Amaroli Research Reports

In the following discussions we intend to present a scientific, objective view of amaroli - assessing all the points on the kidney, urine and its uses - in order to approach the subject with adequate understanding and a more balanced perspective. Much of this material has been collated from the seminar on amaroli held at the Bihar School of Yoga, IYFM Research Coordinating Centre, in March 1978. The panel included Dr Swami Shankardevananda Saraswati, MB, BS (Syd.); Dr Swami Vivekananda Saraswati, MB, BS (Syd.), MANZCP, DPM; and Swami Buddhananda Saraswati, BA, Dip. Ac. (HK & Aust), DNMN, all of whom have had experience with amaroli. In the text they are referred to as Dr S; Dr V; and Sw. B respectively. Many of the swamis and visitors to the ashram who participated in the seminar also contributed their experiences, some of which have been recorded here. Other material was collated from various scriptures, books and magazines.

Guide To Practical Amaroli

Early explorers have blazed the trail, but the maps have yet to be fully delineated.

Those who wish to practice amaroli are left in a dilemma as to what approach they should take in order to apply this technique to their lives. Should amaroli be used only when people are sick or every day as recommended in the Damara Tantra? Are there any hidden pitfalls and traps in its use that we have not seen? No doubt many people will find these out for themselves and thereby devise their own individual system for their own individual urine.

How amaroli is used will depend very much on personal experience and need. Some people find that their urine is very strong, or that they react to it with unpleasant results such as often occur in any body cleansing process. Others, and this is the majority, suffer no problems whatsoever and only experience the positive results of increased energy, health and the joy of living.

The following information is given as a guideline only. It has been extracted from personal experience, the advice laid down by proponents of amaroli, and the handful of books available on the subject.

Advice and Precautions

During any form of internal use of urine, the following should be observed:

Amaroli should not be started if medical or any other form of treatment is being used. Two days should intervene between the stopping of medication and the commencement of amaroli.
People with liver, kidney or heart disease, in whom protein intake and water balance is a problem (for example, if there is swelling of the tissues of the legs, abdomen, hands, etc. with water), should consult with an experienced therapist or a doctor before starting amaroli.
Pus-filled urine should not be used in amaroli. Only those people with great faith and experience would attempt to treat infections of the kidney, bladder or urethra with amaroli.
Diet for the more intense forms of the internal technique (that is three or more glasses per day), should be low in protein and salt. Refined, processed and synthetic foods should be avoided, for example, white sugar, refined flour, tinned food, and so on. Spicy food may also make the urine pungent and difficult to drink.
Some proponents recommend that milk consumption be stopped.
Intake of alcohol and tobacco should be reduced to the barest minimum.
A healing crisis is said to be a sign that the body is purifying itself very rapidly. These crises may take the form of loose stools, skin eruptions such as pimples and boils, vomiting, fever of unexplained origin, cough, general weakness and debility. The advocates say that there is no need to panic and take drugs for any of the above mentioned processes. They usually occur because the body systems have been throwing out too many deeply ingrained toxins and poisons for the eliminative processes to handle. Other methods are then employed by the body to dispose of the excess, and as a result, strange and perhaps unexperienced manifestations may occur.
If this happens the best way to handle the situation is to reduce the intake of urine or to completely stop and rest the body. Complete rest and fasting may also help, or a fruit diet can be instigated depending on the manifestations that occur. The following are some of the most common manifestations of the healing crisis and their recommended treatment:

