Suggest edit — Yoga & Resources for Depression

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title: Yoga & Resources for Depression
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# Yoga & Resources for Depression

*A working list of teachers, retreats, articles, and local Bay Area classes for someone navigating depression. Lens: somatic / Iyengar yoga, on the principle that **the body is the lever, not cognition**.*

#depression #yoga #iyengar #wellbeing #mental-health

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## The principle

> *"It's impossible to be depressed when your armpits are open."* — B.K.S. Iyengar

Everything below is built around this. Iyengar lineage chosen deliberately for its precise physical-opening pedagogy — not generic stretching, not mood-talk, not cognitive reframing. **Somatic re-entry into the body** as the primary intervention.

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## Teachers

### Patricia Walden — Iyengar yoga, Boston

- [Patricia Walden Yoga (official site)](https://www.patriciawaldenyoga.com/)
- [About Patricia Walden](https://www.patriciawaldenyoga.com/about)

One of the most prominent senior Iyengar teachers in the US. Close relationship with Guruji (B.K.S. Iyengar) and Geetaji. Notably, Patricia healed her own serious depression in her 20s through Iyengar practice — she's not just teaching the lineage, she's a living case study for it.

### Shosan Victoria Austin — Iyengar yoga + Zen priest, SF

- [Victoria Austin (personal site)](https://victoriaaustin.org/)
- [Shosan Victoria Austin at SF Zen Center](https://www.sfzc.org/teachers/shosan-victoria-austin)

Senior Iyengar teacher and ordained Zen priest, based in San Francisco. Dual lineage means she works precisely with the physical body *and* with contemplative practice. Recommended specifically as someone who has skill working with the body — important for anyone whose depression has a strong somatic / disembodied component.

### Judith Hanson Lasater — restorative yoga

- [Judith Hanson Lasater — calendar & trainings](https://www.judithhansonlasater.com/calendar)

Founding voice of restorative yoga. The modality most accessible when someone is *not able to be very active* — bedridden, exhausted, low energy. If "go to a class" feels impossible, restorative is where to start.

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## Articles

- [**Patricia Walden on Yoga for Depression & Anxiety** (AHA Yoga interview)](https://www.ahayoga.com/patricia-walden-yoga-for-depression-anxiety/) — the single best first link to send anyone asking "does yoga actually help with depression?" Combines Patricia's personal story with practical detail.
- [**Yoga for Depression, Part I** (Yoga Journal)](https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/yoga-for-depression-part-i/) — the most citeable single article in this bundle. Pair with the AHA Yoga interview above.

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## Retreats

- [**Kausala Summer Sanctuary**](https://www.kausala.com/summersanctuary) — looks promising on paper. Recommended without firsthand experience — vet the philosophy and the lead teacher's lineage before committing.

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## Local (Bay Area)

- [**California Yoga, Mountain View — Back Care class, 10:15 AM**](https://www.californiayoga.com/mountain-view-yoga-class-schedule) — Iyengar studio with a back care class at a beginner-friendly intensity. Good entry point for someone in the Bay Area who wants in-person practice but isn't ready for full active classes. *(Note: even "back care" requires being physically present, which isn't always possible. Keep in pocket for week 2-3 of recovery, not as the first ask.)*

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## Adjacent: community for the neurodivergent

- [**Think Divergent**](https://thinkdivergent.com/) — included because depression is often entangled with isolation and neurodivergence. Community is not treatment, but it is load-bearing. Worth knowing about if the person you're helping is high-functioning ND.

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## Notes on use

- **Lead with a human, not a link.** The single highest-leverage move in compiling this list was making a one-on-one introduction to a wise older person who could just *talk* with the person in pain. Web links are necessary but not sufficient. If you have a human bridge available, lead with the human.
- **Start where the body is.** If someone is bedridden, restorative ([Judith Lasater](https://www.judithhansonlasater.com/calendar)) before active. If they can move, [Iyengar back care](https://www.californiayoga.com/mountain-view-yoga-class-schedule). Don't push past where the body is willing.
- **Iyengar lineage isn't the only path** — but it's the one this list is curated around because it has a clear theory of how somatic opening relates to depression, and it has produced specific teachers ([Patricia Walden](https://www.patriciawaldenyoga.com/), [Victoria Austin](https://victoriaaustin.org/)) who treat depression as a real clinical concern.

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*Curated by Jacob Cole. Sources include personal recommendations from senior Iyengar practitioners and longtime students of the tradition. Private research notes (with full source attribution) available on request.*