Gurus in the West!

A guru is regarded as the one who leads the way. Someone who blazes a trail, and who, looking back upon the path he or she has chosen, provides others with the knowledge and wisdom gained from that experience. In America, the word “guru” conjures up a very specific image. Most likely that of a bearded, turbaned Indian man, possibly shoeless, sitting cross-legged on a podium. Many Americans, especially in the turbulent 60s, traveled to India to find a guru, and began to look towards them for a model of behavior and spiritual wisdom, inviting others to follow. The guru is such a culturally revered icon for many, that it becomes questionable whether the man can ever live up to the myth, especially because he is, in fact, only a man, not a deity. Devotees of a guru learn to take the guru's words as truth, because they believe to have found a person who will lead them on the path to spiritual bliss. But what makes a guru so cherished, so admired, and why do some individuals come to admire their guru so strongly they would sacrifice anything to him? What makes a guru, a guru, and how has this definition changed over time?

According to the Hinduistic tradition, the guru is necessary for spiritual development. In order to wash off old karma (the residual effects of deeds in past and current lives) and reincarnation, the assistance of the guru is essential. The word guru comes from the Hindu tradition, in which the belief prevails that a skilled teacher is necessary for spiritual development (Mlecko, 1982). The guru is regarded in Hinduism as a religious teacher, that educates others on religious life, and may sometimes be worshipped himself. The guru is thought not only to be the ultimate inspiration, but an example of the end goal after successive karma and reincarnations. The English translation of the Pan-Indian Sanskrit term "guru" is teacher, but if the word is broken down, it can mean a number of things. In Sanskrit, gu means "ignorance" and ru means "dispeller", thus the guru is a dispeller of ignorance, which explains why the word guru can be used for many different disciplines apart from yoga and spirituality. The word guru can also mean "heavy" or "weighty" which can either refer to an unusual weight of holy men, or to the strong influence which a guru has upon others. The fascination which surrounds gurus can cause them to become almost mythical beings, performing miracles, healing sickness, and making predictions which devotees can only assume implies a connection with the divine.

In ancient India, the guru began as a religious teacher who taught only a select group of pupils the Vedas, the oldest Hindu scriptures, as well as the skills needed to study them (Mlecko, 1982). Books were rarely used, because the interpersonal contact was thought to be paramount to a religious scholar's education, especially because of the challenging nature of the Vedas' pronunciation. This historical amplification of the guru's importance over time provokes some questions: what happens if the guru is not one worthy of the pedestal on which he is placed? What if his increasing "heavy" social status creates an individual that is someone to be reviled, not revered?

In the West, it seems people have a unique ability to take a simple concept and manipulate it to the point where it becomes unrecognizable. Our intentions may be pure, but our actions can create something that becomes progressively farther and farther from anything healthy or safe, and from anything that may originally have been intended. And if someone comes to an Westerner claiming the answer to some unspeakable, unattainable satisfaction that we cannot find in new cars, modern conveniences, health food or shopping malls, you had better believe that someone is going to believe it.

Swami Vivekenanda first became well known at the Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. He is regarded as the “bringer” of modern yoga to America, in that he traveled to the West to teach followers the yogic practice, introducing a practice that had previously only been performed by Hindu men (Douglass, 2007). He could be considered to be the first 'guru' of the West, in that he taught ancient Hindu practices to many Americans for the first time. Many flocked to see him, in order to better understand yoga from the viewpoint of someone they considered an expert on the subject. He was described as a very handsome and dapper gentleman, who was fond of wearing nice clothes, especially silk turbans. Americans became very fond of him, and he became very popular and in part, responsible for sparking an interest in yogic practice within the United States. He framed yoga within the context of a health perspective, in order to put Christians' fears to rest about straying from their religion. In a way, he performed some of the first magic tricks of a guru in the West, in shaping the consciousness of many Americans to believe that yoga was not a religious practice, but a physical one. Vivekenanda also made light of his lack of an education by claiming, "No amount of books can help us to become purer. The only power is in realization, and that lies in ourselves and comes from thinking" (Douglass, 2007).

In America in the 1960s through the 1970s, the Divine Light Mission sought to promote its meditation techniques, as the "road to ultimate liberation" and placed Guru Maharaj Ji as the "Teenage Perfect Master and Lord of the Universe"(Foss, Larkin, 1978). The movement existed as an off-shoot of the counter cultural movements of the sixties, in which the youth culture rejected the beliefs of their parents, and sought to create an alternate reality, in which different values presided over institutions, which were seen to be moribund. The Divine Light Mission became most well-known in 1973-1974, when it became widely covered by popular media, in part due to its festival called Millenium-'73--one of the largest youth events of the year. The movement was criticized for manipulating its followers, and segments covering Guru Maharaj Ji and the Divine Light Mission were shown for laughs at the end of news broadcasts. Guru Maharaj Ji became notorious among newspapers as illustrious as the New York Times for his antics, like buying expensive cars, and other high priced items, as well as his seemingly bizarre, meaningless and contradictory behavior. He is described as "chubby, squat, enamored of expensive cars and other gadgets, and in no way saintly in his dealings with his followers" (Foss, Larkin, 1978).

A religious teacher who, in his actions, rejected his own moral advice, seems contrary to the ancient version of the guru who taught only a few carefully selected students the Vedas. Maharaj Ji's gathering of followers at the Houston Astrodome for Millenium-73 were a group of individuals who experienced the fallout after the end of the idealism of the sixties, and were looking for an answer to provide them with meaning once more. Those who followed Guru Maharaj Ji understood his contradictions to be part of his perfection, also claiming that he was a "mirror"(Foss, Larkin, 1972). He bought into his followers' belief systems, and carefully managed their opinions of him.

Because gurus like Guru Maharaj Ji have carefully managed their images, devout followers often believe that all of a guru's choices, even the immoral ones, are part of his teachings, and can be at risk for exploitation. In 1994, the founder of Kripalu Yoga was accused of having sexual relationships with some of his students. Although other American Yogis, like Yogi Satchitananda, and the popular Maharishi of Beatles' fame, have been accused of doing the same, Yogi Amrit Desai was unique, in that he admitted his faults, and resigned from his position. He has been accused of taking a salary that amounted to over $155,000 annually, as well as sales from books and CDs. His devotees have come forward to claim that he exploited them, by sexually abusing female devotees at Kripalu, and by strictly enforcing a way of life through dietary restriction and celibacy, which he did not follow himself.

There is a magical quality about these yogis' careful management of their public images, and in their desire to veil the negative information from their followers, as well as their occasional trick performances. The primitive model of understanding yoga, links its origins from shamanism and agricultural magic (McEvilley, 1981). Therefore, it's possible that both yoga and shamanism were derived from a common source, which makes sense of the magic tricks some yogis try to perform, rolling their bodies in flames like the yogi from the film 'The Fire Yogi', or constructing a false and idealistic public image. Although yoga may have its origins in shamanism, there are points at which the archetype of the guru, common in yogic texts, and the archetype of the shaman differ.

