Any suggestions regarding OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)? I have a student who has been coming to me for Asana, who today confessed to me that he suffers from this condition. He has tried many medications as suggested by his doctor/s, but is dissatisfied with mixed results and side effects, and is wondering if yoga therapy can help. I am aware of some very good research findings about nadi shodhana being helpful. I also wonder whether this issue is beyond my level of expertise. Thanks in advance, and jai Ma. K
Main recommendations are to give vata-balancing practices. Do all yogasanas with rhythmic breathing. And also give alternate nostril breathing. See Breath, Mind, and Consciousness by Harish Johari for more details on this benefit. Most certainly there is deeper work to be done too. OCD is often accompanied by not being able to release past experiences because they are misunderstood. That can be cleared by www.yuenenergetics.com work, which I am currently taking. It is quite helpful.
Mukunda.
The site www.yuenenergetics.com is not accessible.Can u please check it again.This leads to a wrong site.
Hi…
I have just started practicing yoga. I have ocd. I have gone through CBT, and have not gone on meds. The primary thing that I have found extremely helpful is being present with my thoguhts. This is the basis of cognitive behavioral therapy in regards to OCD. (Exposing the obsessive compulsive to the very thoughts which cause distress thus reducing the level of anxiety associated with the thought once habituation has occurred) Intrusive thoughts (fear of contamination, fear of hurting others, fear of not being good or moral especially in regards to certain religious standards) cause anxiety which in turn cause the obsessive compulsive to ritualize. Before I got into treatment, I had read some interesting and helpful notions on meditation and how, though we have jumbled and racing thoughts, the idea is to be present with these thoughts…not get annoyed that we do not have a clear mind. This has opened myself to accept my own mind. No matter how distressing or crazy I may think my thoughts are. Yoga is obviously ideal for this as well. With breathing and being quiet, we are bombarded by ourselves. In my opinion, the best advice is in regards to this practice of meditation and the acceptance of ones own mind. No matter what state it is in: peaceful, scary, stressful, jumbled, funny. The obsessive compulsive perceives what is normal and can never attain it. Yoga, in my brief experience with it, encourages one to be exaclty present wherever he or she is. And to fully experience it. It is great help with ocd. 
my first suggestion,
if she says her name is cathy and she has OCD, I would tell her you are cathy.
the tendencies that she has, our socioties label, but to me she would be cathy. She may be an unbalanced cathy who has similar traits as other people but we are not looking to fix the disorder, OCD, we are looking to balance cathy and once she becomes more balanced, the heavy challenge of those behaviors will leave
I used to be a very dishonest person
I did not call myself Neil with lying disorder. I was just Neil,
A trait I had was a person who sometimes does not tell the truth
when she replaces what she considers negative behaviors with positive ones, she will do it because the positive ones are more appealing then the negative ones. she will enjoy the balance positive ones give her and when she does the negative ones again she will recognize the imbalance
I eat more healthy because I now like the healthy food better, not because I cannot eat bad food, because I have to avoid it. I just no longer crave much junk food because it does not make me feel good. THe meals I cook taste better then the food that I eat when eating out.
Chopra has a book called perfect health, chapter 8 talks about overcoming addictions
I liked that chapter. The book is a good read, but as all books take what you can and dont overwhelm yourself…
I teach “autistic” children
some people say they have similar traits, I think all the kids are very different with their own personalities. They call them autistic, I call them bobby, genie, dwayne, jeremiah, kris, etc… I cater to their needs, not the needs of the “autism”
Her name is cathy, and she is not balanced
good luck to you and cathy
seeker