Yoga as a multimodal therapeutic intervention for postcoronavirus disease 2019 syndrome (long coronavirus disease 2019): A scoping review mapping neurological, autonomic, immunological, and rehabilitative evidence

A BSTRACT Background: Postcoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) syndrome (long COVID) affects ~65 million individuals globally, with symptoms persisting beyond 12 weeks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Its pathophysiology encompasses dysautonomia, neuroinflammation, immune dysregulation, fatigue, and cognitive impairment. Yoga – through asana, pranayama, and dhyana – offers mechanistic alignment with this pathophysiology, yet a comprehensive scoping review on its rehabilitative role remains absent. Objective: To systematically explore the literature on yoga for long COVID, delineating scope, volume, and distribution across medical domains while identifying research gaps. Review Framework: Conducted per Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines using a population–concept–context framework. Methods: Six databases were searched (January 2020–March 2025) using the terms related to COVID-19, long COVID, and yoga. All primary study designs were eligible; two independent reviewers performed screening and data charting without quality exclusion. Results: Post-deduplication, 1,563 records were screened, yielding 31 studies (7 randomized controlled trials and 11 controlled clinical trials, 9 prepost, 3 cross-sectional, 1 case series; n = 2847). Interventions addressed autonomic, respiratory, fatigue, neurocognitive, and immunological domains. Key gaps include limited long COVID-specific RCTs, absent neuroimaging studies, and scarce evidence outside South Asia. Conclusion: A growing but methodologically diverse and predominantly early-phase evidence base maps yoga, and pranayama in particular, as a candidate adjunctive approach for COVID-19 and long COVID, with directionally encouraging but preliminary findings. The current evidence is not sufficient to support integration into rehabilitation guidelines; adequately powered, long COVID-specific trials are required before clinical recommendations can be made.