title: An introduction to Kundalini yoga meditation techniques that are specific for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
abstract: The ancient system of Kundalini yoga includes a vast array of meditation techniques and many were discovered to be specific for treating the psychiatric disorders as we know them today. One such technique was found to be specific for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the fourth most common psychiatric disorder, and the tenth most disabling disorder worldwide. Two published clinical trials are described here for treating OCD using a specific Kundalini yoga protocol. This OCD protocol also includes techniques that are useful for a wide range of anxiety disorders, as well as a technique specific for learning to manage fear, one for tranquilizing an angry mind, one for meeting mental challenges, and one for turning negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Part of that protocol is included here and published in detail elsewhere. In addition, a number of other disorder-specific meditation techniques are included here to help bring these tools to the attention of the medical and scientific community. These techniques are specific for phobias, addictive and substance abuse disorders, major depressive disorders, dyslexia, grief, insomnia and other sleep disorders.
authors.affiliation: The Research Group for Mind-Body Dynamics, Institute for Nonlinear Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0402, USA. dsk@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shannahoff-Khalsa
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000628:therapy; D019122:Meditation; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D015013:Yoga