1.

7 INTRODUCTION TO SHATKARMA: MEANING, PURPOSE & THEIR

SIGNIFICANCE IN YOGA SADHANA.

Meaning :
 Taken from Sanskrit word which has two root words shat & karma
 Shat-6, karma- action (action to achieve desirable goal)
 It is also called shat kriya.
 It is first step in hatha yoga practices

Purpose & significance

 Yogic kriyas to remove waste materials from internal organs & create harmony
between the major Prana flow. (Ida & Pingala)
 Obese or fat people should practice these kriyas before they commence
asanas & pranayama.
 Many diseases can overcome such as asthma, food allergies, reduce obesity,
migraine, regulates entire digestive system.
 This increase one’s capacity work in all dimensions.
 To balances kapha, vata & pitta
 To prepare body for higher purposes like, asana, pranayama, dharana, dhyana
& self-realization. Unmani awastha- no mind state.

Shat kriyas-6 purification techniques

(Shat -6, kriya- Action. (6 purifications))

1. KAPALBHATI- The purification of the frontal lobes of the brain and lungs.
2. NETI- The cleansing of the nasal passage.
3. TRATAKA-The cleansing & strengthening eyes.
4. DHAUTI – The cleansing of digestive tract up to stomach.
5. NAULI- The massaging of the abdominal muscles & organs.
6. BASTI- The cleansing of the colon.

DEFINATIONS, TECHNIQUES & CONTRAINDICATIONS OF KRIYAS

1. KAPALBHATI- ACTIVE EXHALATION

 Kapal-skull, bhati- shinning (Inhale- Passive, Exhale- Active)

 According to hatha yoga pradipika kapalbhati is considered as a kriya or

cleansing, but as it involves breathing technique hence it is called breathing as
well.
 Pranayama is considered as parama tapa- The highest form of purifications.

Hatha yoga pradipika talks about three types of kapalbhati.

1. VATKRAMA KAPALBHATI-Air cleansing
Inhale –passive
Exhale- active
2. VYUTKRAMA KAPALBHATI- Sinus cleansing
Sniffing water through nostrils & letting it flow down into the mouth &
expel it out.
TECHNIQUES:-
 Boil water & make it Luke warm mix salt. (1 table spoon salt in 1 liter
water.)
 Scoop the water up in the palms or bowl & bend down slightly, sniff
in through nostrils than let water flow down towards mouth & expel
it out.
 Dry the nostrils properly by doing vatkrama.
3. SHEETAKRAMA KAPALBHATI- Mucus cleaning.
TECHNIQUES:-

Opposite of vyutkrama

 Take mouthful of water & push it up by limited force & expel it out
through the nostrils.
 Dry the nostrils properly by doing vatkrama.

When inhale & exhale done forcefully it is called BHASTRIKA

BENEFITS:-
 Forceful exhalation removes stagnant CO2 accumulated in the lower parts of
the lungs.( Vyutkrama)
 Effective techniques to reduce weight by raising MBR.
 It dries up excess kapha or phlegm.
 It destructs 20 kinds of kapha or phlegm related diseases. (HYP)
 Cleansing throat esophagus phlegm.
 Reduces excess acid.
 Bowel of faeces and the lungs, pores, & sweat glands are free from waste &
impurities.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:-
 During nose block & frequent nasal bleeding should not perform kapalbhati.

2. TRATAKA-Gazing technique. ]
 Steady gazing on any object is called TRATAKA.
 Two types of trataka
. Antar trataka( gazing inside)
. Bahya trataka( gazing outside)

TECHNIQUES:-

 Light a lamp or candle; keep it one meter away from you in eyes level high.
 Sit straight in any meditative pose or on the chair.
 First look at the bottom of lamp & gradually shift the gaze on the lamp.
 Be calm & keep gazing on the tip of light keep gazing until eyes are filled with
tears.

BENEFITS:-

 Destroys the eyes diseases & removes sloth.

 It eradicates mental disturbance & improves concentration & memory power.
 Makes our mind steady & improves eye sight.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:-

 Not recommend for serious eyes disorders like glaucoma, & high myopia.
 Not suitable for psychic problem, schizophrenia or hallucinations.

3. NETI-Cleansing nasal passage.

Two types of net

1. Jala neti-done with neti pot with saline water or milk.

2. Sutra neti- Done with catheter tube

1. JALA NETI-

 It is the procedure of cleansing the nasal path by using neti pot with warm
saline water or milk, even ghee.

TECHNIQUES:-

 Boil water make it luck warm add salt.( 1 liter water= 1 table spoon salt)
 Fill the neti pot with saline water.
 Stand with legs apart( 2feet to 2 & half feet apart)
 Till head right side & insert tip of neti pot into left nostril without apply
pressure. Keep the mouth open until water comes out of left nostril.
 Let one full of neti pot water expel from left nostril then repeat with other
side.
 After performing both sides perform kapalbhati to drain saline water in the
nasal cavities.
2. SUTRA NETI

TECHNIQUES:-

 Have 6 inches catheter rubber tube, apply coconut or jingly oil.

 Stand with feet apart in shoulders line.
 Insert catheter tube from any one nostril (slightly tilt head up), and then pull
out the catheter from the throat or mouth by inserting three fingers.
 Hold the ends of the catheter tube both sides & gently motion can be done
without harming nasal path.
 Same repeat with another nostril.

BENEFITS:-

 Relieves rhinitis, allergies.

 Stimulates few nerve centers.
 Neti cleans the brain and illumines the diseases of the cervical & scapular
regions.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:-
 Chronic bleeding of the nose any type of nose infection avoid doing this kriyas.
 Avoid if under gone a recent ear or nose surgery.
 Sutra neti should not force if there is symptom deviation.