a) Loose stools: Fasting and complete rest for one day is probably the best measure. Plenty of boiled water, lemon juice, and lassi (two spoons of curd and sugar mixed in a glass of water) should be taken to avoid dehydration. The toxins of the body that have been loosened by amaroli then have a chance to be eliminated. The second day one should eat some boiled rice and curd or some rice boiled with mung beans. By the third day all manifestations should have subsided and amaroli can again commence.
b) Skin eruptions such as pimples and boils can be treated in the following way. In the early stages rub the lesion with mine and leave the urine on for one or two hours before washing it off (in cold water without soap) to stop the process. If they continue to cause trouble or if boils develop, urine packs can be applied. Fomentation with warm water, cotton wool and dettol or salt should be applied at night before sleep. Boils should never be lanced, squeezed, pressed or touched by the hand. These manifestations usually disappear after three to seven days. A light diet of only fruit will help the process.
c) Vomiting may occur when the urine is especially bad tasting and smelling as in fevers, jaundice and other illnesses. The urine of such diseases may seem totally unpalatable, yet if the patient has steeled his mind to drink it, then copious supplies of water will help to dilute the urine and make it easier to drink. If you can hold down the first flow, then the second should be more dilute and better tatting and so on until clear, pleasant tasting urine finally comet.
Vomiting is good in that it cleans the stomach just as kunjal kriya does. Therefore, it should not cause any undue worry. After vomiting, the nausea is usually relieved and you feel better. If vomiting persists and dry retching occurs, you should seek professional help.
After vomiting urine, you should rest and take some light fluids such as lemon water or some other fluid replacement. When you feel fully rested, try amaroli again.
d) Mild fever of unexplained origin can occur as a reaction of the body, designed to burn up the toxins. It is one of the most thorough of the eliminative series and requires nothing more than complete rest and constant fluid intake. After the fever, fruit and a light diet should precede recommencement of amaroli.
Note: Regular checking of the body temperature should ensure that it does not go too high. In such a case the head should be cooled down with cold water application and the feet massaged with ghee. If the temperature still stays up after one hour, aspirin may be taken but only as a last resort.
e) Cough and cold may appear and indicate elimination of mucus from the lung and respiratory passages. Again reduce or stop the intake of urine and start the practice of kunjal and neti kriyas once or twice a day (refer to Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, published by Bihar School of Yoga). Neti, using half water and half urine, is good to relieve all discomfort and to help wash out mucus from the nasal passages and amuses. The diet should exclude milk and milk products and all mucus producing foods such as fats and excessive starch until the cold is finished.
f) General debility may be felt as a result of the excess toxins and in such a case plenty of sleep, rest and good food will help.

Fasting may be too difficult for some people, especially if they have been suffering from a chronic illness for a considerable time, for example, low blood pressure, heart disease, and so on. These people should proceed very slowly and gradually. They may prefer to start with one meal a day fasts or fruit fasts before trying the more complete water and urine only fasts. This rule should be applied by all people for the slow approach usually ends up with better and faster results than one in which we jump into the most advanced practice and, finding that we cannot swim, have to stop in order to resolve the problems we have inflicted upon ourselves.
In some diseases the urine becomes dense, pungent and seeming unpalatable. It is advised that you attempt to utilise this urine even though it may be difficult to do so. Dense and scanty urine may contain mineral salts and other body components of value Wash it down with plenty of water.
Pregnant woman can use amaroli with the following restrictions The first flow of the day (on arising from sleep) should be completely discarded. Then water, tea, milk, or any beverage can be consumed and the second or third How can be used. However, the urine should have a light colour and should not be too pungent or concentrated.
Each person is different so the results of your friends' experimentations may not apply to you. Age, constitution, physique, diet and disease, all lead one on a different path to the same goal, that of good health.

Practice Programs

Perseverance, willpower and courage are required to break through one's inhibitions and brave the unknown waters.

The method of amaroli has lain untouched, shrouded in mist for thousands of years until its recent rediscovery. Because of this little has remained of its practical aspects. Therefore we will attempt to fill in this gap by providing some concrete and practical programs for everyday use, which are now being recommended by the proponents of this technique. Please note, however, that we do not take any responsibility for the techniques laid down here. As yet there is no scientific evidence that amaroli works, and no standards as to quantity and quality of urine have been laid down. If you wish, you may select the aspect that applies to you follow the recommendations laid down in 'Advice and Precautions' and examine carefully the results you obtain. Any changes in the regime should be noted and the results observed.

Different Modes of Amaroli

Amaroli can be divided into two main categories:

Internal use which spans the range of drinking one glass per day to drinking every drop passed while fasting.
External use which ranges from rubbing fresh urine on cuts and bruises, to massage or packs with specially prepared urine.

We will present several practice programs and the rules and regulations for each. These programs are merely a guideline and you may have to change them according to your body's demands. Every person is his own best judge of what his body needs and this is the best criterion on which to judge the timing and quantity of intake.

Basic Rules

Midstream urine should be used, the exception being in a fast where urine is being passed every ten to fifteen minutes. The first flow should always be midstream.
Urine should be sipped like tea and not drunk like water. This will prevent excessive problems in the form of loose stools and other eliminative processes.
The first flow of the day is the most important and the best time of the day to drink it is between three and four a.m. especially if one is doing yogic sadhana.
Drink at least one litre of water per day.
Pungent and salty food as well as excessive protein should be avoided.
Urine passed at night before three a.m. should not be used.
The quantity used is left up to the individual.