Fredrik Barth, in an examination of the differences between a guru in Bali, and the priest of a mystery cult in New Guinea, met with that important difference. In Bali, he found that the guru was constantly teaching. The villagers told Barth, "He always taught! If he saw or heard someone in the village lane doing wrong, he would immediately stop, and teach and explain and instruct him... One word from Maxfuz Guru, and everybody listened" (Barth, 1990). While the task of the guru was to "lay bare" the essential truths of his teaching, the New Guinea priest "like a conjurer, tries to withhold the essential truths from his audience even while he initiates them as novices" (Barth, 1990).

It would seem then, that the guru within the West, seeks to do some combination of both roles, delivering essential truths, while being forced to hide aspects of his personality from his followers. The veiling and unveiling of aspects of the personality and behavior of the guru of the West is magical, and some of that magic may be lost in the technological age. Due to social media, news can be made accessible to the public instantly, and knowledge that may be harmful to the guru can be spread nationwide. Knowledge that was formerly spread only orally by the guru himself, can now be accessed through podcasts, online journals, and databases. How does that affect the interpersonal teaching that used to characterize the guru in Ancient India? Is the magic gone? How will the role of the guru change within a new cultural context?

In the quick pace of the digital age, it's becoming increasingly more impossible to perform the role of guru within the modern framework of our culture. Baba Ram Dass, formerly Richard Alpert, traveled to India to meet Neem Karoli Baba, his guru, in the late 1960s. He came from what he described as a "Jewish anxiety-ridden, high achieving tradition" and he was transformed by the experience with his guru, as well as his experiences taking LSD (Gez, 2011). He conducted experiments using acid on subjects at Harvard University along with his colleague Timothy Leary, and both were fired for their work. They became examples of the phrase later coined by Leary, "tune in, turn on, drop out" (Gez, 2011). When the counter culture scene became uninteresting, Ram Dass took a spiritual route, that many others would follow after psychedelics became illegal in the US in 1970 (Lander, 2011). He traveled to India, and soon after, wrote popular book Be Here Now, in which he described his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, as well as what he had learned from taking LSD. He became popular throughout the country, and was asked to give lectures on his experiences, becoming one of the first well known nationwide American teachers of Eastern spirituality. He suffered a stroke in 1997, and was diagnosed with expressive aphasia, a condition that affects his speech. He now teaches from his home in Hawaii through blog posts, as well as monthly webcasts and videos. Many of his admirers come to him.

Ram Dass is an example of the way in which gurus and the teaching of Eastern spirituality are changing in the West. Those who have frequently been described as "New Age" philosophers derive teachings not only from Hinduism but from other major religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism. Some of these "New Age" teachers popular in the West include Eckhart Tolle, and Deepak Chopra. Cheerful promotion of the Eastern avenues of thought, and the reinforcement of the belief that the American middle class is lacking in happiness, and abundant in mental illness, helps sell thousands of books, tapes, and DVDs by these popular spiritual guides. In the United States, as well as in India, scientific evidence is now also being shown to support methods like meditation, and to garner new followers, especially outsiders and beginners within the urban middle class (Frøystad, 2011).

It's interesting to note how the Western viewpoint of the guru, as well as the Western understanding of mental illness, is being introduced in a new way back into Indian culture. The suggestion of how to "Indianize" psychology has been made by therapists who have thought to take the guru-chela relationship from the Bhagavad Gita, and use it as a reference for the Indian therapeutic relationship (Avasthi, 2011). How could the Western view of mental illness, as well as its' cure affect Indians? Would the cure be the same one promoted for illnesses like depression within the United States by gurus like Deepak Chopra? Would it also be used to sell things?

Modern day American gurus like Chopra and Eckhart Tolle promote themselves and their products to middle class America by citing scientific evidence, and working with mainstream institutions, instead of remaining in conflict with the mainstream, as gurus like Guru Maharaj Ji in the 1970s. However, proponents of the more traditional style of teaching may argue that newer cultural institutions can still teach the same lessons, but something may be lost without the committed personal relationship between guru and student.

In Indian musical education, the guru relationship is also the chosen method of teaching. North Indian classical music has been taught through the oral tradition for centuries, the firsthand succession of knowledge from guru to pupil is considered important to the process of becoming a musician (Schippers, 2007). The evolution of contemporary Indian students, as well as interest from the West in Indian cultural traditions, has brought North Indian classical music to courses and degrees in Europe and the United States. This has changed the relationship between guru musicians and their students, with gurus holding steadfast for tradition, and students looking for a relationship more accommodating to their needs, and the changing world.

The traditional one-on-one relationship between guru and student may be one that is threatened as the world and its techology continues to advance. If the Western institutional style of learning prevails, and technology continues to advance at such a quick pace, the unique relationship between guru and devotee, for better or worse, may be at risk for change.

Sources:

Avasthi, A. (2011). Indianizing psychiatry - is there a case enough? Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 53(2), 111-120. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.82534

Barth, F. (1990). The guru and the conjurer: Transactions in knowledge and the shaping of culture in southeast asia and melanesia. Man, New Series, Vol. 25, No. 4 640-653. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2803658

Douglass, L. (2007). How did we get here? A history of yoga in America, 1800-1970. International Journals of Yoga Therapy, 17: 35-42

Foss, D., Larkin, R. (1978) Worshiping the absurd: The negation of social causality among the followers of guru maharaj ji. Sociological Analysis , Vol. 39, No. 2 (Summer, 1978), pp. 157-164. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3710215

Frøystad, K. (2011). Roping outsiders in. Nova Religio, 14(4), 77-98. doi:10.1525/nr.2011.14.4.77

Gez, Y. N. (2011). The phenomenon of jewish buddhists in light of the history of jewish suffering. Nova Religio, 15(1), 44-68. doi:10.1525/nr.2011.15.1.44

Lander, D. R. (2011). Start your own religion: New york states acid churches. Nova Religio, 14(3), 64-80. doi:10.1525/nr.2011.14.3.64

McEvilley, T. An Archaeology of Yoga. RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics, No. 1 (Spring, 1981), pp. 44-77. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20166655

Mlecko, J. (1982, July). The Guru in Hindu Tradition. Numen, Vol. 29, Fasc. 1 (Jul., 1982), pp. 33-61. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3269931

Provence, L. (2005, April 21). Guru's past: Yogaville visit opens old wounds. Retrieved from http://www.rickross.com/reference/yogaville/yogaville73.html

Schippers, H. (2007). The guru recontextualized? perspectives on learning north indian classical music in shifting environments for professional training. Asian Music, 38(1), 123-138,166. Retrieved from http://lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/214158651?accountid=12060

Slaughter, A. (2002). Ram dass shares his battle against stroke. USA Today. Retrieved from http://ramdasstapes.org/usatoday%20article.htm

