Testimonials

My name is June Caswell. I’m 37 and I have OCD intrusive thoughts since I’m 23. When I had a miscarriage and I got very depressed and started experiencing intrusive thoughts.
I tried everything to stop the thoughts. I went to psychotherapists, counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis, acupuncture, healers and anything that I thought might help.
For years I paid so much money trying so many different things and I was out of work as well that I fell behind on my mortgage.
The thoughts were 24 /7 even when I slept I would have them they scared the life out of me.
I was constantly on the internet trying to find something to stop the intrusive thoughts and that is when I found Linda’s OCD course.
Since I completed the course I’m a different person.
I feel so much better so if there’s anyone that is going through what I went through there is help out there.

June

For 3 years I had suffered with OCD and I didn’t know what was happening to me or where to turn. My mind was not my own, racing with unpleasant thoughts which were completely out of character.
The day I saw Linda Culleton on the Vogue Williams programme “My Anxious Life” was the day my life changed for the better. Linda was speaking about her own personal experience with OCD and how through Kundalini Yoga breathing techniques she had healed herself from within and eradicated it from her life. The fact that this was a natural approach gave me great hope and comfort as I didn’t want to go down the road of medication and I was so determined to get my life back. I contacted Linda and arranged a meeting and its been the best thing I’ve ever done. Linda put a Kundalini yoga programme in place for me and thought me the techniques involved. I will admit initially I was sceptical if these breathing techniques could eradicate these unpleasant thoughts but I had every faith in Linda and knowing she had been through the same experience and came through it successfully gave me so much hope. I was very committed to doing the programme practicing on a daily basis and as challenging at times the techniques were Linda was always there giving me amazing support and guidance and I no longer felt alone. She knew exactly what I was going through. Linda is an amazing person who has brought her own personal experience to light for the gain of others. I know my life could have gone down a very different road without her.
I feel so happy now with a new lust for life again and the me that was there all along has finally started coming to the fore and I can see a happy future ahead for me. I can truly say Linda is my guardian angel and has brought me through such a challenging time in my life and I will be forever thankful to her.

I attended Linda’s Kundalini OCD breath classes for 12 weeks.
I found Linda to be a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic teacher.
The structure of the class was helpful with a check in first and then into the breathing techniques. The actual breathing techniques are easy to do, a little strange at first with the different mouth and jaw positions but they come naturally soon.
Even regardless of having OCD these techniques bring a great sense of calm and balance to the mind and of course, this had a direct impact on your OCD.
I found my OCD thoughts not sticking as much as they usually do. They were still there but my reaction to them was different and over time this builds with the exercises.
It’s definitely a great tool to have in your OCD kitbag that you can do almost anywhere and all you need is you and your breath and a quiet place.
I was very attracted to the course knowing that Linda herself had experienced debilitating OCD with intrusive thoughts.
This is the particular type of OCD that I have so I really wanted to try it out.
I attended the classes in Rathmines Holistic Centre.
The space is cosy, convenient and very welcoming.
Thank you, Linda, for teaching me a great technique for my OCD that I will always have to hand.

John White – Portobello, Dublin

How Linda helped me!
You helped me by talking to you every week and telling you how I felt. I love art so I created a gratefulness jar and I wrote what I was grateful for and so did my mom. I also created a sheet of paper with what I love about myself and what I’m good at and I that hung on my mirror and said it to myself everyday. I also did meditation which helped me very much and I did it every morning and night and whenever I felt anxious and stressed. I think Linda helped me very much and I feel so much more
better.

Ava Aged 13

Ava came to me less than a year ago about having intrusive thoughts was feeling upset and anxious. I noticed before that she had certain routines such as rigid timetables etc but I didn’t know until then the extent of it. I contacted Linda and explained to her the situation. She asked for Ava to come in to see her and from the very first visit with Linda there has been a huge difference in her.  We practised the exercises Linda asked for Ava to practice and the intrusive thoughts and strict regime on herself became less and less. Its been less than year and Ava is like a completely different child. She is happy calm relaxed and has had no intrusive thoughts lately. Both Ava and I are very grateful for everything Linda has done.

