Kavita, a 45-year-old school teacher in Bengaluru, joins a course at a yoga centre near her home. She does not chant anything there; she only works on her breath. The trainer teaches her to breathe in and out very fast, again and again, until she is breathing far more than her body needs at rest. He asks her to practise it for half an hour every day under his guidance and not to try it alone at first. Her neighbour asks whether any research in India supports this practice.
Identify the technique Kavita is learning and the finding that research at NIMHANS, India, has reported for this technique.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Sudarshana Kriya Yoga, which reduces depression
Option (1) Kundalini Yoga, which reduces depression — Incorrect. The finding fits SKY, but the technique is wrong. Kundalini Yoga combines breathing with chanting of mantras, and Kavita chants nothing.
Option (2) Sudarshana Kriya Yoga, which reduces depression — Correct. Very fast breathing to induce hyperventilation is Sudarshana Kriya Yoga (SKY). Research at NIMHANS, India, has shown that SKY reduces depression.
Option (3) Kundalini Yoga, which treats obsessive-compulsive disorder — Incorrect. Kundalini Yoga was found effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder by a study in San Diego, USA. Kavita's practice is fast breathing alone, with no mantras, so it is not Kundalini Yoga.
Option (4) Sudarshana Kriya Yoga, which treats obsessive-compulsive disorder — Incorrect. The technique is right, but the finding is wrong. Help with obsessive-compulsive disorder was found for Kundalini Yoga in a US study.
NCERT (2026-27): “Alternative Therapies … “Kundalini Yoga taught in the USA has been found to be effective in treatment of mental disorders. The Institute for Nonlinear Science, University of California, San Diego, USA has found that Kundalini Yoga is effective in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Kundalini Yoga combines pranayama or breathing techniques with chanting of mantras. …” |