Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga

by Amy Weintraub, Stephen Cope (Foreword), Richard Brown (Preface)

Take the natural path to mental wellness

More than 25 million Americans are treated with antidepressants each year, at a cost in excess of $50 billion. But the side effects of popular prescription drugs may seem nearly as depressing as the symptoms they’re meant to treat. Veteran yoga instructor Amy Weintraub offers a better solution—one that taps the scientifically proven link between yoga and emotional well-being as well as the beauty of ancient approaches to inner peace.

Addressing a range of diagnoses, including dysthymia, anxiety-based depression, and bipolar disorder, Yoga for Depression reveals why specific postures, breathing practices, and meditation techniques can ease suffering and release life’s traumas and losses. Weintraub also reflects on her own experience with severe depression, from which she recovered through immersing herself in a daily yoga routine.
Yoga for Depression is the first yoga book devoted exclusively to the treatment of these debilitating conditions. Amy Weintraub will help readers see their suffering and themselves in a vibrant new light.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Health, Mental Health, Reference, Spirituality

285 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

About the author

Amy Weintraub is a pioneer in the yoga and mental health field and the bestselling author of Yoga for Depression, and Yoga Skills for Therapists. She is the recipient of the Allen Tate Memorial Award for the Short Story and a finalist for the William Faulkner Award for the Novel. Amy is proud to be both a teacher and student of yoga. A sought-after speaker, she's been interviewed on radio, podcasts, and television.

Her first novel, TEMPLE DANCER, is a provocative, rich tale of love that raises compelling concerns, and will tap the flow of your senses.

"I was once a television producer suffering from depression. When I began to practice yoga, my writing aligned with my life’s purpose, and I began to write articles and books and founded the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute®, which today serves clients and trains yoga and mental health professionals around the globe. I'm passionate about the healing powers of yoga, and also the power of art—music, dance, visual art, poetry and most especially the writing of fiction."

Stay tuned for her Yoga for Depression and Anxiety Card Deck coming out from Sounds True in the spring.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/amylifeforc...
FB: https://www.facebook.com/amyweintraub...
YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/AmyWeintrau...
GR: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
AZ: https://www.amazon.com/Amy-Weintraub/...
TW: https://twitter.com/AmyWeintraub2

Reviews

[Kate Wester · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent overview. There is not much practical information. She encourages people to find a qualified teacher or therapist. One confusing point. She spends a whole chapter on The Art of Living's "sudharshan kriya", calling it the breath that heals. But she never describes what it is. After a little research online, it seems this technique is super secret, can only be taught by Art of Living, and you can't teach it to anyone else. So as someone in the healing profession, it doesn't make sense to me why this is included. I would not be able to use this with clients. Perhaps only for oneself. I'm not attracted to things that are "super secret". Seems a little culty.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

My doctor told me that I should do yoga to help with some of the symptoms of depression that I have. The exercises in this book are supposed to help relieve some of these symptoms. I have been doing yoga now for about a year and I have been doing some of these exercises and I believe that they do work. A lot of the exercises are geared towards getting blood circulating to the head. The ones I really like are the balance poses. Those poses take a lot of concentration and I feel that learning to concentrate while doing poses can teach one to concentrate in life. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to find another way of relieving depression.

[EllenZReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This took me a long time to get through as I have been reading a lot of other things at the same time. I've definitely read books that helped me learn more about yoga. This was more of a generalized book about different types of yoga with a handful of case examples of people with various conditions like depression, PTSD, etc., than a practical guide to actual yoga poses. She also mentioned a few breathing and yoga techniques but did not describe them and kept saying people just needed to find a qualified teacher--that wasn't terribly helpful. I was also a bit put off when in the very beginning of the book she is overly anti-meds. Meds CAN be over-prescribed, but they can also help many people with depression lead functional lives. Many people can benefit from a more well rounded approach that uses medications, yoga/meditation techniques, talk therapy AND a variety of other things (diet, exercise, etc). It doesn't have to be one or the other, and there should be NO shame in using medications to treat your depression if that helps you (Personal disclaimer: I did at one point take prescriptions for both anxiety and depression. I am not currently taking any meds, but I would not hesitate to use them again if necessary...along with other non-medical approaches that work for me).