Yoga as a Physical Therapy for Back Pain

Nichole Smith
Lesley University, Cambridge, Ma

Introduction

Back pain is a very common ailment in today’s society. It is estimated to affect every individual person at least once in their life. It is also found to be “the leading cause of lost man hours in trade and industry,” (Saraswati D. S., 1980) and one of the leading reasons people seek medical attention. Causes of back pain can range greatly, as there is no one particular cause of it. Many causes of back pain are generally related to work, because many jobs in North America require that “we spend our days sitting at desks, staring at computer screens” (Gudmestad, 2011, p. 26). Yoga has been one form of alternative medicine for back pain as a way to fore go drugs which could negatively affect the body in other ways, while relieving the pain. Inadequate flexibility of the back often causes back pain and discomfort, and yoga is one of the best alternatives to “fixing” flexibility problems. Yoga uses poses to stretch the body and increase oxygen to the muscles, which can increase flexibility, which could inevitably relieve one’s back pain.
Back pain has always been a factor in my life. Luckily, I have not been negatively affected enough by it that it has endangered my way of life, but I does make some physical things very uncomfortable or difficult to do. Until this yoga course at Lesley University, I was never part of a regular yoga class. At the beginning of this course I found that I had a lot of back pain at the end of the class, when we were in poses lying flat on the floor, like corpse pose. However, after several classes, I began to feel less and less pain until there was nothing left at all when doing corpse pose, or any other pose requiring me to lay flat on the floor. This posed the question, why does yoga help back pain? Is it the breathing techniques? The poses? A mixture? This is what I strive to answer.

Causes of Back Pain

As back pain affects everyone at one time or another, many question what causes it? The most common answer is their jobs. For many jobs in North America, people are required to sit down for an average of eight hours per day, usually staring at a computer screen. When travelling to get to that job, it is done in cars, trains, buses, even airplanes, where it is required to sit for an extended period of time to get to your destination (Gudmestad, 2011). All of this sitting is hurting a person’s posture, causing slouching and hunched backs, which results in back pain. The Mayo clinic staff defines 3 major categories of back pain: strains, structural problems, and rare but serious conditions. Most often back pain is caused from “strained muscles or ligaments, heavy or improper lifting, or after sudden awkward movement” (Martin, 2010, pp. 3-4). Other than jobs, the general lifestyle of people today is said to cause back pain. Dr. Swami Karmananda Saraswati states that because we live such a “sedentary lifestyle characterized by lack of exercise and overweight, both of which contribute to functional inadequacy of the back muscles,” (Saraswati D. S., 1980, p. 50) we are much more prone to back pain than those living in non-sedentary cultures. Other than jobs, our lifestyle of overeating, and lack of regular exercise, greatly affects our backs carrying around all the unnecessary excess weight. By including a regular yoga class into our schedules, and eating healthier, Dr. Swami Karmananda Saraswati says, we could both loose the excess weight and gain a stronger back which could lead to relieving our back pain.

The Yoga Pain Pill

In our western sedentary society, we are much quicker to take the easy and fast route to solve a problem. When we have a headache, we run and grab the “quick release tablets” of Advil, Tylenol, or whatever type of generic ibuprofen we have in our bathroom. The Mayo clinic lists the most likely types of treatments or drugs to be recommended to you if you visit your doctor for back pain: medications, physical therapy and exercise, injections, and surgery. There is no thought to alternative techniques to help. As for the physical therapies, which could include yoga, they recommend is ice, heat, muscle-relaxers, and electrical stimulation. There is not very much “physical” in the physical therapy option. However, with yoga making such a dramatic entrance into the general public as of late, it may begin to be an option to relieve pain physically. Recently, there have been several studies of how yoga works to relieve back pain, using several different types of yogas and other interventions. One approach mixes both Western and Eastern approaches to help solve back pain. It is pieced together with a wide range of both motion exercises and mental exercises including, “being immersed in physical therapy; wellness, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong classes; psychological and job counseling; art therapy; and peer support, they also learn anger management, assertiveness training, coping strategies, and relaxation techniques” (Kelly, 2011, p. 39). Yoga, however, is one of the key components to the program. Since living in such a sedentary lifestyle, stiff muscles and a small range of motion can amplify pain for some people, so “yoga helps them relax and begin to embrace the notion of moving again after so much physical stagnancy” (Kelly, 2011, p. 43). Many people found that the more physical work they did, the less they needed to rely on medications to help relieve the pain. This made them feel better both physically with less pain and mentally as their system wasn’t being injected with drugs, so their minds were clearer and were not being weighed down from the drugs.
Several Yoga teachers, both Eastern and Western praise yoga for its pain relieving abilities. For every different type of back pain, whether low back pain, middle, high, or neck, there is a different emphasis on exercise for that type of pain. Yoga exercises can be “done to address the structural problems in the joints and the spine as a whole. They can be therapeutic or preventative” (Saraswati S. B., 2000, p. 21). In the same way, there are different sessions of yoga which emphasize more than just posture practice and breathing, they also have “a specific focus: relaxation, strength building, flexibility, and large-muscle movement, asymmetric poses, strengthening the hip muscles, lateral bending, integration, and customizing a personal practice” (Sherman, Cherkin, Erro, Miglioretti, & Deyo, 2005, p. 852). Another group of doctors and scientists founded a study on yoga’s effectiveness in relieving recurrent or chronic low back pain in adults. They claim yoga is more beneficial to people with low back pain because “yoga offers a combination of physical exercise with mental focus, and patients are taught good posture, self-awareness, and self-care along with relaxation” (Tilbrook, et al., 2011, p. 572). After their twelve-week program of regular yoga sessions, versus general medication care, they found that the yoga program “led to greater improvements in back function than did usual care” (Tilbrook, et al., 2011, p. 575) and thus, less pain for the participants with recurrent or chronic pain. After reading through these several studies how is it people are not using yoga more as a pain reliever, and relying more on pills?

Breathe Away the Pain

Along with the physical aspects of yoga, breathing techniques are also very helpful in relieving pain. By concentrating on your breathing patterns, you can relax your body, and relieve the stress your muscles are holding, which is usually causing the pain in your back. By focusing on your breathing, you can connect more to your mental state, which would bring you to “the ‘spiritual stretching,’ breathing, and relaxation regimes in the popular practice of yoga” (Singleton, 2010). By focusing on your breathing, and connecting with your mental state you can release a lot of the stresses you are physically and mentally holding. Krishnamurti talks about the silence of the mind and how by learning to silence the mind, and meditate you can attain freedom from everything which holds too tight and hurts you. By finding this silence, and peace, in the physical aspects of yoga, you will be able to release the anxieties, tensions, and pain you hold in your physical body as well as the mind.
Many people, as a way of coping with recurrent pain “take sleeping pills, always keep the television on, or do other things that help block out their own consciousness” (Kelly, 2011, p. 38). Dealing with continual and recurrent pain is difficult physically and psychologically, and yoga is a great alternative to drugs to help relieve the stresses of both. Whilst doing the physical poses, you are able to reflect on your mind, to acknowledge the thoughts and let them go. It is a great way to both relieve stress, pain and baggage.
Muktibodhananda states in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, that when breathing during yoga poses the “lungs should expand fully and the stomach should extend outwards” (Muktibodhananada, 1998), this gives the practitioner the full stretch of the pose, both in and out. This allows the stretch to be more effective and allows the stretch to go deeper. “Abdominal breath and full breath activate the abdominals and massage the spine from inside, especially when done lying prone as in advasana, jyestikasana and makarasana” (Saraswati S. B., 2000, p. 20). This also allows the muscles to get increased amounts of oxygen which are beneficial for them, along with getting the stretch to increase strength and flexibility in the muscles. All of these factors together help to relieve the pain and strengthen the muscles as a preventative measure for future back pain.