Ava’s Mum

My battle with OCD manifests itself around fear of contamination where I would constantly be avoiding situations that I would possibly pick up a disease such as HIV.
I would be frightened of touching pedestrian crossing buttons or door handles etc.
I was even scared of stepping in something red on the ground and in thinking it was blood, that it would splash up and maybe get into a cut that I had on my leg.
This caused me enormous distress and would even force me to carry out compulsions such as hand washing and even getting HIV tests in order to ease my anxiety but each time the anxiety was eased, in time it would come back again just as strong.
I knew I had to do something in order to stop this crippling anxiety but I didn’t know what.
I’d attended doctors and they had prescribed me anti-depressants but I hadn’t found they gave me much relief at all.
Then one day I happened to be listening to the radio and I heard a man called Colm talking about his history with OCD. I instantly related to him and when he went on to talk about a form of breathing techniques which is specifically targeted in helping to stop OCD.
Linda went on to say that she was starting up a 12 week program. I immediately knew I had to try it.
I was nervous starting out as OCD had made me lose a lot of my confidence and I thought it would be difficult to socialize with people on the program but Linda totally put me at my ease.
I’ve just finished the program and I feel a lot better. I’m not worrying so much about contamination so much and feel in a much better place.
The breathing exercises are actually very relaxing and allow me to take time out for myself from my busy family life.
During the course, Linda also advises us on our lifestyles such as sleep, diet and alcohol consumption and how it can all affect OCD.
I found this to be very useful.
I would highly recommend anyone who is struggling with OCD to consider going on the program as it certainly has given me back a lot of my life and has allowed me to enjoy it more fully!

Helen

I heard Linda discuss her condition on the radio just 2 months ago and was amazed to hear somebody with exactly the same problems I have suffered from for the past 40 years.
I thought I was the only person in the world with such bizarre intrusive thoughts and was surprised to hear she had used a yoga breathing technique to heal herself.
I contacted her and have attended her classes for the past 8 weeks.
I was skeptical initially but after a very short time of regular practice, I noticed a significant improvement in my condition.
I found that some of the techniques brought an almost instant relief to the anxiety and played a major part in helping me get a good night’s sleep which was a problem for me previously.
As a result of the daily practice of these techniques, my OCD has completely disappeared. I have found that the support of a group with similar problems to be very cathartic and also helpful to know you are not alone with this problem. I would highly recommend these classes.

Niall

I met Linda just over four months ago now and in this short space of time, she has completely changed my life.
When I went to see her first, I had just started my battle with OCD, namely intrusive thoughts.
My anxiety levels were completely out of control and my life had become so debilitated.
Through the use of her meditative practices and breathwork, I have slowly started to take back control of my life from this horrible disorder.
Linda has been there with me for every step of the way. She is an inspiration because she has been through it all and has come out the other side.
Her support, guidance, empathy, and reassurance has been so amazing and she always listens and understands about what you are going through which is so important during the recovery process.
I feel I definitely wouldn’t be in the place I am today if I hadn’t met her and I would highly recommend her.
My recovery still continues every day but I know that I have Linda to help me through the bad days, which are becoming less and less and I know that a full recovery is now possible.
Thank you so much for everything,

Debbie

My child was 13 when he looked for help. He was having intrusive thoughts which disturbed him terribly. He often came into me in the middle of the night and was very upset.  We went to a child psychologist for CBT but found the exercises very difficult.
We then tried occupational therapy which was also CBT but thought in a different way. I worked hard at trying to educate myself about OCD when I came across Linda Culleton and Heal Within. We are now 90 percent through the program and I have my child back. He no longer gets disturbed and upset by his thoughts. He is much more focused in everything he does as before he had to do things in a certain way.
His siblings have noticed how much happier and content he is now. I found the program to be very professional and Linda has a great rapport with teenagers. I would highly recommend.

A Mother’s Testimonial

I have been going to kundalini yoga with Linda for the last 12 months. My flexibility and stress levels have improved greatly. The yoga exercises make you aware of your breathing and relaxes your mind. Linda has thought us simple useful exercises that we can use on a daily basis to calm the mind and body if we feel stressed or anxious. Linda’s classes are relaxing and therapeutic and Linda’s calmness makes for a very enjoyable class.

Maura

I never thought that I would be sitting cross legged chanting and taking deep breaths ever but never say never that is exactly what I’m doing and I just love it. Linda herself is just so nice and helpful full of advice and encouragement to us all. Every Wednesday it’s my time for myself and I wouldn’t miss it. Do yourself a favour and give her a try you won’t regret it.

Anne

I contacted Linda after a build-up of work related stress lead to significant and frequent experiences of anxiety that were impacting both my ability to perform in work and my general happiness and quality of life. Linda has a calming, empathetic, upbeat manner. By integrating her Kundalini Yoga expertise, natural coaching skills and her own personal experience in overcoming mental health challenges, she creates a unique healing environment. After just one extended session (2.5 hours), I felt I had new tools and a different mind-set to help me deal with anxiousness and to put it into the correct perspective. After regular daily practice there has been a noticeable and significant reduction in my symptoms and a marked increase in my enthusiasm, energy and focus both in and outside of work. For someone with similar concerns and issues I would highly recommend booking a session with Linda.