[Rachel Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is good. Very good. The more I reflect the more I genuinely believe that there is a very fine line between depression/fibromyalgia/ME. I can already feel that this book is going to make a big impact on both my yoga practice and my day-to-day thought patterns. It is not one of those flaky yoga books that tells you to heal yourself and flush your meds down the loo, but instead works on balance - the balance of meds/therapy/yoga/meditation. Learning to stop being your depression or your fibro or your ME and to just be. And to come to a place where a daily yoga practice maintains your physical and mental health.

I do wish Americans wouldn't go on about bloody Freud so much though.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! Read it when I was struggling with anxiety on the reccommendation of a yoga teacher friend of mine. This book dives into the ayurvedic & buddhist breakdowns of our make-up. Im a pitta...& vata at times...& now know exactly why I feel anxiety at times (Vata imbalance) or sluggish (kapha imabalance) or pissed off (PITTA imbalance) & what the heck to do to balance it all out. It is highly interesting & each person, even the most balanced person, can benefit from the knowledge in this book. It is shocking the accuracy & how differently you experience things with the background knowledge of why.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea that yoga is a good treatment for depression is interesting, but I found this book poorly written, full of poorly sourced scientific claims, overly anti-medication and badly organized.
There is some useful information about types of postures and breathing exercises that can be activating or relaxing, depending on what you need. But it was hard to find amidst the rest of the meandering examples.

[Stephanie Fellenberg]

This book is an awesome guide for people who suffer from depression and anxiety and want to be empowered to change the way they feel. I attended Amy's workshop at a conference last year and she is just amazing!

[Jobie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for yoga and depression. She tells stories from her own experience and from people she knows and has worked with. She also cites some case studies. It is and easy and compassionate read. It is well balanced between information and story, practice and practical suggestions.

[Kate Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

full of great information. not a book you want to race through but it shines a light on an area that's much needing it.

[Meg Dizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

chose this book to do my final paper for Yoga school. This non fiction story is one of strength, determination and will power. Great read

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and informative read on the overall benefits of Yoga for those with depression. The techniques are truly helpful. My day often begins and ends with poses suggested by Ms. Weintraub.

[H. V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be more useful to someone who does not yet have a yoga practice. It mainly discuses the "why" of yoga, outlining several types of depression and how yoga works on various levels to prevent and manage depression. Weintraub also discusses different styles of yoga, and reccomends that a student begin by taking classes. I was already familiar with many of the poses and meditation practives that Weintraub discusses, and was a little wary of the idea of self-diagnosis.

The best part of the the book for me was her discussion of how practioners, under the watchful eye of a careful teacher, can release patterns of emotional distress that have been stored in the body. Although I've heard of this idea before, I've only thought about it in terms of anger or other more violent emotional patterns.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My therapist loaned this to me, and I found it motivating for slowly picking up a bit of yoga practice that I'd dropped during a depressive episode. The author does some interesting mixing of personal anecdotes, Hindu philosophy, and medical studies about the effects of yoga, and I'll admit that I came away with a bit of skepticism. (Studies about yoga and health are notoriously tricky - small sample sizes, different things that are considered "yoga," hard-to-determine causation, etc.) But the gist of it is solid advice: Movement and breathing, ideally with a teacher who prompts you to be mindful of your body and kind to yourself, can be a tool for coping with/recovering from depression. Now I just need to motivate myself to sign up for a class.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

first of all--this is a treasure of a book regardless of whether you currently feel depressed or peaceful, angry or joyful. frankly it's a great find for anyone interested in learning about why people get such a natural high after taking a yoga class, and explains the changes in the biochemistry of the brain and endocrine systems while practicing certain postures. the author skillfully breaks down and recommends which poses to do based on whether you are trying to activate your tapas (inner fire) or trying to soothe your body. this is really an amazing book--i'd recommend it to anyone!

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Good book, detailed, offers yoga poses after each chapter incorporating the theme of that chapter in the poses. A lot of resources are listed at the end which may be useful to readers. My favorite part was a short story near the end - one neighbor digs holes in his yard looking for water, only digging deep enough to look into the hole, he doesn't find water; while the other neighbor digs one hole very deeply and then finds water. Moral is to delve deeply into fewer projects and you'll find what you're looking for.

[Steph Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good guide for using yoga as a stress-reliever & natural anti-depressant, even for those of who aren't clinically or seriously depressed. We all go through hard times. We all have those days when life seems pointless (right?). For me, practicing yoga gives me something tangible that I can DO to help my moods and keep my spirits up. The author provides a nice balance of yogic philosophy and modern medical research on how yoga can really help relieve depression.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western medicine is starting to recognize (and validate, as though that were necessary) the benefits of yoga for controlling depression, as well as helping to decrease the effects of bipolar disorder and others.