Why Yoga works

Yoga, is said to be a great physical therapy for back pain for a number of reasons. The primary reasons are the most obvious: the physical ones. In a nutshell, “Yoga loosens muscles that have been tightened by inactivity, stress, and tension. It helps release muscle spasms, corrects postural problems, increases range of motion, and enhances flexibility” (Kelly, 2011, p. 40). By working to do this you will strengthen the muscles of the back, which will help relieve the pain. “If you train yourself to use your lower back skillfully, you'll not only eliminate mid-back pain but also strengthen your lower back” (Cole, 2010, p. 32). Along with the many physical benefits of yoga and its relief of pain, are the psychological benefits. When enduring pain, generally all one hopes to do is sit, or lie down and relax, or sleep away the pain. Thoughts of relieving the pain and getting away from the pain, generally take up most of the time and focus at work. However, with yoga these thoughts can be left behind, just like the pain. Even while at work, by using the yogic breathing techniques and doing some meditation, the pain can be relieved. By doing yogic practices and working to calm the mind, while also calming the body, one can get much further in their yoga practice of relaxation and meditation and relieve the stress and pain.

Conclusion

Yoga holds many aspects as a beneficial physical exercise for the body. However, it is much more than just a physical workout in specific poses. Working with the mind, body, and breath, it can be a great way to relieve back pain, which ails everyone at some time in their lives. Whilst others may not feel the same pain, some having recurrent or even chronic pain, and others only slight pain once and a while, yoga can be a great way to treat and even prevent back pain. By strengthening the mind and muscles, a person could overcome back pain in a very effective way, which helps not just the pain but also the person’s own overall well-being, both physically and mentally.

References

Cole, R. (2010). Easy Seat. Yoga Journal, 32-34.
Gudmestad, J. (2011). Better Posture 101. Yoga Journal, 26-27.
Kelly, A. L. (2011). Team Up To Fight Pain. Yoga Journal, 38-46.
Krishnamurti, J. (1999). This Light in Oneself: True Meditation. Boston: Shambhala Publications Inc.
Martin, D. P. (2010, February 9). Back Pain. Retrieved 2011, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/DS00171
Muktibodhananada, S. (1998). Hatha Yoga Pradipika. New Delhi: Thomson Press (India) Limited.
Saraswati, D. S. (1980). Yoga and Back Pain. Yoga Magazine, 48-53.
Saraswati, S. B. (2000). Yoga and The Management of Back Pain. Yoga Magazine, 16-22.
Sherman, K. J., Cherkin, D. C., Erro, J., Miglioretti, D. L., & Deyo, R. A. (2005). Comparing Yoga, Exercise, and a Self-Care Book for Chronic Low Back Pain. Annals of Internal Medicine, 849-856.
Singleton, M. (2010). Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice. New York: Oxford University Press.
Tilbrook, H. E., Cox, H., Hewitt, C. E., Kang'ombe, A. R., Chuang, L.-H., Jayakody, S., et al. (2011). Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain. Annals of Internal Medicine, 569-578.

Culture, theory and practice of Hindu Tantrism

Introduction

Tantra is said to be “a path of joy and affirmation” (Yesh, 2001). Bypassing the spiritual condemnation of the physical realm, Tantra proclaims that “all the circumstances of our lives – all that we are and do, everything that happens to us – can be used as a means to liberation” (Rama, as cited in Spencer, 1987). This principal feels so refreshing, that it begs us to learn more about the Tantric path. Trying to locate this path without a guru, however, proves to be near impossible. It is a web of ancient texts, traditions, sects, practices and principals so complex, that the attempt to define it is “not unlike the description of an elephant given by blind men” (Urban, 2003). This research is an exploration of as many parts of the elephant that I have been able to locate and grasp.

In this research I will address the cultural and scholarly contexts of Tantra, and their creation of a complex concept. This raises the question of how accurate this concept is, and how we can better access the Tantric philosophies that unfold beneath it. A variety of Tantrik literature is then explored in an attempt to gain a basic yet realistic grasp on fundamental Tantric principals and beliefs. I have attempted to approach each element of Tantra as a valuable perspective on life and divinity, neither true nor false, so that its principals can most truly be represented. I have also, however, incorporated skepticism of those who condemn or exalt the spirituality, as I find such assumptions to be hasty.

Tantra in culture and scholarship

In the academic world, the word Tantra “usually refers to a specific brand of religious practices common to the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions since at least the 7^th century” (Urban, 2003). Over the years Tantra has broadened and shifted until it can no longer be called a “singular abstract entity”, but a “a highly variable and shifting category, whose meaning may differ depending on the particular historical moment, cultural milieu, and political context” (Urban, 2003).

Historically, much of India has felt that Tantra “corrupted Hinduism…[with its] magical rites drawn from the most ignorant and stupid classes” (Urban, 2003). The West has housed equally passionate opinions, from “Victorian horror at Tantric philosophy, to the neoromantic celebration of Tantric sexual liberation” (Urban, 2003). Due to globalization and the subject’s intrigue, Tantric perspectives, concepts and information have been communicated from East to West, West to East, and back once more to the West (Urban, 2003). Therefore, the concept of Tantra is “neither simply the result of an indigenous evolution nor a mere Orientalist fabrication”, but a concept mutually constructed between East and West (Urban, 2003). The key element to this mutual concept is the “very extremity of Tantra, its radical Otherness” (Urban, 2003).

This particular concept of Other was greatly constructed “in comparison to the West…[by] Orientalist scholars” of the 21^st century (Urban, 2003). In such literature, India was portrayed as “passionate, irrational, effeminate…a land of ‘disorderly imagination’”, while the West was assumed to be “progressive, rational, masculine, and scientific” (Urban, 2003). Tantra was “quickly singled out as India’s darkest, most irrational element” (Urban, 2003). Remembering the dialogue that was taking place between India and Euro-American cultures during this time, the concept of Tantra as Other permeated both East and West. As India was already attempting to defy stereotypes of national weakness and irrationality, I imagine that this greatly encouraged them to distance themselves from Tantra.

