Yoga and mindfulness program
Gentle, pacing-informed sessions for rest, self-regulation, and fluctuating capacity.
You cannot force a body to recover. What you can do is create conditions that are as supportive as possible.
Gentle, pacing-informed sessions for rest, self-regulation, and fluctuating capacity.
You cannot force a body to recover. What you can do is create conditions that are as supportive as possible.
Who is this program for?
This program is open to anyone who would like to experience more rest, regulate their level of activation, and develop a gentler relationship with their body and energy.
You do not need to have a medical condition or a specific diagnosis to participate. You may simply be looking for a calm, restorative practice without pressure to perform.
The program may be particularly suitable if you experience:
• stress or difficulty slowing down;
• fatigue or limited and fluctuating capacity;
• sensory overload;
• difficulty recovering after physical, cognitive, or emotional strain;
• sleep problems or persistent tension;
• Long COVID or another post-acute infection syndrome;
• post-exertional symptom exacerbation;
• orthostatic intolerance or difficulty remaining upright;
• breathing discomfort or dysregulated breathing patterns;
• a preference for a more meditative, breath-centered yoga session.
The approach has been developed and refined through Marlies’ practice-based work with people with Long COVID. It is informed by pacing, mindfulness, and practices that may support rest and self-regulation, but it is open to everyone who feels drawn to this way of practicing.
No previous yoga experience is required. Practices can be done lying down, seated, or standing. Every practice can be adapted, paused, or omitted. If your symptoms are complex or your capacity is very limited or unpredictable, individual guidance may be more appropriate than a group class.
Who is this program for?
This program is open to anyone who would like to experience more rest, regulate their level of activation, and develop a gentler relationship with their body and energy.
You do not need to have a medical condition or a specific diagnosis to participate. You may simply be looking for a calm, restorative practice without pressure to perform.
The program may be particularly suitable if you experience:
• stress or difficulty slowing down;
• fatigue or limited and fluctuating capacity;
• sensory overload;
• difficulty recovering after physical, cognitive, or emotional strain;
• sleep problems or persistent tension;
• Long COVID or another post-acute infection syndrome;
• post-exertional symptom exacerbation;
• orthostatic intolerance or difficulty remaining upright;
• breathing discomfort or dysregulated breathing patterns;
• a preference for a more meditative, breath-centered yoga session.
The approach has been developed and refined through Marlies’ practice-based work with people with Long COVID. It is informed by pacing, mindfulness, and practices that may support rest and self-regulation, but it is open to everyone who feels drawn to this way of practicing.
No previous yoga experience is required. Practices can be done lying down, seated, or standing. Every practice can be adapted, paused, or omitted. If your symptoms are complex or your capacity is very limited or unpredictable, individual guidance may be more appropriate than a group class.
From practice-based evaluation to further research
The program was developed and refined through participant feedback.
In the original 2023 implementation:
• 105 people participated;
• 75 participants completed the formal evaluation;
• participants completed a total of 1,659 session questionnaires.
Participants reported experiences related to quality of life, stress regulation, and coping with fatigue.
Among those who answered the relevant questions:
• 21 of 25 participants reported improved quality of life;
• 31 of 35 reported being better able to cope with fatigue;
• 17 of 17 reported less stress or anxiety;
• 33 of 33 reported that the program had helped them.
The number of respondents differed between questions. These percentages cannot be generalized to all participants.
Average self-reported energy increased from 2.2 before a session to 2.7 after a session among 65 participants. This was a within-session observation and does not demonstrate a lasting improvement in energy or recovery.
The work was presented at the Symposium on Yoga Research 2023 in the United States and at the ISLC-PAIS Conference 2026 in Amsterdam. At ISLC-PAIS 2026, Marlies received the Michael Chapman Early Career Award.
What these findings do—and do not—mean
The evaluation suggests that a carefully adapted, pacing-informed program is feasible and experienced as supportive by many participants.
The results do not prove that the program:
• treats the underlying biological mechanisms of Long COVID;
• prevents post-exertional symptom exacerbation;
• produces clinical recovery;
• is effective for everyone.
