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"Purification is achieved by the regular performance of shatkarma"
- Gheranda Samhita 1.10
"These shatkarma purify the body...
have many, wondrous results and are held in high esteem by eminent yogis"
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.23
According to Hatha Yoga, it is our fundamental duty to keep this body, which is leased to us, in as good a condition as we can.
Just as we would not trash a house that we rent for fear of losing our security deposit, we ought not to destroy the body that houses our soul for the loss would be far greater.
But by the food we eat, the liquids we imbibe, the air we breathe (and how we breathe), the thoughts we think, we have polluted our bodies, instead of kept them pristine.
Here is where the shat kriyas (shat means six, and karma or kriya means action or technique) come in.
In the Hatha Yoga tradition, emphasis is given on purification of the body based on the following:
Since body, breath, and mind are intimately connected, cleaning the physical body engenders cleansing of the subtler levels of our being.
While it is true that the mind is the ultimate source of impurities at every level, and that we should go to the root of the problem (there are higher practices for that).
Hatha yogis argue that a mind that is impure is unfit for that higher practices and therefore require purification first.
And that it is much easier to clean the mind via the body rather than to try to purify the mind by mental processes because (1) we are more in touch with the body than the mind, (2) to get the mind to clean the mind is akin to cleaning a dirty shirt with the dirty sleeves.
To that end, we have very detailed and thorough cleansing procedures known as shat karma or shat kriya as documented in yogic texts like Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, and Shiva Samhita.
Shat kriyas are designed to cleanse us at every level of our being - from the gross body to the subtle (nadis, chakras, koshas);
they range from simple and relatively risk-free (gazing steadily at a specific object of some spiritual significance - a form of trataka) to complex and hazardous (drawing the large intestine out of the body via the anus, washing it thoroughly and 'replacing it in the original position'.
The latter being a form of dhauti called bahishkrta dhauti).
The 6 groups of kriyas are:
- Dhauti: cleansing of the stomach
- Basti: cleansing of the colon
- Neti: cleansing of the nasal passages / sinuses
- Trataka: cleansing of the eyes and optic nerves
- Nauli: abdominal cleansing
- Kapalabhati: cleansing of the lungs, respiratory passages, sinuses & skull
For a more comprehensive list of kriyas, download the Kriyas booklet.
Dhauti
There are many varieties of dhauti.
Some techniques use air as cleansing agent, some cloth
(the infamous kriya that involves swallowing a length of cloth about 20 ft - more or less depending on the proficiency of the practitioner and then pulling it back out),
some use the mouth as the entry point, some the anus.
Agni Sara is one of the varieties of dhauti (with fire as the cleansing agent),
even though it is much more than that, and really should be considered a more subtle,
advanced pranayama-type practice to be performed daily, than a cleansing technique to be practiced from time to time.
For complete instructions on how to perform Agni Sara, download the Agni Sara booklet
Basti
There are 2 forms of basti - wet and dry.
Traditionally, wet or water basti is performed with a short bamboo tube in a flowing river:
- go navel deep into a river,
- assume utkatasana,
- insert the bamboo tube into the anus
- exhale and engage uddiyana bandha; this should draw water up into the rectum via the bamboo tube
(If water does not come up, perform nauli for the same effect)
- do kumbhaka (breath retention) and swirl the water around for as long as possible
- release and expel the water (with recently dislodged impurities) from your rectum.
If this sounds daunting, a modern day enema can be applied with similar benefits.
However, if you are just dying to stick a tube up the lower end of your alimentary canal and / or simply prefer to do things as traditionally as possible,
you can use a 0.8 cm catheter instead of a bamboo tube and squat over a bucket of water or a bath tub (better check with the better half and / or plumber for the green light before attempting this kriya in the family bathtub!)
instead of a river. Also, it might be more hygienic to expel the contents of the bowels into a toilet instead of a bathtub or Jacuzzi (even though they do technically end up in the same place).
Dry basti is more advanced and is traditionally taught after water basti is mastered.
Neti
Because the world we live in today isn't as pure and unpolluted as the world our ancestors lived in, in fact,
it is not as pure and pristine as the world our own parents grew up in, this particular kriya should be practiced on a daily basis.
On a superficial level, this kriya is useful to clean the nasal and sinus passages of excess mucus, as well as dirt and / or any other pollutants that we might have inhaled;
making it easier to breathe (thereby allowing freer flow of prana) and resulting in a more fruitful pranayama practice.
Moreover, healthier sinuses and mucus membranes also help prevent upper respiratory ailments like colds and sinus infections.
Furthermore, it soothes the optic nerve, the olfactory nerve, bestowing better eyesight, a better sense of smell, and greater mental clarity.
On top of all that, neti also maintains proper functioning of both the pituitary and pineal glands.
According to Gheranda Samhita, neti bestows clairvoyance, clear sight and eliminates 'disorders of phlegm".
