From neurobiological regulation to socio-ecological remodeling: a mini review of yoga interventions for adolescent smartphone addiction

Adolescent smartphone addiction has emerged as a pervasive public health crisis, which often stems from a developmental imbalance between hypersensitive reward circuitry and immature executive control. While conventional interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy remain the standard of care, they are often constrained by a lack of holistic focus, failing to address the multifaceted physiological dysregulation and environmental triggers associated with addictive behaviors. This review synthesizes the neurobiological mechanisms of yoga, positioning it not merely as physical exercise but as a form of “embodied cognitive training” that bridges the gap between physiological regulation and psychological recovery. We examine how yoga may facilitate psychophysiological homeostasis through a dual pathway: a potential “bottom-up” regulation that attenuates HPA axis hyperactivation and enhances vagal tone, and a proposed “top-down” reinforcement of prefrontal connectivity to inhibit impulsive reward-seeking. At the molecular level, we discuss evidence suggesting that yoga-induced upregulation of BDNF and GABA may provide a potential neuroplastic substrate helpful for repairing compromised neural networks and restoring reward prediction error processing. However, recognizing that neuroplasticity depends on environmental context, we argue that sustainable recovery necessitates extending beyond individual neuroadaptation to a “Home-School-Community” synergistic model. By combining targeted neurobiological regulation with broad environmental support, this framework offers clinicians a practical strategy to help adolescents build cognitive resilience and regain control over their digital habits.