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Abstract

Background: Although widely popular for physical benefits, Yoga has been underutilized for the promotion of mental health. Health professionals and general public continue to remain in different about the suitability of Yoga for treating mental disorders, managing psychological wellness of patients and promoting mental health of the normal population.Objective: Therefore, an attempt is made to document the key preventive, promotive and curative opportunities for mental health through yogic practices and identifying major hurdles in its practice. An evidence based review of related opportunities and challenges is presented.Method: Thereview involved three steps i.e.framing review questions, search of multiple online databases, and interpretation of evidence-based opportunities. Results and conclusion:There isenormous potential of yogic practices for improving mental health in families, schools, clinics and work settings. Major challenges involved in use of Yoga for protecting, managing and promoting mental health relate to paradigmatic choice, subtle process of yoga, methodological approach and practical constraints.