There was no control group, outcomes were primarily self-reported, and participants did not answer every question.
A prospective study with predefined outcomes, an appropriate comparison condition, and carefully selected measurements is needed to investigate effectiveness and possible mechanisms.
⸻
Research, publications, and media
Practice-Based Evaluation of an 8-Week Yoga and Mindfulness Program for People with Long COVID
Marlies Tobias and Geertruid Marres, MD, PhD
Poster presented at the ISLC-PAIS Conference in Amsterdam, August 2026.
This work received the Michael Chapman Early Career Award at the ISLC-PAIS Conference 2026.
From practice-based evaluation to further research
The program was developed and refined through participant feedback.
In the original 2023 implementation:
• 105 people participated;
• 75 participants completed the formal evaluation;
• participants completed a total of 1,659 session questionnaires.
Participants reported experiences related to quality of life, stress regulation, and coping with fatigue.
Among those who answered the relevant questions:
• 21 of 25 participants reported improved quality of life;
• 31 of 35 reported being better able to cope with fatigue;
• 17 of 17 reported less stress or anxiety;
• 33 of 33 reported that the program had helped them.
The number of respondents differed between questions. These percentages cannot be generalized to all participants.
Average self-reported energy increased from 2.2 before a session to 2.7 after a session among 65 participants. This was a within-session observation and does not demonstrate a lasting improvement in energy or recovery.
The work was presented at the Symposium on Yoga Research 2023 in the United States and at the ISLC-PAIS Conference 2026 in Amsterdam. At ISLC-PAIS 2026, Marlies received the Michael Chapman Early Career Award.
What these findings do—and do not—mean
The evaluation suggests that a carefully adapted, pacing-informed program is feasible and experienced as supportive by many participants.
The results do not prove that the program:
• treats the underlying biological mechanisms of Long COVID;
• prevents post-exertional symptom exacerbation;
• produces clinical recovery;
• is effective for everyone.
There was no control group, outcomes were primarily self-reported, and participants did not answer every question.
A prospective study with predefined outcomes, an appropriate comparison condition, and carefully selected measurements is needed to investigate effectiveness and possible mechanisms.
⸻
Research, publications, and media
Practice-Based Evaluation of an 8-Week Yoga and Mindfulness Program for People with Long COVID
Marlies Tobias and Geertruid Marres, MD, PhD
Poster presented at the ISLC-PAIS Conference in Amsterdam, August 2026.
This work received the Michael Chapman Early Career Award at the ISLC-PAIS Conference 2026.
Therapists and participants experienced the program as successful and supportive of quality of life.
Marlies regularly works alongside healthcare professionals on recovery, capacity, and self-management in Long COVID. The sessions complement medical care and focus on rest, regulation, and quality of life.
"Yoga and mindfulness are a real asset within our post-COVID program. Marlies tailors her guidance perfectly to this patient group."
Sander van Ooijen — physiotherapist, PMC Heusdenhout
"The combination of yoga and mindfulness was a valuable addition within our Long COVID rehabilitation program. Therapists and patients experienced it as effective, and as support for quality of life."
Pjotr Goossens MSc — physiotherapist, Monné Zorg & Beweging and Amphia Hospital
"Yoga and mindfulness are a real asset within our post-COVID program. Marlies tailors her guidance perfectly to this patient group."
Sander van Ooijen — physiotherapist, PMC Heusdenhout
Guidance by Marlies Tobias
Marlies Tobias is the founder of Yoga Academy You Are The Buddha at Breda Central Station. She is an E-RYT 500 yoga teacher, mindfulness trainer, teacher trainer, and MSc Yoga Therapy student at Vivekananda Yoga University in the United States.
She has several years (since 2021) of experience developing and teaching yoga and mindfulness for people with Long COVID and other forms of limited or fluctuating capacity.
Her work brings together yoga therapy, mindfulness, participant experience, and evidence-informed practice. She does not make unproven health or recovery claims and presents her findings within the limits of the available evidence.
More than 150 people with Long COVID have now participated in the program.