In the last two decades, Western regard of Tantra has shifted into an “obsession with the scandalous, seedy, sexy side of Tantra, and [a desire] to ‘liberate’ it from the prudish Victorian biases of our scholarly forefeathers” (Urban, 2003). Indeed, Tantra appears to be “the ideal religion for contemporary Western society. A religion that seems to combine spirituality with sensuality, and mystical experience with wine, women and wealth” (Urban, 2003). I myself have experienced the incorporation of “Tantra” into both holistic, spiritual culture, and consumerist culture.

Regardless of a positive or negative perspective, however, I find that culture-wide attitudes towards Tantric elements distracts from the spirituality itself. Those who condemn Tantra choose to highlight the abusers of Tantric sciences, or practices, while others exalt Tantric sciences but do not recognize the accompanying spiritual path. I consider it more beneficial to look at Tantrik literature directly, than to make broad statements about the spirituality as a whole. In the next section I have done my best to research such Tantric literature, and convey the theories and practices within them.

Theory and practice of Tantric traditions

The most reliable way to learn the philosophy of a tradition is to read its texts. There are many ancient Indian texts from which Tantriks draw inspiration, philosophy and devotional practice. Like most religions or spiritualities, Tantra consists of many sects, cults and schools according to which scripture they most connect with. Though this research will not address the different sects of Tantra, it is important to remember that the texts, and the theory and practice within them, are not necessarily universal to all Tantrik traditions. Some traditions may draw heavily from the Veda, others focus on the Tantras of the Shakta Agamas, and still more may find Kundalini literature to be most meaningful and beneficial to their spiritual journey.

It should be noted that the “enormous bulk of Tantrik literature [that I will be summarizing] is not our only source of knowledge of Hindu Tantrism. We should also [recognize]…data provided by non-Tantrik literary sources such as Kavya texts, historical works...hagiographical literature… iconographical and pictorial data” (Gupta, 1981). Sanjukta Gupta has personally reviewed “a great number of texts both anonymous and non-anonymous” (1981) in order to accurately summarize the most frequently addressed contents of Tantric literature, which will be helpful to know before reading the proceeding research. Gupti found that the subjects “described most frequently and with the greatest detail” (1981) are as follows:

1. The daily and special worship of gods

2. Mantrik subjects

3. Kinds of initiation

4. Yoga, usually kundaliniyoga, and concomitant symbolism of the body

5. Fearsome and erotic practices for the initiated

6. Description of the results…of the rites

7. Rules of conduct

8. Praise of deities and relation of their exploits

9. Tantric history and literature. (Gupta, 1981)

I will now delve into the theory and practice of Tantra as found in Indian literature.

The Veda is thought to be “the earliest literary record of Indo-Aryan civilization, and the most sacred book of India”, and “the highest religious authority for all sections of Hindus” (Das). It consists of four holy books, called the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda (Rosen, 2006), which cover a variety of devotional and practical material. Each Veda is subdivided into four branches: Samhita (mantra), Brahmana (mantras and prayers), Aranyaka (philosophical content) and Upanisad (philosophical content (Vedic Quest). Therefore, each Veda offers a variety of theoretical and practical information. Tantrik traditions look particularly to the Atharvaveda, as “one of the prime tantric scriptures”(Aghorinath).

Atharvaveda explains “healing and general black and white magic that is to be applied in all situations of life” (Siddhar). It holds charms, hymns, prayers, rituals and blessings regarding everything from “securing the love of a woman” to “exemption from the dangers of death” (Bloomfield, 2007). Although one of the ancient holy books, “[Atharvaveda’s] status has been ambiguous, due to its magical character” (Siddhar). It is considered by many to be a “dark and secret knowledge” (Siddhar). It therefore makes sense that such perspectives would consider Tantra a form of “black magic” and “witchcraft”, due to their Atharvavedic practice (Aghorinath).

Although it is tempting to generalize the use of “magic” as “witchcraft”, a Tantrik Master Aghorinath explain that the “supernatural powers” derived from Atharvavedic and other forms of “tantrik meditation and worship… may be used for good or for bad purposes” (Aghorinath). Aghorinath expands on this, remarking that

[Tantric] practices can be thought of as tantric formulas. They will yield a result if properly applied, regardless of the character, spiritual understanding or intention of the practitioner. When this scientific aspect of tantra falls into the hands of charlatans, it is inevitably misused. (Aghorinath)

I find this to be an important acknowledgement. In every religion or spiritual path there are practitioners who approach the material with greed or ignorance. Such practitioners are particularly visible in Tantra because its practices embrace the physical world. Thus, while it is difficult to detect the misuse of prayer, it is quite clear when someone is misusing tantric principals of sex, or supernatural powers. I find that the extremists or “charlatans” of any spirituality do not warrant disregard of an entire practice.

In addition to The Veda, many Tantric traditions look to the Agamas for spiritual wisdom. The Agamas are “theological treatises and practical manuals of divine worship” (Sivananda, 2004). They “include the Tantras, Mantras and Yantras” (Sivananda, 2004). Each of the Agamas hold Jnana (knowledge), Yoga (concentration), Kriya (esoteric ritual), Charya (exoteric worship) and more (Sivananda, 2004). The Agamas “are divided into three sections: the Vaishnava, the Saiva and the Sakta. “The three chief sects of Hinduism, viz., Vaishnavism, Saivism and Saktism, base their doctrines and dogmas on their respective Agamas” (Sivananda, 2004). Tantriks generally worship Sakti, or Shakti, thus draw from the Sakta Agamas.

Although it is “not advisable to make generalizing statements about what is said or held by ‘the Tantras’ or the contents found in ‘a Tantra’” (Gupta, 1981), I will attempt to describe the information it provides. The Tantras (which are sections of the Sakti Agama) offer multifaceted wisdom portrayed through the various forms of Sakti and Siva, through stories, dialogue, mantras, instruction for worship, purification rites, and more. (Avalon, 1913). In completing such devotional practices, Tantriks “mainly aim at the illumination through the unification of polarities inherent in the world and one’s self. These opposites are symbolically subsumed as ‘Shiva’ and ‘Shakti’” (Aghorinath).

The “unification of polarities” depicted in the Sakti Agamas is a founding principal of Tantra. Classical Tantra Yoga tradition believes that “two polar but interrelated ways” exist within Brahma, “the infinite, all-embracing, ever-blissful Supreme Conscious Being” (Aghoriji). These poles are represented in Siva, “the Eternal Consciousness”, and Sakti, “his creative power” (Aghoriji). Siva and Sakti “cannot be distinct entities; they are two poles of the One Being experiencing itself” (Aghoriji). This fleshes out the belief system of many Tantriks: there is no separation between masculine and feminine, destruction and creation, spiritual and physical, divine and earthly. The realization that Siva and Sakti “are simply two faces of one Brahma…restores living beings to their original state of eternal bliss” (Aghoriji). This eternal bliss is the goal of Tantrik practices.

