Madhuri describes a meditation she received from Osho to address her OCD
At some point during my first year in Poona, 1974-1975, I told Osho during a darshan that I was troubled by compulsiveness. In fact, I was greatly controlled by it – in meditation and in life. The intense urge to act wilfully and often nonsensically powered my hours and left me exhausted and frightened. It was classic Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, of a certain type that is characterized by bossy, directive, unforgiving thoughts, ordering a person to do this or that thing – in my case, to confess to people anything I could locate in my personal habits that might seem shameful. (I had never heard of OCD, and I don’t know if anyone else had then either.) The voice was punitive, angry. Then, in meditation I felt compelled to force, push, manipulate inner energies, and keep going and going no matter what. It was not about respect for what I was experiencing, but an insistent forcing to try to experience something else.
That night, Osho gave me a meditation to do. He did not explain what its effect might be, just suggested that I try it out. Which I did, every night for some time. It would be a few years before I would slip the hold of the OCD – this happened one day all at once when I realized that I was not enjoying it and that I also had some rights here – but the meditation was a respite.
I still have OCD, but very mildly. It has changed from Pure O, as it’s known, with its obsessive thoughts, to Washing – I rinse the dishes for an absurd amount of time and have to force myself to stop. OCD is genetic, and goes along with the anorexia that I also had back then. It barely bothers me now.
I have taught this meditation in groups, although I have never heard of Osho giving it to anyone else. I think it could be useful for anyone, whenever they feel like doing it. It lasts about 20 minutes – timing will be different for different people and at different times.
The Method
Sit comfortably, with a straight spine. Close your eyes.
Imagine that all the energy in your body is flowing over to the left side. Just like water, all the energy flows into the left side, filling up the left side, into every toe and finger, knee and elbow, ear and skull and all.
When all the energy is on the left, begin to send it all over into the right side. All the energy in your body is filling up the right side! Toes, fingers, everything!
When all the energy is on the right, begin to send it back to the left… and repeat the process until you’ve gone back and forth 7 times.
Then just sit silently for 5 minutes or so.
The energy will by itself come into the middle.
This technique will also be part of Madhuri’s upcoming book, titled Techniques I Have Loved
Featured image credit to Matt Hardy on Unsplash
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