Initial Adjustment Phase

Before amaroli can be fully utilized, an initial period of adjustment is usually required. During this period a few obstacles must be overcome. For some courageous and broad minded people this first step will be easily accomplished, whereas others, still opening to the potential therapeutic value of urine may be a little slower. In either case adjustment is necessary, and the best way to commence the adjustment phase is as follows:

Prepare the mind by making a resolve to at least attempt the process and examine your reactions, thoughts and feelings.
When you feel mentally prepared to attempt the actual practice, collect some fresh urine and start by rubbing your hands with it. Feel its texture, smell it, and see whether it can actually clean your skin as well as some people claim. After about five minutes wash it off with cold water and feel the skin to see whether the urine has had an effect. Do not use soap after amaroli.
The next phase of adjusting the body and mind to amaroli is to put one drop onto the tongue. Taste and smell play an important part in assessing its nature.
Eventually you should build up the quantity you take in until you can drink a full glass of midstream urine and feel neutral in body and mind. Then you will be ready to start one of the next programs outlined in the internal practices section.

Most people have little difficulty in accepting the external use of urine. It has been part of many cultures for millennia. However, it takes time to understand and become fully competent in all the phases of amaroli.

Internal Practice

This can be divided into three basic programs:

Once a day
Three times a day
Fasting

You may wish to modify the following suggestions, for example, drinking two glasses or four glasses. However, these basic rules and suggestions which have been gained from experience should remain as your guiding light.

1. Once a Day

Use the midstream of the first flow of urine, discarding the first and last ten millilitres. Collect the rest. The best time for this is from three to four a.m.

Before drinking the urine, perform your morning ablutions such as cleaning the teeth and mouth.

The urine should be sipped like tea.

This is performed every morning so that it becomes a part of your daily routine. You may wish to try this for one or two weeks in connection with some disease, or for an indefinite period in order, as some suggest, to enjoy even better health.

Diet

There are no diet restrictions to this program, however, a low protein, low salt diet will make your urine taste and smell a lot better.

Precautions

Do not commence amaroli if you are having any medical treatment.

2. Three Times a Day

Midstream urine is drunk at the following times:

The first flow of the day (preferably from three to four a.m.)
At twelve noon or one hour after the midday meal
One hour after the evening meal.

Diet

This is a more potent form of amaroli and requires a low protein, low salt diet. When urine is passed one hour after eating, it is said to contain more enzymes and valuable body substances.

Precautions

If elimination problems of the healing crisis type start to occur, then follow the instructions given and decrease the intake to one glass per day.

3. Fasting

Fasting itself is a very powerful method of dealing with disease problems. The combination of urine and fasting is even more potent, thus this practice should be approached slowly and in the following stages:

Preparation for fasting in which one accustoms oneself to urine and feels ready to take on a fast with it.
Pre-fast, one should set aside two days before actually starting a fast and cut down on the amount of protein and heavy foods, especially fried and greasy food. Fruit and plenty of raw vegetables help to clear out the bowel and make the commencement of the actual fast smooth and controlled. The amount of urine being drunk during this period may also be increased.
Actual fast is drinking only urine and water - no other food or liquid should be taken. During the fast no work should be under taken, as complete rest allows the cleansing processes to go on unhindered.
Starting from early morning the midstream should be collected and drunk. Then pure, clean water should be alternated with the urine. Once the fast is under way and urine is being passed frequently, every drop may be drunk as the urine is coming very quickly.
The last flow of the day should be discarded so that uninterrupted sleep and rest can follow, allowing the body repair processes to act.
If at any stage nausea occurs, stop the practice for a while until the nausea goes and then start again.
The duration of the fast depends on the type of illness being treated. Some enthusiasts report that it may be necessary to continue the fast for weeks under supervision in order to achieve the desired results. They claim that amaroli stops all hunger problems normally associated with fasting, and attribute this factor to the alkalinity of the urine being passed. Presumably, this has some effect on the brain centres associated with hunger and satiation, because from our experience this stands true. A minimum of two days is recommended, and a maximum of one week without supervision. During the fast both therapist and practitioner must keep an eye out to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly. Under a trained eye all the bumps associated with cleansing, such as the 'healing crises' mentioned, can be evened out and should cause no disruption to the process. However, a certain degree of common sense should be used so as to avoid extremes. It is better to use several short fasts over longer periods of time than a long fast that is too strenuous.
Massage with boiled or old urine during the fast is highly recommended by most writers.
Post-fast stage requires great care in re-establishing a normal and natural diet. For at least one week one must be very careful, gradually readjusting and controlling all habits and paying careful attention to all aspects of diet.
The best way to break a fast is to stop all urine and water intake, preferably at the time of the evening meal. One hour after, a glass of orange or lemon juice, a glass of black grape or apple juice, or the broth from boiled mung beans with a little salt should be drunk.
At noon the next day, apple or grape juice or any of the above alternatives can again be taken. That night papaya and other juicy fruit should be eaten.
By the third day, lentil soup or thin kichari (boiled rice and lentils) can be taken and in the evening boiled vegetables and rice, or again khichari.
In this way you should proceed to re-establish your normal diet, minus the old bad habits.