Now, aren't those reasons enough to pour salty, tepid water through your nose?
There are 2 varieties of neti: jala, or "water" neti and sutra or "string" neti.
Jala neti involves pouring saline solution through your nose to clean it,
Sutra neti involves inserting a string into your nostril and cleaning it with a flossing motion.
For complete instructions on how to perform Neti, download the Kriyas booklet. An instructional video will be posted soon.
Trataka
According to Gheranda Samhita, this kriya strengthens the optic nerve, helps corrects all diseases of the eyes, including short and long sighted-ness, develops concentration and induces clairvoyance!
Trataka means gazing, and this kriya involves the steady, unwavering gazing at a small object until one begins to tear.
There are various types of trataka, depending on the objects of focus. Traditionally, they are:
- the tip of the nose
- the space between the eyebrows
- towards the right shoulder
- towards the left shoulder
- on any other external object like a candle flame, water, a sacred symbol like OM, a flower, a yantra, the moon, the sun, and so on.
Depending on the object of focus, trataka can be further divided into 2 broad categories - antar and bahya (internal or external).
A word of caution: if you have never practiced trataka before, it would probably be unwise to run out at high noon and stare at the sun.
In fact, that would be downright foolish and would most likely cause some form of damage to your eyes.
In fact, some yogis caution against even gazing at a candle flame if one has a weak optic nerve to begin with;
the safest object for trataka to begin with would be a picture (with some spiritual significance),
like a picture of OM, after some practice then move on to a candle flame, and gradually build up to gazing at the sun, if that is your goal.
And if it is your goal, it would be best to seek expert guidance.
Trataka works by concentrating the mind on a single object, thereby limiting the normally high sensory input (high sensory input = high processing of said sensory input = countless thoughts).
If we limit the input, we are effectively limiting the thoughts.
Thus, by steadying the vision on one object, we steady the thoughts as well.
This is a practice of dharana, which when practiced correctly, spontaneously results in a higher yogic state of dhyana.
For complete instructions on how to perform Trataka, download the Kriyas booklet.
Nauli
If there were such a thing, this would be the crest jewel of the Shatkriyas!
The process of contracting, isolating and manipulating the rectus abdominus muscles is called Nauli.
When you roll the rectus abdominus left to right, it is called dakshina nauli; when you roll the rectus abdominus right to left,
it is called vama nauli; when you pull the abdomen in and push out the middle band of muscles, it is called madhyama nauli.
Nauli involves competent control of the rectus abdominus muscles, the external obliques and the traverse abdominal muscles.
According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, it "kindles the digestive fire, removes indigestion, sluggish digestion, and all disorders of the doshas, bringing about happiness".
Nauli tones the abdominal muscles, soothes the nerves, and balances all functions related to the manipura chakra and below by massaging the internal organs.
For complete instructions on how to perform Trataka, download the Nauli booklet.
Kapalabhati
Gheranda Samhita mentions 3 varieties of this practice, but the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes only 1, which is the one that we will explore.
Technically it is known as vatakrama, which is the purification by vata or air and is classified as a pranayama technique as well.
Kapalabhati literally means, "to shine the skull" and involves a forceful exhalation, followed by a passive inhalation while in a meditative asana.
This is considered a cleansing kriya because it moves metabolic waste from the tissues into the lungs, and then expels them forcefully out the nostrils.
Moreover, kapalabhati cleanses the lymphatic system by drawing toxins out of the bodily tissues, which in turn strengthens our immune system.
The jobs of the lymphatic system are to churn out infection fighting warriors called white blood cells and collect bodily fluids that may or may not contain dreaded bacteria and viruses.
Thus, mischievous Toxins make a home in the lymph nodes and invite their troublemaking friend called Infection, and together they throw a party that wear's down the body's defenses.
Lymph vessels do not have an active pump, unlike the heart which is an active pump. Thus, one of the ways these lymph vessels can cleanse itself is by
muscular contractions when performing kapalabhati, which is why it works!
For complete instructions on how to perform Kapalabhati, download the Kriya booklet.
When to practice the Kriyas
According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, shatkriyas are practiced when we have excess fat and mucous.
Dismally, in today's culture that would mean all the time for a lot of people!
Remember that the ultimate aim of these kriyas is purification, and living in the world that we live in today, where there is no place left on earth that is without pollution,
the need for purification is more urgent than during a cleaner age.
As a consequence, the practices described here like agni sara, jala neti, trataka, nauli and kapalabhati should be practiced daily.
Basti should not be practiced daily, unless you are undergoing a specific course of treatment under the supervision of an expert.
Basti is safe to do seasonally for up to three days.
Purification is an integral part of yoga sadhana, these practices should be incorporated into your daily yogic routine and
you will be amazed at the power of these practices.
But like all other yogic disciplines, they must be practised diligently, sincerely, regularly, for an extended period of time.
For complete instructions on how to perform the different Kriyas, download the Kriya booklet.
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