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| Hello ,
I have been practicing Pranyama since 3 months or so. Had a break of around 1 month in Aug. I do Bharstrika , Kapalbhati , Anulom Vilom and Bhramari. I have seen that even after I do it for 30-40 mins , I feel good for 5-10 mins and immediately clutter is back in my head. I wonder why is that. And I know I am doing them right. I referred to several written sources for that. It has reduced my anxiety by quite great amount though.
I have obsessive tendancies, diagnosis of ADHD, Paranoia, Social Phobia. I think Yoga can at least alleviate some of these. I just wonder what wrong am I doing.
I had derealisation experience some days back. All in alll, my mind is bit shattered. Thing that makes it worse is I am thousands of miles away from my home in US for my studies. I just wanted to know : Has any of Yoga teachers had experience dealing with mental illnesses and what do they suggest?
Thanks in advance for your answers. |
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| wreckedpc - 2007-09-10 12:19 AM
Hello ,
I have been practicing Pranyama since 3 months or so. Had a break of around 1 month in Aug. I do Bharstrika , Kapalbhati , Anulom Vilom and Bhramari. I have seen that even after I do it for 30-40 mins , I feel good for 5-10 mins and immediately clutter is back in my head. I wonder why is that. And I know I am doing them right. I referred to several written sources for that. It has reduced my anxiety by quite great amount though.
===> That is great. But, I suggest, for time to come, avoid all these written sources.
I have obsessive tendancies, diagnosis of ADHD, Paranoia, Social Phobia. I think Yoga can at least alleviate some of these. I just wonder what wrong am I doing.
==> Do not worry too much. Many in the today's world including 'xxx, ', I mean high officials, have these tendencies.
I had derealisation experience some days back. All in alll, my mind is bit shattered. Thing that makes it worse is I am thousands of miles away from my home in US for my studies. I just wanted to know : Has any of Yoga teachers had experience dealing with mental illnesses and what do they suggest?
===> I suggest: a) Stop Pranayama or learn it from a teacher who has done for at least 10 years with no break. b) Take good rest. c) and, enjoy your studies. After your studies, get married to a beautiful girl/handsome boy and both of you pray together to God of your choice.
Thanks in advance for your answers. |
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| Greetings.
Might you tell us a bit about you as a person please?
In this way you both come out from a bit of the anonymity of the Internet AND provide us with some background with which to understand your position more fully.
Are you a 20 year old male? Do you have a background in fitness/activities? What is your health like?
How is your diet?
In what way(s) did you select the pranayama that you chose over others? By this I mean why did you not simply do Viloma I and not add others?
Are you fully aware of the effects of each of these Pranayams on the nervous system?
We could not know what you are doing wrong as you do not outline what you are doing. You merely tell us labels of pranayama and the time but you do not disclose enough for sound feedback (relative to your position). In fact you state in your post you are doing everything right ("and I know I am doing them right"). Which indicates your belief system at this point is rather tightly wrapped and it may be difficult for new and potentially contrary information to make its way in.
Some pranayama is calming. Other pranayama is not. Some are een dangerous in the hands of the uninitiated or the neophyte. These are serious tools which is why it is so often advised that students learn from a very experienced practitioner.
There are specific ways asana, pranayama, and meditation can assist the conditions you are listing. It has to be supported with proper nutrition and the emotional work to overcome such issues. It is, to me considered a therapeutic issue and thus should be addressed by those yoga teachers with a therapeutic training or ten under their belt. |
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| Hi,
I used to have fairly severe OCD since I was a kid, up until about a year ago. Then I discovered a wonderful cure for my obsessive tendencies: meditation. Try the Vispasana meditation. Watch the breath with complete focus, and notice how your thoughts keep intruding into your focus. Everytime you get lost in a thought fantasy, gently bring your attention back to the breath. Count how many breaths you can go without getting lost in thought. It is a very difficult exercise, but the benefits are enormous.
After practicing this for a couple of months, I slowly was able to view my thoughts with a greater sense of detachment. Then one day, I became very aware of my obsessive-compulsive thoughts. I noticed immediately how much resistance I used against these thoughts, and I noticed that the resistance only gave the thoughts more energy. Then, with an enormous amount of willpower, I stopped resisting, and let the thoughts fly around in my head, while I watched with detachment. I even played some circus music in my head, as the thoughts danced around. After a while, the thoughts got tired, dissipated, and no longer bothered me.
Treat the thoughts as hyper children. Just let them outside and run around. Eventually they will get tired and lose their energy. Holding them inside, resisting them, will only make them more hyper and restless.
Now, I am almost completely free of my OCD. The moment an obsessive thought comes in my head, I can recognize it immediately as a negative thought, and let it pass. I assist with circus music when necessary. Over time, I have noticed that the obsessive thoughts come far less frequently, and even when they do, I now have the choice to be unaffected. (Although interestingly, sometimes the OCD is positive, so I choose to keep the thought. For example, if I am working on a task or learning something new, I HAVE to do it perfectly, and I won't stop trying until I get it right; otherwise, I will be very upset. So my OCD helps me get things done sometimes.)
I hope this helps. Keep in mind that I am not a yoga teacher. You should definitely listen to the advice in the other posts about lifestyle changes, particularly diet.
Edited by strazin 2007-09-11 4:13 AM
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| strazin - 2007-09-11 4:04 AM
I hope this helps. Keep in mind that I am not a yoga teacher. You should definitely listen to the advice in the other posts about lifestyle changes, particularly diet.
Hey Starzin: Do not underplay. You are a great person. Your experience in this matter is of great value. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Another very wise post, strazin. It is remarkable how much power we can gain by simply being aware of our thoughts, isn't it? The other day I found myself reaching for a cookie that I really didn't want or need (they have chocolate in them - it was calling to me!). When I got my hand inside the bag, I noticed myself thinking "well, now you have gone this far, you have to eat the cookie. You have passed the point of making a choice." I was frankly stunned! This thought has probably been in my head hundreds of times while reaching for a cookie and I never noticed it. That day I did notice, and I sternly added the conscious thought "Oh yes I CAN still make a choice!" and took my hand out of the bag. This is one of those small, mundane things that makes me realize how much impact yoga really has in my life.  |
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| Since beginning my practice of Yoga, my life has turned around substantially. I used to be extremely paranoid but am not the polar opposite. I just maintain my presence and enjoy life. Heck, I love yoga so much that I started yogavideos.org so that I could help spread the love a little bit. |
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ADHD & Paranoia: Can Yoga Help