Alternative Fast

If the complete urine and water fast is too strenuous, then the one meal per day fast is a good alternative. This regime utilises the same basic rules as in the full fast, but there are the following differences:

A small light meal consisting of two to three chapattis (unleavened bread) or a little rice with boiled vegetables, or some raw vegetables and fruit can be taken, preferably between five and six p.m. just before sunset.
One hour before and one hour after the meal no urine, water or any other liquid or solid food should be taken. Then amaroli can recommence.

This regime can go on for long periods, especially in the treatment of debilitating diseases.

External Practice

Urine is applied to almost all external cuts, bruises, insect bites swellings, tumours, burns, infections, fungus, and so on. If it is applied the moment an injury occurs, it is said to prevent infection. Urine packs are said to bring lesions to an end. This aspect is easy to test and experiment with. The next time an insect bites you, immediately rub urine into the bite and see if it brings relief. Such experiences should start to give you faith in the practical use of amaroli.

In the Shower

One of the best ways to start using the external form of amaroli is in the shower, first thing in the morning. If you are doing an internal technique as well, then separate one portion to drink and one portion to use externally. Otherwise you will be able to use ail the morning urine (midstream) for the following program:

Wash your teeth, gums and mouth in urine. Gargling will prevent and relieve the discomfort of a sore throat.
Put a few drops in the ears. Some people recommend four day old urine for the ears and eyes.
Put a few drops in the eyes and if it is too strong, dilute it with a little water.
Sniff up a handful of urine (diluted if necessary) through the nose, two or three times on each side.
If there is any left, rub it into the hair and crown of the head, the face, the neck and shoulders, underarms and crotch. Then apply to the rest of the body. Urine is easy to rub and massage into the body and the massage helps to relieve tension. After five minutes of this, wash it off with cold water. You may find that it cleans as well as soap.

Massage

This is said to be an essential part of the treatment of many conditions and is especially recommended while fasting. The process of massage is succinctly summed up in the Damara Tantra:

"Now I shall tell you the process of massage. The aspirant can enjoy the fruits of his practices and meditation utilizes massage with his own urine." (v.44)
"The urine (one's own) should be boiled in an earthen pot until only one quarter of the original remains. Allow it to cool and use this extract for massage." (v.48)
"The aspirant can gain divine powers through this process and he will feel as though he were the king of gods. He will be free to move where he wishes and will have the strength of ten thousand elephants. He can eat and digest anything." (v.49)
"Never massage urine without first concentrating it to one quarter volume. If this is not adhered to, the aspirant can become dull and prone to disease." (v.50)
"Unboiled urine should never be used for body massage because it is harmful to the body if used in this way. The sadhaka can only gain the benefits of the practice if it is done as directed."
“The sadhaka can conquer death by the help of shivambu and massage with the one quarter extract of the same." (v.52)

All disease except: swelling, inflammation, boils, cuts, wounds, blisters and burns should be treated by rubbing urine over the whole body. The Damara Tantra gives quite explicit instructions as to the urine for massage. The western method diners in that it is recommended that old urine be used instead of boiled. Urine left for thirty six hours is recommended by some, but according to others, five to seven days is required to mature the urine adequately for massage.

The process of boiling or maturing for some days achieves much the same effect. Perhaps the method given in Damara Tantra is more practical in that it takes a shorter time to prepare. Both ways concentrate the urine, making the ammonia as well as the odour stronger. The urine is therefore said to be better able to enter the body.

