Kundalini Yoga Techniques for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

According to the National Institute for Mental Health, around 2.2 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. As noted at the OCDCenter.org's statistics page, "OCD has a detrimental impact on many factors of quality of life, including level of education, employment status, and financial independence." Although there are medications available to treat some of the disorder's symptoms, these do not improve quality of life, and often result in undesirable side effects. Kundalini yoga is an alternative method of temporarily alleviating the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Yogic Breathing

• One of the primary symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder is uncontrollable anxiety. As noted at Ocdcenter.org, the American Psychiatric Association classifies OCD as an anxiety disorder. For example, many OCD patients fixate on cleanliness, and will spend hours trying to completely eliminate all sources of possible contamination from a given place. The aim of kundalini yoga is to relax the mind and attain a state of meditation, forgetful of anything that might cause anxious thoughts. This is especially desirable for OCD patients, who fixate on objects, thoughts, or things they want to eliminate, letting everything else fade into the background. The aim of kundalini is the opposite: by focusing on attaining a relaxed and open state of mind, the objects of OCD fixation will be forgotten.

  Breathing is essential to the success of kundalini yoga. Before you begin any yoga exercises, it is important to 'tune in.' Tuning in relaxes the mind and body, allowing for true success in the subsequent stretches and postures. Begin by sitting on the floor with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed. Bring the palms together and press them into each other. You will feel pressure in your arms, extending into your chest. Now close your eyes and begin chanting "ong namo guru dev namo" in a slow, steady manner. Inhale before "ong namo" and take a small breath before "guru dev namo," giving each syllable about three seconds, with the exception of 'dev,' which should be held longer. For those who may be curious, the translation of these phrases is, "I call on infinite creative consciousness," and "I call on divine wisdom." Repeat five to six times. According to a study by David S. Shannahoff-Khalsa, published in a 2004 edition of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, this technique helps to create a 'meditative state of mind,' and is highly recommended as a precursor to other techniques.

Stretches

• While doing any kundalini yoga stretches, keep your eyes closed and focused on the 'third eye,' or the center of the forehead between the eyes. These stretches help relieve OCD symptoms by relieving pressure and tension in the spine. One helpful exercise, called shoulder shrugs, will help increase energy. After tuning in, place your hands on your knees, keeping your eyes closed and shoulders relaxed. Inhale, bringing the shoulders up towards the ears, and exhale as you release. Continue doing this for about two minutes, gradually increasing speed.

Specialized Techniques

• According to Shannahoff-Kalsa's article, the following breathing technique could eliminate OCD symptoms if done regularly for 90 days, with half-hour sessions each day. Still in a sitting position, plug one of the nostrils. Inhale and hold the breath as long as possible, then exhale for the same amount of time. Focus on the sound of your breathing. By plugging the left nostril, the right side of the brain will be stimulated, resulting in a mood shift that may help the OCD patient to slowly forget any fixation.