4. DHAUTI - CLEANSING DIGESTIVE TRACK UP TO STOMACH

3 TYPES OF DHAUTI
1. VAMAN DHAUTI- with water
2. DANDA DHAUTI- with rubber tube
3. VASTRA DHAUTI- with cloth

TECHNIQUES:-

1. VAMAN DHAUTI(KUNJAL)

 Boil water about 2 liters & warm it down (matching the internal environment)
add 1 table spoon salt in 1 liter water.
 Person should drink 1 and half liters water of saline water gradually.
 Bend the knees and body slightly forward. Inset 3 fingers from mouth till the
tongue’s root. That will trigger to vomit out water along with toxins.
 Continue this until water is fully taken out.
 Do it under expert guidance.

2. DANDA DHAUTI- with rubber tube

TECHNIQUES:-

 3 feet long tube & 6mm in dia latex rubber pipe used for yogic kriya.
 Water same like vamana dhauti. Boil the rubber tube.
 Gradually drink slain water up to capacity.
 Legs apart in line to shoulders level, insert rubber tube into mouth up to
stomach.
 Gently breathe in and create pressure on abdominal area.
 Bend forward due to the pressure water start coming out from the tube.
 When water is remove completely take out the tube.

3. VASTRA DHAUTI-with cloth

TECHNIQUES:-

 A strip of muslin cloth- 3 inches wide (well stitched all corners.) 15 cubic long. (
22 feet)
 Sock the cloth in warm water about 1 to 2 minutes.
 Have saline water in a cup; swallow the cloth gradually if any difficulty
swallowing water sips the water.
 It is not necessary to swallow all length cloth in a day. Day by day can be
increase.
 Once cloth is swallow completely then gradually pull the cloth out of stomach.
Do all kriyas under proper guidance.

BENEFITS:-

 It cleans the inner linings of the food pipe & stomach.

 Reduces cough helps for asthma. Benefited enlargement of the spleen
& leprosy.
 20 different diseases that arise because of phlegm are rectifying.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:-
 Stomach or intestinal ulcers, hernia, heart disease & high blood pressure
should not perform.
 Pregnant women should not be doing.

This kriya should be practice only in the morning.

5. NAULI-massaging abdominal muscles & organs.

Separating abdominal muscles by practicing uddiyana is called NAULI.

Tadaka mudra, bhastrika & agnisara & uddiyana bandha should master to
this kriya.
TECHNIQUES:-
 Stand straight legs are in shoulders level, breath out completely bend knees,
body & perform uddiyana bandha, then Practitioners should intelligently
contract abdominal muscles from both side and create a lump of abdominal
muscles in middle.
 Hold Madhyama nauli till comfort level then release the nauli & breathe in &
out number of time. Back to normal standing position.
4 types of nauli
1. Vama nauli- using left abdominal muscle.
2. Dakshina nauli- using right abdominal muscle.
3. Madhya nauli- using both right & left abdominal muscles.
4. Nauli chalana- churning abdominal muscle clockwise & anticlockwise.
It is difficult for beginners it may take months together to master it.

BENEFITS:-

 Tones up the entire the entire abdominal organs.

 Improves functions of abdominal organs.
 It removes dyspepsia, increases appetite & digestion.
 Cause happiness, body start radiating.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:-

 During pregnant & menstruation nauli should be avoided.

 Suffering from heart disease, hypertension, hernia, abdominal pain, gallstone,
acute peptic ulcer should avoid this practice.
 Avoid post abdominal surgery.
 Avoid if you get cramp & abdominal pain.
Do always under proper guidance.

6. BASTI- Colon cleansing

The Basti kriya corresponds to modern day’s enema.

Two types of Basti.

1. JALA BASTI- with water

2. STHALA BASTI- With air

It is bowels (intestines) cleaning techniques.

TECHNIQUES:-

With an enema pot.

 Boil water like how we do for jala neti.
 Water about 1 and ½ half liters. Gradually increase up to 5 liters.
 Go to batch room, hang enema pot higher level. Bend down in child pose
(Balasana) raise butt up, insert carefully tube into the anus & open the value.
Let water inter inside. The colon.
 Once water completely inters inside, gently remove tube, get up & flush it out
all water from anus.
ANOTHER TECHNIQUE.
 Usually water is drawn in from the anus (standing hip depth water) into colon
by contracting abdominal muscles.
 After that water has to be thrown out of the anus.

6A-SANKHA PRAKSHALAN- drinking water and flushing out from anus.

Moderate practice of basti is called sankha prakshalan.

TECHNIQUES:-
 Boil five liters of water. Water should be added salt. (Saline water.)
 Saline water will not get absorbed in the intestines.
 Drink water gradually, recommended asanas can be done in between.
 Once feel urges go to wash room, flush it out until plain water is released from
the rectum.

BENEFITS:-

 Balances disorders of colic enlarged spleen & dropsy.

 Balances functions of vata, pitta & kapha.
 Cleans sticky toxin from colon & intestinal track.
 Very beneficial for constipation.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:-

 One should not drink too much water in the beginning of practice.
 Pregnancy & menstruation avoid this practice.
 Inflammation of anus, bleeding from rectum should avoid this practice.
 Slipped disk problem should avoid.
Practice always under proper guidance.

Other hatha yoga insist to practice shat kriyas before asana & pranayama
practices but Swatmarama prescribed only for them those we are obese, excess
phlegm & mucous. For others Pranayama practice is sufficient to purification