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Home » Yoga Blog » Cleansing Kriyas
Yoga is an essential practice for keeping the body and the mind healthy and prosperous. It is crucial to perform it regularly but do you know, one practice of yoga also helps in eliminating toxins from the body? What are those? Shatkarmas. Shatkarmas is a yogic cleansing practice that makes the body clean from the inside. It detoxifies the body in 6 ways.
There are three doshas in the body, namely Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These are also called the pillars of the body. It is necessary to keep them in equilibrium. Only then the body remains disease free. If we talk about Ayurveda, then our body catches 80 types of diseases from the imbalance of Vata, 40 types of diseases from imbalanced Pitta, and 20 types of diseases from imbalanced Kapha. But how to maintain these three? The answer is Shatkarmas. It is been prescribed that Shatkarmas is a panacea for many diseases.
"Shat" means "Six" and "Karmas" means "Action", thus, Shatkarmas means six actions. These six actions are special for the body as they purified it. The first part of the "Gheranda Samhita" talks about the practice of Shatkarma. It is an important practice in the Hatha style of yoga. The cleansing methods of Shatkarmas not only purify the body but also the mind and so help an individual to move on the spiritual path.
Yoga: Yoga is a traditional Indian practice introduced by sages and rishis years ago. It is also mentioned in Hindu or Vedic texts. The oldest text of Hinduism, Rig Veda also mentions yoga as a healthy practice for physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. It controls your unsteady mind and helps in bringing flexibility to the body. It also clears your goals in life. Daily practice of yoga overcomes stress and gives peace of mind. Therefore, yoga is not about just burning calories but also about balancing the mind. It is also something good for spiritual wellness and so balanced emotions and thoughts of an individual.
Meaning: One can not practice Sadhana or Pranayama if one's body is filled with toxins. With Shatkarmas, you can easily eliminate internal toxins and purifies the body.
Meaning: A yogi can do pranayama only if Nadis are purified.
Meaning: The six actions or Shatkarmas to purify the body are Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Trataka, Nauli and Kapalbhati.
The 6 main types of Shatkarmas are,
Dhauti cleanses the Digestive Tract. It purifies the oesophagus, mouth, stomach, intestines and rectum along with the throat. The two most common methods of Dhauti are -
Also known as Kunjal Kriya, it helps in getting rid of acidity and Kapha Dosha.
How to practice?
Vastra means cloth and Dhauti means cleaning. It cleans the digestive system with the help of a cloth.
How to practice?
Basti cleanses the large intestine. It also treats abdominal diseases. In this, an individual is made to sit in a pool filled with water. Then the individual need to draw water into the rectum. In this way, Basti is performed.
Basti strengthens the excretory system of the body. It also helps in treating diseases like piles, fistula, spleen, constipation, gastritis, and others.
Neti purifies the nasal passages of the body reducing the problem of sinuses, colds, allergies, and fever. The two most common ways of performing Neti Kriya are,
Jal Neti means cleansing the nasal with the help of water. Special neti pots made of plastic, brass, and pottery are used. Remember to use a pot which doesn't have any contaminating effect on water. There should be a spout attached to the pot. It should fit comfortably inside the nostril of an individual so that the water doesn't leak.
How to Practice?
Sutra Neti is performed with a long cotton thread or Rubber thread. That is why, it is also known as Rubber Neti. The size of the thread completely depends on the nasal passage of an individual.
How to Practice?
Nauli is a Shatkarma practice that is done to strengthen the abdominal organs. It is done to cure stomach diseases. Also, some of the diseases like dyspepsia and arthritis also get cured.
How to practice?
Trataka is highly beneficial for the eyes. Also, it balanced the tantric system of an individual.
How to practice?
Kapalbhati is also a pranayama technique which purifies the brain. It also strengthens the respiratory system and eliminates 80% of toxins from the body. It sharpens memory power and helps with brain-related issues.
How to practice?
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