive Health August 12, 2026
Constructive Rest: Doing Less, On Purpose October 14, 2026
Global Yoga Therapy Day
Global Yoga Therapy Day
In honor of Global Yoga Therapy Day on August 14, 2026, Cheryl Albright, OTR/L, C-IAYT, shared both of her posters with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
Her first poster was presented at the World Sclerosis Conference in Athens, Greece, where she introduced attendees to Scleroderma. This chronic autoimmune condition causes the body to overproduce collagen, leading to hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues, and in many cases, internal organ involvement.
Building on this foundation, Cheryl's second poster turns from understanding the disease to treating one of its most challenging complications.
At the National Scleroderma Foundation Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, Cheryl presented her research on using yoga therapy to support digestive health in patients with Scleroderma. This complementary, movement-based approach offers relief from the gastrointestinal symptoms that so often accompany this condition.
See the Digestive Playlist on our YouTube Channel to try the practices for yourself!
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