Many religious traditions prefer to keep the poles separate, in such forms as “good” and “evil”. Such religions often feel that the physical realm should be transcended in pursuit of the divine. The physical realm is considered to be mere illusion, a distraction from spiritual pursuits (Spencer, 1987). Tantric traditions, however, believe that polarizing the universe in this way reduces our knowledge of self and universe. If the unified existence of Siva and Sakti within the body and the universe is realized, it lends access to “a reservoir of latent force [that is] waiting to be discovered” (Khanna, 2003). Tantriks call this force Kundalini Sakti.

Tantriks consider the human body, “with its psychological and biological functions, [to be] a vehicle through which the dormant psychic energy, Kundalini Sakti, can be awakened to finally unite with the Cosmic Consciousness of Siva” (Khanna, 2003). The coiled snake of Kundalini must be awakened from her place in the mooladhara chakra, and raised up through the chakras until reaching sahasrara chakra (Muktibodhananda, 2008). This ascension takes place through practices such as meditation, visualization, chanting, breathing techniques, kriyas and asanas. Tantra shares these practices, and the texts from which they come, with other yogic traditions.

A major point where Tantra diverges from other yogic paths is the belief that “Kundalini Sakti can also be unraveled by the practice to asanas, the sexo-yogic disciplines” (Khanna, 2003). The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that

…there is no other way to explode the spiritual awareness except through this most powerful experience of the senses. Just as a man and woman completely possess each other at the point of sexual climax, so the consciousness of the aspirant must directly encounter the great Shakti in mooladhara and be engulfed by her. (Muktibodhananda, 2008)

Though many other spiritualities seek to connect Sakti and Siva without indulging in the sex act, Tantriks believe that “One must rise by that which one falls…those very aspects of human nature which bind us can be stepping-stones to liberation” (Khanna, 2003). Indeed, they believe that “to involve oneself in gross pleasure…can itself be regarded as an act of spirituality, provided it is indulged with a right intention and motivation and after adequate initiation” (Khanna, 2003).

When approaching sex with the right intention, devotion and meditative state, the Tantriks’ personal “impulses and functions” become that of Siva-Sakti (Khanna, 2003). Therefore, momentary pleasure and individual experience gives way to “supreme bliss, obliterating differences between male and female in a state of complete union” (Khanna, 2003). I consider this to be an empowering spiritual experience, as the two individuals become the Tantric belief: embodying Siva and Sakti in unification of Brahama. In doing so, the individuals can realize the potential of joy and Kundalini power that is inherent in unity consciousness.

Tantra’s unique fusing of natural urges with spiritual practice has been useful to many religious persons, who otherwise have “no way to reconcile these two impulses” (Aghorinath). The doors of Tantra are “wide open to one and all, irrespective of religion…sex, caste, race, language, etc…uniting the entire humanity for the ultimate bliss with Supreme Shiva-Shakti” (Sharma, 2003). In this way, Tantric doctrines “cut across all class stratifications and social barriers” (Khanna, 2003). This rejection or transcendence of social norms is another element that complicates India’s relationship to Tantra.

Making sense of Tantra

While researching, I became thoroughly overwhelmed by the magnitude, multidimensiality and variability of Tantrik literature. It was difficult to grasp the spirituality in pieces, let alone its full wisdom and application. This confusion led me to appreciate the importance of the guru in Tantric tradition. Without a guru, the aspiring Tantrik is likely to flounder, or take root in partial aspects. The oral tradition of guru and student “has always been of great importance in the history of Tantrism” (Gupta, 1981). Before “[imparting] the secret doctrine to his pupils [the guru]…should be convinced of the worthiness and sincere intentions of the candidate” (Gupta, 1981). Perhaps this is where modern Tantrism has gone awry: people gain access to the powerful texts and sciences, without full knowledge and guidance on the subject. It is said that:

The fool who, overpowered by greed, acts after having looked up [the matter] in a written book without having obtained it from the guru’s mouth…will certainly be destroyed. (Gupta, 1981)

Conclusion

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what Tantra is, and where it comes from. The multitudes of texts, devotees, gurus, scholarly works, books and workshops only deepen its mystery, and feeling of Otherness. Reading the Tantrik literature first hand, however, revealed that Tantra is quite similar to any other spirituality. It is a path paved with spiritual intention, divine devotion, and highly developed practices. This leaves me amazed at the power of cultural context and popular opinion, to transform the concept of a spiritual practice from simply “a path” to “the most vulgar spiritual tradition of India”. I found that when I released such social opinions and truly considered the philosophy, I had more in common, and more to gain, from Tantra than I expected.

References

Aghoriji. Tantra Yoga. Retrieved from http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/extra/bl-tantrayoga.htm

Aghorinath, S. Uses & Abuses of Tantra. Retrieved from http://hinduism.about.com/od/tantra/a/use_abuses_of_tantra.htm

Aghorinath, S. What is Tantra? Retrieved from http://hinduism.about.com/od/tantra/a/what_is_tantra.htm

Avalon, A. (1913). Mahanirvana Tantra: Tantra of the Great Liberation. Retrieved from http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/maha/index.htm

Bloomfield, M. (2007). Hymns of the Atharva-Veda. Retrieved from http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0042/

Das, S. What are the Vedas? Retrieved from http://hinduism.about.com/cs/vedasvedanta/a/aa120103a.htm

Gupta, S. (1981). A history of Indian literature. Wiesbaden: Harrasowitz.

Khanna, M. (2003). Subtle energy dimensions of Tantra: A brief overview. Healing & Astrosciences: An international source book. 3. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Lpm9VxRPHXcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA131&dq=tantra+kundalini&ots=7fDTZMr4Vm&sig=1ap5CIisDBZ7AR3OStGXy4LARv8#v=onepage&q=tantra&f=false

Muktibodhananda, S. (2008). Hatha Yoga Pradipika.Munger: Yoga Publications Trust.

Rosen, S. (2006). Essential Hinduism. Praeger Publishers.

Sharma, B. (2003) Tantra for happiness of humanity. Healing & Astrosciences: An international source book. 3. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Lpm9VxRPHXcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA131&dq=tantra+kundalini&ots=7fDTZMr4Vm&sig=1ap5CIisDBZ7AR3OStGXy4LARv8#v=onepage&q=tantra&f=false

Siddhar, S. Atharva Veda. Retrieved from http://www.yogacraft.com/atharvaveda.php

Sivananda, S. (2004). The Agamas. Retrieved from http://www.dlshq.org/religions/agamas.htm

Spencer, J. (1987). A new model for psychotherapy based on the seven-chakra system of tantric yoga. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest

Urban, H. (2003). Tantra: Sex, secrecy, politics, and power in the study of religion. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Vedic Quest (2010) Vedic Literature. Vedic Revelations, p. 9-10

Yesh, T. (2001). Introduction to Tantra: The transformation of desire. Somerville: Wisdom Publications

Yoga and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

By: Jade Weisensee

Introduction

Throughout the semester, I have been struggling with which aspects of yoga I find useful and which aspects I find a bit ridiculous. I had really high hopes going into the class, and as the semester drew to a close I began to wonder what it was that I could really apply back to my own passions in life. That is why I think this paper was so important to the class. It gave me a chance to find the connection between yoga and my own interests, which lie heavily in psychology. After some thought about what aspect of psychology I wanted to go more in depth with, I chose to do my paper on yoga and its use as a therapy for those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I feel as though this is a topic I am familiar with from previous classes, but still have a lot to learn about. I feel that learning more about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and how the West has begun to use yoga as a method to treat it will prove to be very interesting.

