A pilot study of an 8-week, group-based, chakra-informed kundalini yoga intervention for adolescents and young adults with diabetes: Feasibility, youth outcomes, and caregiver distress

Ashley M Lekach; Debra Guss; Jason Chua; Ray B Gannon

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103355

A pilot study of an 8-week, group-based, chakra-informed kundalini yoga intervention for adolescents and young adults with diabetes: Feasibility, youth outcomes, and caregiver distress

Complement Ther Med. 2026 Mar 13:98:103355. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103355. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ashley M Lekach¹, Debra Guss², Jason Chua³, Ray B Gannon⁴

Affiliations

¹ NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, 506 6th Street, Brooklyn, New York,NY 11215, USA. Electronic address: asl9041@nyp.org.
² NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, 506 6th Street, Brooklyn, New York,NY 11215, USA. Electronic address: dag9132@nyp.org.
³ Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Ave., Box 149, New York, NY 10065, USA. Electronic address: jac7024@med.cornell.edu.
⁴ NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Institute of Nursing Excellence and Innovation, 435 E 70th St, Suite 4K, New York, NY 10021, USA. Electronic address: brg7019@nyp.org.

PMID: 41833700
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103355

Abstract

Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with diabetes experience significant biopsychosocial burden linked to hormonal shifts, HPA‑axis dysregulation, autonomic imbalance, metainflammation, and socio‑emotional stress, with heightened challenges among marginalized populations and those with "double diabetes." This pilot evaluated the feasibility of an eight‑week integrative, chakra‑informed yoga program for AYA with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and included caregiver assessments to explore preliminary multidomain outcomes.

Objective: To assess feasibility and explore preliminary psychological, physiological, relational, and biomarker changes following a developmentally attuned Kundalini yoga program for AYA with diabetes and their caregivers.

Methods: A prospective, single‑arm pilot delivered weekly 90‑minute sessions integrating chakra‑aligned movement, breathwork, mantra, mudras, meditation, journaling, and peer dialogue. Psychological indicators, stress‑regulation markers, relational measures, inflammatory and cardiometabolic biomarkers, glycemic indices, and anthropometrics were collected pre‑intervention, post‑intervention, and three‑month follow‑up. Within‑subject changes were assessed using Wilcoxon signed‑rank tests and Friedman tests.

Results: Thirteen AYA (mean age 17.9 ± 1.8 years; 77% Black/African American; 92% type 1 diabetes) and 12 caregivers completed all assessments. Feasibility was high (attendance 84%; retention 100%). Adolescent diabetes distress decreased pre‑to‑post (p < 0.05); caregiver distress decreased pre‑to‑post and at follow‑up (p < 0.01). Adolescent perceived stress (p = 0.03) and serum cortisol (p = 0.02) declined across timepoints. Total cholesterol (p = 0.01) and LDL (p = 0.01) also decreased.

Conclusions: This single‑group pilot supports feasibility and was associated with improvements in psychological distress, stress‑regulation markers, and cardiometabolic indices. Larger controlled trials are warranted to evaluate potential additive benefits alongside standard diabetes care.

Keywords: Adolescent; Caregiver distress; Diabetes distress; Integrative; Kundalini yoga; Stress physiology.