After hearing a radio interview with Linda describing how she teaches Kundalini yoga classes specifically for mental health and wellbeing, I knew that this was exactly what I needed. I initially started seeing Linda for private 1-1 sessions on a weekly basis so that I could get a tailored program to practice at home myself. Each class is a wonderful mix of stretching, breathing, chanting and meditating, and Linda’s style of teaching is very humanistic. She meets you where you’re at and shows great compassion and care, whilst bringing warmth and humour. I have found Linda’s classes to be powerful. The changes in my mind-set and energy have been both subtle and profound, and I look forward to continuing on this journey.

It helps a lot with not being able to sleep and with back ache. I am now practising the exercises we were taught and find it starting to work for me.

I have chronic back pain and suffer from depression this course has been really beneficial to me.

I suffer from depression, this course has been really beneficial to me.

A course like this will definitely benefit a lot of women in prison physically and mentally. I know this because it has helped me loads.

It works a lot with not been able to sleep and depression. This works for me.

It helps to acknowledge existing problems, think of ways to solve them.

I was suffering for about 7 years with Health Anxiety which is a disorder whereby you are convinced you have an array of illnesses.
A constant worry about dying, a feeling of always having something wrong with you.
Pains, dizziness, palpitations, marks on skin, lumps, and bumps, everything feels like cancer.
It was a nightmare. So you constantly scan and check yourself, I guess for reassurance that never helps and makes things worse.
I heard Linda Culleton and Niall Hanratty on the radio discussing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder programs and felt that this would be beneficial for me.
Through the practice of breathing techniques specific for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I have been able to slow my racing mind and see the reality that there is nothing wrong.

I was asked to write this testimony almost a year ago when I first finished with Linda, but I never got around to it. Today, almost a year later, what I learned while with Linda sticks with me every day, which highlights just how beneficial she was with helping with my Anxiety.
I couldn’t pin point what was causing how I felt, there was so much going on at the time and I paid no attention to it until it got the better of me. I was always an outgoing person, always socializing and just always doing something, but as this feeling got stronger and stronger I saw myself avoiding situations I would have been first to jump on in the past. I didn’t know what it was, what had caused it, or how to deal with it, and I was lost. If you’re reading this, I presume you’ve felt the same. As a male, I felt I couldn’t talk about how I felt, stubbornly not knowing it was the best thing anyone in this situation could do. Literally from speaking to my family about it, I turned from being completely alone, unsure what was happening, to feeling supported, and that was the first step I took in getting over my anxiety. I opened up and talked about it and started to work on it and I’m now more confident than I was before. Without the support of Linda and my family, I wouldn’t have gotten through those uncertain times, I wouldn’t have overcome what I was feeling.
Linda and I started to speak after about a year of having this feeling, my family recommend I speak to someone, and I can’t express how much this changed my perspective on life. Each session we set was for one hour, but on countless occasions we went well over that.
Linda introduced me to the power of mediation. We started with a practice for 4 minutes and gradually increased, and to highlight its true benefit, I now try to practice for almost 20minutes a day because that’s what works for me. The benefits I still experience are better than I can describe, I’m not dealing
with the anxiety I once felt, but once I started to see the benefits I got from the daily meditation, I was then further exposed to so many other benefits in life it can provide. I can’t express the change I began to feel having worked with Linda. I started to build up my self-confidence, I was socializing, playing
sports, doing the things I once hated doing, and now truly enjoying them knowing the feeling of anxiety wasn’t at the back of my mind. I’m expressing how I now feel in hope that whoever is reading this can see there is a happier side to all of this, and I want you to realize that the first step to overcoming how
you feel is talking with someone. The worst feeling I can recall, and I presume you can relate, is the uncomfortable feeling you feel in situations you don’t want to be in, when you feel out of place or unwelcome, or when you feel constantly lost in your thoughts – Linda helped me understand that feeling, we talked through it all and she introduced me to several practices on how to identify what I was feeling, how to realize that it was normal and how I could deal with it, it was like a new beginning. It may seem like I’m overstating how I felt, but I’m not overstating the benefit of working with Linda. If you or you know someone struggling with the same problem, take the first step and get in touch with Linda,
you will only benefit.