1. Matsyasana or fish pose
2. Balasana or child's pose
3. Sarvangansana or Shoulder Stand
4. Pranayam: Breathing Exercise
5. Meditation

Depression is a sudden psychological change in your emotional state of mind which is characterized by sadness, melancholy and loss of interest in worldly affairs. In addition to this, you will feel other signs of depression which include:

• Feelings of overwhelming sadness or fear, or seeming inability to feel emotion.
• Marked decrease of interest in pleasurable activities.
• Changing appetite and marked weight gain or weight loss.
• Disturbed sleep patterns, either insomnia or sleeping more than normal.
• Changes in activity levels, restless or moving significantly slower than normal.
• Fatigue, both mental and physical.
• Feelings of guilt, helplessness, anxiety, and/or fear.
• Lowered self-esteem.
• Decreased ability to concentrate or make decisions.
• Thinking about death or suicide.

The health professional can conclude whether you are merely mildy depressed or whether this is a case of moderate depression on the basis his diagnosis, your answers / symptoms.

Yoga is the best form of relaxation and these exercises can help immensely in alleviating depression. Your Yoga Routine includes meditation as well as yoga poses; it will attack the root cause of depression and help you in handling the demands of your life with ease. It will tone up your nervous system, stimulate blood circulation, develop your concentration skills and energize your mind and body.

Practicing yoga can alter your brain chemistry. Some yoga positions in particular are effective in stimulating the pituitary gland to release endorphins and to reduce the level of cortisol (the stress hormone).

Yoga positions are the most important positions in terms of yoga's health effects on the mind and body. This would include : Choose option by mouseover

1. Matsyasana or fish pose
2. Balasana or child's pose
3. Sarvangansana or Shoulder Stand
4. Pranayam
5. Meditation

• Lie on your back flat on a yoga mat or on a flat floor with carpet.
• Keep your legs together and knees straight so that the toes point towards the ceiling.
• Place your hands under the buttocks and thighs which will in turn cause your chest to move little upwards.
• Bend your hands at elbows and with the help of elbows and arms push your chest upwards as high as possible.
• Now drop your head and rest the top of head on the floor with chin facing the ceiling.
• Breathe normally and hold in this pose for 20 seconds. Breathe out and relax.

This pose helps to deal with depression and anxiety and is a great chest opener (many people with depression have a feeling of pressure or tightness in the chest).

This asana is very much effective in controlling the function of thyroid gland, pitutary gland, pineal gland and diabetes it helps inlowering blood sugar. It helps to curb spinal problem abdominal problems related to kidney, stomach and intestine. This yoga increases sexual function in both male and female.

• Lie down with your back on a Yoga Mat.
• Your shoulders should lie on the edge and your head rests on the mat.
• Your legs are drawn in and still stand on the mat.
• Lift your hips off the floor and bring your legs up, over and beyond your head.
• Lift your back and move your legs further beyond your head.
• Straighten your spine and keep your back straight. Move your hands toward your back.
• Place your arms against your upper back and try to place your hands as near as possible to the shoulder blades. Try to place your elbows at shoulder-width. If you cannot do this, put them at a somewhat wider distance from each other.
• Push your back upwards with your hands.Wait until your shoulders start to relax more.
• Breathe in and out quietly and try to find your balance.
• Slowly bring your legs back to the mat, one by one, stretch out your arms (lengthwise), away from you and slowly roll your back downward.

These inverted positions increase the level of blood, oxygen and glucose going to the brain. This helps the brain to create more dopamine and serotonin. Depressed people are deficient in these neurotransmitters and this is one way to help the body produce more of them naturally.Practicing the shoulderstand ("Sarvangansana") on a regular basis will help to regulate your thyroid.The shoulderstand has also been effective in helping to remedy ptosis or prolapsus, by helping to eliminate congestion in the lower abdomen. Moreover, this inverted position is an excellent remedy for varicose veins and hemorrhoids

The Right Diet can Alleviate Depression
Whereas Drugs effects or work by altering your brain chemistry and increasing the amount of serotonins in your brain. The right diet can also help achieve this objective without the dangerous side effects.

Depression is the most common symptom of a folic acid deficiency. The foods richest in folic acid must be a preferred diet. The right diet is a natural cure and comes with many wonderful side effects such as weight loss and better physical health.

Yoga can work wonders for depression but one should remember if you have serious depression problem then consult a specialist's for his/her advice.

Kapalabhati is one of the best pranayama for depression, especially when anxiety is present; good for calming the mind, decreasing thoughts, energizing the mind and body). Sit upright with closed eyes. Relax. Inhale deeply through both nostrils, expanding the belly without straining, and then exhale forcefully and quickly by contracting the abdominal muscles. Then allow the inhalation to come naturally, passively with no effort. Again, exhale forcefully, and inhale passively. Do this 10 times, and then take several slow deep breathes in and out. Do this for a few rounds. Then sit still and focus on the point between the eyebrows, just being present and relaxed.

Anulom-vilom (Alternate nostril breathing) Sit comfortably with head and spine straight, close your eyes and relax. Close one nostril with the thumb, breathe a long slow breath (always from the belly) through the open nostril. Then, pausing for a moment, remove the thumb and cover the other nostril with the ring and pinky fingers, and slowly exhale through the open nostril. Then inhale back into that same open nostril, cover it with the thumb again, and exhale through the other side. And so on for several rounds. (Rest the middle and index fingers between the brows). Keep the length of breath even. Try counting to 5 in, and 5 out. To alleviate anxiety and nervousness, feel your breath while inhale and count of 5, also feel your breath while exhale and count of 10.

Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. Meditation, considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine, produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process results in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.

Benefits of meditation
Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. And these benefits don't end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day and improve certain medical conditions.