ABSTRACT
Approximately one in six individuals suffers from depression. The prevalence of depression appears to have increased over the past few decades. Several factors in the modern lifestyle significantly contribute to this rise. Many of these factors can potentially be modified, yet they receive little consideration in the treatment of depression. First-line management of depression primarily comprises psychotherapy and pharmacological treatment. For treatment-resistant patients, several invasive and noninvasive options are emerging. Empirical evidence is limited for most of these treatments. Yoga is the well-known modifier of lifestyle, but not yet fully explored and adopted in the management of depression. It constitutes a major element of upcoming “lifestyle medicine.” Meditation and yoga are important components in this nexus between clinical treatments and public health promotion that involve the application of social, environmental, biological, somatic, and psychological principles to enhance physical and mental wellbeing. Large-scale adoption of yoga as a lifestyle may also 4provide opportunities for general health promotion and potential prevention of depression. In this chapter, we provide a narrative discussion of causes, principles of management, and details of yoga as these relate to depression.