What Is Yoga?

Before I started to examine the uses of yoga, I thought it was important to define what exactly yoga is. In Sanskrit the word yoga means “"to yoke or join together” which most closely translates to the English term “union” (Strasuss, 2004). However, yoga is a very diverse word with a variety of meanings depending on the person, the place, and the time period. One article said, “Yoga. The word evokes a range of images and ideas, from white-bearded Indian mystics on mountaintops to cross legged hippies burning incense to urban business people at a lunchtime fitness class” (Strasuss, p 2, 2004). It’s true, especially since yoga first came to America in the early nineteenth century there has been a lot of dispute over how yoga was to be perceived. Yoga has been around for thousands of years, but it does not mean the same thing to our culture as it did to those of the past.

Originating in India, yoga was used as a “system for increasing physical and mental clarity so as to transcend our limited concepts of self” (Douglass, p 35, 2007). So how did it get to America? Swami Vivekananda was among the first people to convince Westerners that yoga was a “spiritual commodity” (Strasuss, 2004). He told Americans that people in India had an abundance of spiritual wealth, a wealth that Westerners were lacking. Swami Vivekananda said that yoga could lead even people of the west to spirituality, and he could help them in exchange for material goods. However, when Yoga first came over to the West, Americans had trouble integrating this belief system into their own. The Christian belief system of the West made it difficult for Americans to follow and accept this Hindu path to spirituality. Once again, Swami Vivekananda was an essential piece to convincing Americans. He told them that yoga was more than a spiritual path, it was also a system of health (Douglass, 2007).

The integration of health was when the American perspective of yoga was really born. Especially in today’s society, yoga is seen as something to test and research. It has become something of interest to the academic community instead of the spiritual community. Most Westerners in today’s culture see yoga as a health system and nothing more. Especially in films such as Yoga, Inc. we see the American take on yoga. Much like kick boxing or running on a treadmill, yoga is a way for people to get in shape. Many people do not take the time to learn the background, or understand the spirituality components. We are even exporting our new beliefs of yoga back to India, where it is beginning to be perceived as a health system more than a spiritual one.

However, in recent years, there have been attempts at linking the Western perspective back to the older Eastern look on yoga. Carl Jung was one of the first people to try and bridge the gap between these two beliefs of yoga. Sadly, for the most part, Jung’s attempts were met with opposition. He tried to link yoga traditions with the therapeutic model of the West, but the relationship was hard for either side of yoga to see. Jung’s therapy model was about curing souls, where the main point of yoga is that our souls are always pure no matter what mental conditions we face. There were more questions formed than answered made, and the gap between Western beliefs and Eastern beliefs of yoga only seemed to grow. Both sides continued to analyze and study yoga in their own ways, sometimes crossing paths, and always examining the perception of yoga to the public (Douglass, 2007).

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Briefly I would like to talk about what exactly Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is. Firstly, it is a type of anxiety disorder. What makes this disease unique is that it is composed to two very different characteristics called obsessions and compulsions. An obsession is a recurrent thought, usually negative, that an individual just cannot push away from their conscious. It could be anything from constant thoughts of death to having to count every step you take. A compulsion is typically the person acting on their obsessive thoughts. This could be repetitive behaviors or rituals that a person does, in the hopes that their negative thoughts will go away, or at least be quieted (Natural Standard, 2011). This disease can range from mild to severe, but usually has an impact on an individual’s day to day functions, such as school, work, and social interactions. There are even instances of this disease being so severe that it has pushed individuals to substance disorders, depression, and in some cases even suicide. This is a disease that affects both, male and female, young and old. Statistics show that in the United States alone, over 2.2 million people are suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Natural Standard, 2011).

Although it is not a curable disease, the effects of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be somewhat alleviated from a variety of methods. The most common methods of treatment for this disorder are medication and treatment. The most popular medication prescribed are SRIs or Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, also used for depression (Franklin, et. al., 2002). It has been found that one of the most effective treatments to help patients suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a cognitive behavioral therapy approach. This approach includes exposure exercise and ritual prevention to help patients get over their obsessions and compulsions and limit their occurrences (Franklin, et. al., 2002). However in recent years they have also begun experimenting with integrative therapies such as relaxation therapy, yoga, and most commonly Kundalini yoga (Natural Standard, 2011).

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini yoga is the most common form of yoga used in treatment to help those with Obsessive Compulsion Disorder; however, I did not have a lot of knowledge as to what made Kundalini yoga unique. Mackenzie (2011) says, “All types of yoga can help you learn this practice of ‘being in the moment.’ What's different from style to style is pace, intensity, and degree of spirituality” (p. 1). What makes Kundalini yoga special is the emphasis on the Eastern philosophies of yoga and their focus on the breath during practice. Their philosophy involves balancing the body’s energy, and the use of the chakra system. They also tend to use gongs and singing during their practice. It is usually a very spiritual experience alongside the physical one (Mackenzie, 2011). Kundalini yoga also includes breathing exercises, chanting, meditation, prayer, visualization, and guided meditation (Natural Standard, 2011). Although there is not as much research on this type of yoga specifically, the studies that have been done suggest a broad range of psychological benefits.

Yoga as Therapy?

According to Mohan (2006), “An example definition of modern Yoga therapy is ‘the application of Yoga to individuals to empower them to progress towards greater health and freedom from disease.’ The words empower here is important, because a key aspect of Yoga is the active participation of the patient in the process of therapy” (p. 14). As I have said before, Kundalini yoga seems to be a very popular one for the use of yoga therapy, but it does not have to be the only practice. The yoga therapist must be knowledgeable in both the history and culture of yoga, but also have grounding in the psychological world. However, the article pointed out that yoga was never intended to be a medical system all on its own. Yoga does not have any systematic ways of diagnosing people (Mohan, 2006). Instead, yoga should be used as a tool that has shown to have many benefits in the medical system. There are fundamental requirements that a yoga approach must have in order for it to be a good fit for yoga therapy. Firstly, the yoga therapy is that the work done by a patient must be observable. A practitioner cannot observe another individuals energy flow, so that is not a branch of yoga that would work in the field of yoga therapy (Mohan, 2006).

The other two “fundamental requirements” that are important characteristics to yoga therapy are quite similar and both express that the yoga philosophy used must be clear and rational, and not contradictory (Mohan, 2006). After everything I have learned in this class, I am not sure if this is possible. How does one find a yoga philosophy that is not contradictory in some way or another? It seems that contradictions were the one thing you found in every type of yoga across the board. Is that the role of the yoga therapist verse the yoga teacher? In teacher about yoga you point out all the contradictions found in the yoga philosophies. However, maybe as a yoga therapist, you avoid these contradictions, and focus on the aspects of yoga that remain true no matter what. I really enjoy that the article says to approach the contradictory statements of yoga with caution (Mohan, 2006). Maybe that is true difference of yoga therapy, people acknowledge that there are contradictions in the theories, but they examine them logically and do not follow every aspect of yoga in their practices, just the ones that are clear and authentic.