Eight to ten ounces of urine is required for massage. This can be preserved in seven large bottles over seven days. Each day the bottles should be corked and arranged in the order to be used. Before filling, the bottle should be cleaned and midstream urine poured in. When one bottle is finished in the massage, it should be cleaned and refilled. Shake each bottle well before use.

In the actual process of massage, half should be poured in a bowl so that when it becomes dirty, a fresh and clean half is ready for the rest of the body. The movements should be light and pleasant and towards the heart. That is, the movements should travel from the head down to the heart and from the feet up to the heart. Concentrate on the soles of the feet, hands, head, face and back. A good massage may take up to one and a half or two hours if ten minutes is given to each part of the body.

If there is insufficient urine for all your needs, the urine of another person of the same sex can be used, but not from the opposite sex.

No bath should be taken within two hours of the massage and no soap during the bath. The water should be cold or lukewarm.

Note: It is said that after the application of urine massage for four to five days, the accumulated heat in the body may come out and itching or small heat eruptions in the form of pimples may occur. This can best be handled by continuing the massage so that urine enters into the irritation and dries it up.

Urine Packs

The use of folded pieces of cloth soaked in urine and placed on cuts, wounds, inflammation, infections, boils, burns, swelling and tumours (such as cancer), etc. is said to be efficacious. Old or boiled urine is probably the best for this use and the same rules apply as for massage. Fresh urine is also very effective, however, in these cases.

Other Uses

Urine can be used in as many ways as the imagination allows. Here are a few examples:

It can be mixed with water for enema, or alternatively in shankaprakashalana. It can also be used in kunjal, neti and other yogic practices.
It can be mixed with soil which is then placed on the head, navel or other parts of the body. This is effective for many skin ailments and helps to relieve pain. The best soil for this is black soil, then red or white earth. It is mixed with old urine which should be heated before mixing. While lying down, the pack should be applied and left in position for one hour or so until it is dry. Then remove the soil and wipe the area with a wet cloth, however, do not wash it for two hours. This method of application should be repeated daily.
Fomentation using a combination of warm urine and water is very beneficial in many external conditions, especially for boils and infections.
As a steam bath or inhalation for cough and cold, it helps to relieve congestion and stiffness.
It can be warmed before use on a fire or via the rays of the sun for massage, packs and to relieve other conditions with swelling inflammation or excessive mucus.

The only limitations to the use of urine are the ones we impose on it. Even if it is not a direct cure in itself for every disease, it can be an effective adjunct to other therapies and thereby can aid in recuperation from hospital wounds and other diseases where medication has already played its part. Sufferers of chronic and degenerative disease are crying out for some effective remedy.

Perhaps the programs laid down here will play a part in their cure.

Amaroli and Sadhana

If urine is utilized in hatha yoga shatkarmas, it seems to enhance the potency of the practice. This is especially true if the practices are being used in the treatment of disease, for example:

Mootra neti (urine neti) is a powerful technique for conditions of the nose, eyes, ears, sinuses, headache, throat and mouth. It helps to remove all the unpleasant symptoms associated with the common cold and also helps to awaken ajna chakra. Plain urine can be used or if it is too strong a mixture of half urine and half water. Mootra neti improves the quality of pranayama practice.
Kunjal kriya can be done with urine mixed into the warm salty water. This is especially useful in the treatment of asthma, chronic ulcer, indigestion, gastritis, headache, certain forms of epilepsy and a multitude of other illnesses. It helps to awaken manipura chakra.
Vastra dhouti, in which urine if added to the warm water used to soak the cloth, is very useful for lung, stomach and throat conditions. It also acts on the manipura and vishuddhi chakras.
Shankaprakashalana. both the short and long forms, can successfully utilize urine as it adds to the cleansing power of the practice.
Moola shodhana is an effective method to remove piles, fissures, and to relieve other anal, rectal and lower intestinal problems. If the finger is lubricated with urine, the effect on the piles, fissures and other things is enhanced.

These few examples indicate the use of amaroli in the cleansing procedure of yoga. Urine, however, is reputed to have more than just a cleansing power if used in certain sadhanas. This however, depends to a great extent on the correct sadhana being performed at the right time and place and under the expert guidance of a fully qualified guru. The simple form of amaroli performed early in the morning seems to enhance meditation and is said to energize us so that we feel more awake, alert, aware, and better able to traverse the inner path without succumbing to unconsciousness.