This is a practical guide to employing yoga practice to change brain chemistry and feel better -- without drugs.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more of a written description of the use of yoga and meditation for responding to depression than a how too book that shows pictures to follow. There are some photos. But the reader would need the background of yoga lessons to find them useful.

I do really like the extended discussion of breathing and meditation.

All and all I highly recommend it.

[H.A. Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best yoga books I've read in quite a while. It's a very broad overview of many of the benefits and paths of yoga all in the format of gentle care of the self and focusing on depression. I loved it and can't recommend it enough for people who struggle with depression or bipolar disorder!

[Alana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow read and I felt like she was repeating herself a lot. Bottom line is yoga is good for depression of all kinds if you can practice every day. I think I'd rather go see her speak/teach then read her book in future.

[Jenn Lambert · Rating 2 out of 5]

really wasn't what I was looking for. She kept recomending that you find a yoga instructor to show you things. not very helpful at all. The more I read of it, the less help I thought it was. finished it a little while ago, just forgot to add a review, and take it off my list.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book - tons of excellent ideas for on the mat and off - i love amy's real writing style and the way she incorporates a bit from all genres and isn't saying one form of yoga is better than all the others......

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good and useful

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Great advice on how to take a natural path to mental wellness. Read it back in 2004 and am rereading it now. A beautiful and compassionate guide.

[Mizzo73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book - it is not a "how to" book but encourages you to get on with it and start a daily yoga routine. It offers great insight into depression and ways to deal with it.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a good read with great ideas and basic poses to help improve mental health

[Marja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not fully sure how to rate this. For a while I was going to give this four stars and only omit the one star because I found the spiritual side of this book a little uncomfortable. I admit that I don't really know what to think about the spirituality of the yoga practice but the references to God and divinity made me a little uneasy. I let it be for now.

What I liked about this book was the deeply caring and compassionate writing style of the author. The way she wrote about yoga as a way to relieve emotional distress must feel like a heaven-sent (I know it's a bit ironic, but I can't figure out a better term) for anyone suffering from mental illness. Who wouldn't want to take any means possible to relieve the mental suffering? I also found the stories about people who had benefited from yoga practice both eye-opening and comforting.

But. Call me cynical or blame it on my scientific training but I also grew skeptical about everything with each chapter. it simply felt too good to be true. I didn't check the original references but I found them a bit shady. I'm a little unsure if the science backs up everything as solidly as this book suggests. I would have hoped a little more critical take on the subject.

The other thing I found a little disconcerting was the warnings about practices that you shouldn't be doing unless you are supervised by a qualified teacher. For instance, she was saying something about energizing breathing practices causing manic episodes in bipolar people and I was thinking, really, can breathing exercises really do that? I would have wanted to see some real science behind it all because some of the warnings about what not to do were a bit scary for me. Again I would have needed some real evidence about various things.

In conclusion, I have no doubts about the positive influence of yoga practice on (mental) well-being. I feel it myself every time I step on my mat but I'd be cautious about some things presented in this book. I would have needed more rational take on things, now this veered on the emotional side quite heavily. I, however, found the empathetic approach quite lovely, too, so I don't really know where the balance should be.

I guess my final rating is 3,5 stars rounded up to 4. I did like reading this and I definitely got a lot to think about which I am grateful for. I haven't really read much about this kind of literature so I'm not sure how this compares to others. I would be interested to read more about this stuff, though.

[Laurie Crowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of what Amy Weintraub says could help people, like myself, who suffer from depression. But make no mistake, Amy is out to make a buck. She literally spends an entire chapter singing the praises of a particular breathing practice (Sudharshan Kriya in Chapter 7), and then after all that, says that she cant tell the reader how to do it, that the reader will have to buy it.

Sheister.

[Dakota D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be prepared to sift through a bunch of “you don’t need medication!” nonsense and quite a bit of subtle/not so subtle Kripalu Yoga selling bits and chapters, in order to find the gems. Was overall very helpful and validating as a depressed person struggling to commit to yoga and meditation. Glad I read it, but I’m also glad to be done so I don’t have to filter as actively when reading it 🙄

[Holli Keel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished this book after a loooong time sitting partially read on my shelf. Some good information in it, but I don’t learn yoga moves well from a book. So the practice part was useless to me.