Abstract: Depression is among the most common psychological diagnoses facing college students and young adults today. Treatment options that target depressive symptoms in young adults are a pressing concern to prevent pervasive long-term patterns of major depression. Alternative treatments, such as yoga, have steadily increased in popularity in the West for a variety of physical and mental health disorders, producing both mood and physical health benefits. However, methodologically sound scientific research on yoga and depression is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 5-week Vinyasa yoga intervention on depressive and somatic symptoms in young adults with elevated depressive symptoms. Fifty-nine participants between the ages of 18-29, who met criteria for at least mild depressive symptoms at baseline, were included. Participants were randomly assigned to a twice weekly, 5-week Vinyasa yoga group or a wait-list control group. Analyses of manipulation checks, program adherence, and attrition data confirmed that the study accomplished what was proposed. Attrition in this study was low (2 yoga, 3 control), with a total 53 of 58 participants completing the study. Final data were analyzed for 53 participants (29 yoga, 24 control). Assessments conducted at baseline and after the 5-week intervention revealed significant decreases in both self-reported and observer-rated depressive symptoms, somatic symptoms, sleep quality and anxious symptoms, for the yoga group, as compared to controls. Short-term measures of positive and negative affect assessed before and after session 1, 5, and 10, demonstrated consistently, significant decreases in yoga participant's ratings of negative affect within each session, however not across time. Yoga participants did not demonstrate significant within-session increases in positive affect, however they did demonstrate a trend in the predicted direction over time. Finally, 83% of yoga participants were below criteria for mild depressive symptoms at posttest, as compared to 38% of controls. Results provide preliminary evidence for the efficacy of Vinyasa yoga in the treatment and management of depressive symptoms in young adults.