Yoga and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

It was not until recent years that yoga was first looked at for the use of therapy. One of the first studies of the effects was through the work of Kundalini yoga. This practice begins with the process of “tuning in” which helps establish a meditative state (Shannahoff-khalsa, 2004). A pose is assumed, a mantra is chanted, and the breathing becomes steady. This technique is typically how a session would start for someone with obsessive compulsive disorder because it is said to create a “meditative state of mind” (Shannahoff-khalsa, 2004). Many of the other techniques used for those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are really focused on the breath. Sometimes the focus is placed on the sound of the breath, or the speed of the breath. In some techniques the breath is being sped up, as opposed to in most yoga practices where the breath is to be slowed down (Shannahoff-khalsa, 2004).

I was sad when I got to the end of the section on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for the article. Until the end, the article had been pretty sound in their explanations of reaching a meditative state, focusing on the breath, and connecting with the mind. All of that sounded like it would be very beneficial to an individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, the article had to through in some rather outlandish “finding”. The article stated, “Yogic experiments (Yogi Bhajan, personal communication) claim that 90 days of 31 minutes per day using the perfected rate of 1 breath per minute with 15 seconds per phase will completely eliminate all OC disorders” (Shannahoff-khalsa, 2004).

As a counseling major, with background information on Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, I know that it is not a “curable” disorder. It is a disorder that there are a lot of treatments for that can lessen symptoms and make life easier, but it is not a part of a person that can really be “fixed”. My hope for the Shannahoff-khalsa article is that they are stating a claim made by some yogic experiments, and not stating that they are completely true. In fact, it was this statement from the article that makes me the most concerned. Not only is it a bit of a ridiculous statement, but if an individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder focuses all their time on counting their breath, then they are not really being “cured” at all. In fact, I would argue quite the opposite. Focusing on the breath and changing the breath, I see the benefits of these things for people with this disorder. However, counting breaths makes no sense to me. Who decided to make people who already count their steps focus on counting their breaths? This is just validating that obsessions are a great way to be healthy! I have no idea who missed that concept here, but I was sold on yoga as positive therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder until I got to that part of the article.

Does Yoga Really Work?

I found some articles that were based slightly more in the scientific side of yoga then the practice alone. One article explained the neuropsychological side of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, as well as other disorders. The article said, “studies of the brain during the past decade using highly sophisticated neuroimaging techniques have shown notable patterns of abnormal activity in the brains of patients with various types of lesions and organic disorders” (D'epiro, 2000). The article went on to say that all the yoga practices being used were supposed to target the abnormalities in the right frontal lobe. The article said, “Unilateral breathing has been shown to have nostril-specific effects on the CNS and the autonomic nervous system, he explains, and it has been shown to selectively stimulate the contralateral cerebral hemisphere, resulting in alterations in cognitive performance, mood, EEG, and magneto-encephalography findings” (D'epiro, 2000). This was a more concrete way to look at yoga for me. As sad as it is, I must admit I have a very Western perspective when it comes to some things. Holistic therapies are great, and I am all for using them in our medical system, as well as our psychiatric systems. However, there are times when the only way to see if a practice really works is to examine what exactly the practice is supposed to be doing. Learning that research has shown unilateral breathing has certain effects on the body and the nervous systems, makes it more legitimate that yoga could be beneficial to those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Another article I found shared one particular story of a woman suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that was looking for anything that could be of help to her. This individual, like many others, did not have profound results from the usual treatment of medication and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Kuo, 2004). This individual decided to begin using yoga and other mindfulness techniques to treat her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The article said she “improved her quality of life by accepting her OCD as a strength and enhancing her mindfulness so that she was able to incorporate her OCD into her daily life” (Kuo, 2004). Within six months this individual had been taken off her medication, and was finally back in control of her own life. They even went back three years later, and the individual continued to be medication free and was living a healthy lifestyle. She admitted that some obsessive thoughts remained, but she now had control of them (Kuo, 2004).

Other articles I found showed various studies and statistics. One of the articles was a bit older, but it talked about how there had been very few clinical trials to actually test the validity of yoga (Archer, 2006). The article went on to examine the most sound of the trials that had been done, saying that it did show some amazing results. In just three short months, there were significant improvements in the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder of all twelve subjects using yoga as treatment in the study (Archer, 2006). People of the academic and scientific communities are really hoping that more research be done so as to have more evidence backing the findings that have already been made. People are optimistic that yoga will be a common treatment option in the future because “it does not have the adverse side effects of drug therapy and is popular and available worldwide” (Archer, 2006). I agree with this article, I hope that the future will bring nothing but more sound evidence that yoga is a great treatment option. As the article said it is a safer and more available option than medication. Yoga could have a positive effect on a whole range of psychological disorders, but the only way to find out is to continue doing research.

Conclusion

I still have a lot of mixed feelings on both yoga as a whole and its uses to the psychological world. As I said early in my paper, I feel as though more research still needs to be done in order for yoga to become a valid therapy for the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I believe that yoga is beneficial in many ways though. I may not believe that it can cure the incurable, or find that every aspect of the practice makes sense to me, but I do believe there is a lot that can be gained from yoga as a whole. I look forward to future studies, because I believe yoga as therapy is just beginning. There is still a lot to learn about what yoga has to offer our Western world.

References

Archer, S. (2006, March). Yoga practice may help OCD. IDEA Fitness Journal, 3(3), 87.

D'epiro, N. W. (2000, April 15). Can yoga tame OCD? Patient Care, 34(7), 14.

Douglass, L. (2007). The Yoga Tradition: How Did We Get Here? A History of Yoga in America, 1800-1970. International Journal Of Yoga Therapy, (17), 35-42.

Franklin, M. E., Abramowitz, J. S., Bux, D. r., Zoellner, L. A., & Feeny, N. C. (2002). Cognitive-behavioral therapy with and without medication in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Professional Psychology: Research And Practice, 33(2), 162-168. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.33.2.162

Kuo, F. E. (2004). A mindfulness-based treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Yoga Studies, 29.

Mackenzie, N. (2011). The Right Yoga For You. Prevention, 63(10), 32-35.

Mohan, G. (2006). Invited Article: Exploring Yoga as Therapy. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, (16), 13-19.

Natural Standard. (2011). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Retrieved from www.naturalstandard.com

Shannahoff-khalsa, D. S. (2004). An Introduction to Kundalini Yoga Meditation Techniques That Are Specific for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders. Journal Of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 10(1), 91-101.

Strasuss, S. (2004). Re-Orienting Yoga. Expedition, 46(3), 29-34.