Background

Kundalini yoga is a specific type of yoga practice that combines physical poses with controlled breathing, chanting (mantras), meditations, prayer, visualizations, and guided relaxation (99759).

People use this for...

Kundalini yoga has been used for addiction, altitude sickness, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), back pain, cancer, childbirth preparation, chronic pain, major depressive disorder, dyslexia, dyspnea, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, grief, heart attack, HIV/AIDS, joint pain/stiffness, hypoxemia, lung infections, menopause, mental illness, migraine, multiple sclerosis, musculoskeletal conditions, neck pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, overall well-being, phobias, premenstrual syndrome, psychiatric disorders, rehabilitation, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), seasonal affective disorder, sensory integration disorder, sex offender rehabilitation, shortness of breath, sleep disorders, slow ejaculation, stomach upset, stress, occupational stress, substance abuse, thyroid disease, hypertension, cognitive impairment, and upper respiratory infections.

Safety Safety definitions

Possibly Safe ...when used appropriately. Kundalini yoga has been practiced in clinical trials with apparent safety. No serious adverse events have been reported (28412,28413,28414,28415,88992, 99761). However, there is some concern that Kundalini yoga might not be safe for all patients. Kundalini yoga involves breathing and meditation practices that are more intense than other forms of yoga, and most studies have not conducted a high-quality evaluation of safety outcomes.

Pregnancy And Lactation: There is insufficient reliable evidence about the safety of Kundalini yoga use in women that are pregnant or lactating; avoid using.

Effectiveness Effectiveness definitions

POSSIBLY EFFECTIVE

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Some clinical research shows that performing Kundalini yoga for 2 hours once weekly for 3 months may help reduce symptoms of OCD compared to practicing relaxation response and mindfulness meditation (28415). Other preliminary clinical research shows that practicing movement and breathing techniques of Kundalini yoga for 5-6 months may decrease symptoms of OCD and the need for medication (88992).

POSSIBLY INEFFECTIVE

Hypertension. Clinical research in patients with hypertension shows that practicing a type of Kundalini yoga called Mediyoga does not reduce blood pressure when compared with control (99761).

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE TO RATE

Cognitive function. Preliminary clinical research in healthy patients shows that using the Kundalini yoga technique of one nostril breathing may improve cognitive performance (28412,28413).

Cognitive impairment. A small clinical study in patients with mild cognitive impairment shows that practicing Kundalini yoga for 12 weeks seems to improve memory and thinking skills about as effectively as following a memory enhancement training program, which is considered to be a gold standard (99759).

Depression. Preliminary clinical research in patients with depression shows that practicing Kundalini yoga for 1 hour before breakfast for 6 months may improve symptoms of depression (28414).

More evidence is needed to rate Kundalini yoga for these uses.

Natural Medicines rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.

Dosing & administration

Adverse effects

General: Kundalini yoga is generally well-tolerated. There have been no reports of serious adverse events in clinical research (28412,28413,28414,28415,88992), and there's no reason to expect safety issues.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

None known.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

None known.

Interactions with foods

None known.

Interactions with lab tests

Interactions with diseases

Mechanism of action

Kundalini yoga is an ancient Indian practice. It involves several techniques such as controlled breathing, meditation, and specific body postures (99761). The controlled breathing used in Kundalini yoga can be rapid or slow. Ancient texts describe rapid breathing as being cleansing and stimulating, while the slow breathing, particularly through alternate nostrils, is thought to be calming (28417).

Along with controlled breathing, Kundalini yoga incorporates many practices used in other traditions of yoga. Thus, the body of yoga research as a whole provides general support for Kundalini yoga. Kundalini and other forms of yoga are thought to alter excitation and inhibition in the brain, habituation of reflexes, and homeostasis (28418).

In theory, physical and mental stress that is continued for prolonged periods may result in overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Symptoms of this are thought to be a gradual rise in blood pressure and heart rate, increased metabolism, and disturbances of the endocrine system. Meditation and yoga, such as Kundalini yoga, may gradually diminish sympathetic overstimulation and bring the nervous system back into equilibrium (28419).

References