The Shatkarmas
Ancient techniques for the modern age
Swami Ajnananda Saraswati
The word health is derived from wholeness. It is fair to say that, up
until the last decade, the general orthodox idea of health has been the
absence of illness. Occidental medicine has been approaching the question
from an increasingly compartmentalised viewpoint. There has been a great
increase in the knowledge of bodily function (physiology) and of the gross
and finer structures (anatomy) particularly concerning the brain, nervous
and endocrine systems. There have been increasingly detailed investigations
of the multitude of disease processes (pathology) to which people are
subject. However, except perhaps in the field of endocrinology, there
has been little attempt made to relate all of this physical research to
the mental processes. In the area of psychology and psychiatry, the mental
processes have been subjected to similar intensive investigation, but
largely without consideration of the bodily processes. The whole emphasis
has been wrong - we have been studying illness, disease, what can go wrong
with the body/mind, instead of directing our efforts to the investigation
of healthy people. We should be studying living bodies instead of dying
ones and free minds instead of limited and obstructed ones. It is in the
redirection along positive lines of enquiry that yoga has a magnificent
part to play.
Many thousands of years ago, the yogis, devoting themselves to a process
of self-investigation, a spiritual quest for meaning in life and the unfoldment
of the full human potential, realised that the very foundation of that
quest was a state of radiant health - not just the absence of dis-ease,
but an abundance, an overflowing of vitality and energy. They evolved
techniques of self-treatment and disease prevention in order to proceed
with their quest, un-distracted by pain and illness. The heart of these
techniques is that group of practices which constitute the essential hatha
yoga shatkarmas or purification methods. Together with asana, pranayama,
creative meditative and relaxation techniques, these practices are the
core of the comprehensive system coming to be known as yoga therapy.
Jala neti
The practice of jala neti, or nasal irrigation, is so simple and has
such a tremendous range of therapeutic effects that it must be considered
foremost among the tools in the chest of the yoga therapist. A flow of
warm, slightly saline water is introduced into the nostril by means of
a suitable container (traditional neti lota or small teapot) and allowed
to flow through the nasal pharynx and out the opposite nostril. The procedure
is then reversed.
The flow of warm, saline solution over nerve endings connected with the
olfactory bulb, a structure in the cranial floor just above the nasal
pharynx, has a reflex soothing and relaxing action on the centres of emotion
in the limbic system of the brain. It aids in improving concentration
and in harmonising the interaction between the reasoning, thinking cerebral
cortex and the feeling limbic system. This same soothing relaxing effect
is responsible for the benefits to headache sufferers. Because of the
direct connection between the limbic system and the medulla oblongata
(the area in the brain stem at the top of the spinal cord responsible
for the unconscious functions - autonomic nervous system, control of blood
pressure, heart rate, breathing etc.), neti is an essential part of the
yoga therapeutic program for conditions ranging from hypertension to carcinoma.
By its action on the trigeminal nerve, it has a soothing effect on the
whole facial area and may be used to alleviate tired eyes, nervous twitching
and facial pain. Classically, neti is a preparation for pranayama, and
it is in its cleansing action that it finds particular application in
the polluted environments of people living or working in industrial areas.
It removes the accumulation of toxic airborne residues, helping to prevent
the build up and concentration of these cumulative poisons in the system.
It is an essential part of the treatment of asthma, sinusitis, hay fever
and colds. In the case of colds, one drop of pure eucalyptus or peppermint
oil may be added to the water - the unpleasant symptoms of the cold are
almost miraculously relieved without any interference in the cleansing
process which is going on even more effectively than before.
Its capacity to balance mental and emotional states through physiological
and pranic pathways is profound. Where there is anxiety, tension or hyper
- manic condition, the water is used as warm as can be comfortably tolerated,
and where there is depression or withdrawal, cold water, often without
salt is used instead.
This is the yogic equivalent of shock therapy without any of the unpleasant
side effects. In the case of depression, the relief is, again, symptomatic
but the patient is brought to a state where he/she may be able to begin
to do something about the cause. This is impossible while still immersed
in the depression. Physically, the effect of neti is primarily upon ajna
chakra.
Nauli
Nauli, the isolation and rotation of the abdominal rectus muscles, and
its preparatory practice of uddiyana bandha, have such a wide range of
therapeutic effects that they deserve much more attention from yoga instructors
everywhere. Stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, spleen, pancreas,
kidneys and uro-genital system are all given a massage of such quality
that it cannot be duplicated by any external masseur, and these large
muscles of the abdomen, upon which so much of our physical movement depends,
are toned and strengthened. There is a condition which is becoming increasingly
common, called dropped or prolapsed transverse colon. That part of the
large intestine which goes across the abdomen from right to left, gradually
sags further and further down into the abdominal cavity. This condition
affects literally millions of people and is the result of lifestyle factors
such as largely sedentary occupations, lack of exercise and poor diet.
The dangers inherent to the whole organism can be appreciated by an examination
of the function and structure of the colon and by understanding how the
function is affected when the structure is altered in the above manner.
When the transverse colon sags down, two corners or bends in the colon
are narrowed or partially closed off - these are called the splenic and
hepatic flexures. This makes it increasingly difficult for waste matter
to pass through and results in a build up of toxic, decaying waste. If
one considers that this colon is not just a hollow tube, but has as one
of its main functions the absorption of water into the blood from the
waste matter, the implications become apparent. Through the build up and
back pressure created by this condition, distensions and pockets full
of highly poisonous material form in the colon and this poison is constantly
being absorbed into the blood. The kidneys and liver, organs vitally concerned
with our body's resistance to disease, are severely affected, as are all
organs of the abdominal cavity.
The accumulation of toxic matter can be dealt with by the cleansing practice
of shankhaprakshalana, but to positively alter the condition of the colon
and indeed, to prevent the condition occurring in the first place, there
is no more effective method than the practice of uddiyana and nauli.
Although hernia is given in most texts as a condition with which uddiyana
and nauli should not be performed, the author has had outstanding results
in the treatment of hiatus hernia with the very gentle and gradual practice
of uddiyana. Students suffering from this condition reported unanimously
that, within a few weeks, most of the unpleasant symptoms of the condition
had disappeared.
Kunjal
Kunjal kriya, the most readily learned and applied practice of dhauti,
in which six or more glasses of warm, salted water is first swallowed
and then vomited out, is a superb therapeutic and preventative technique.
By its strong, contracting action on the abdominal muscles and diaphragm,
and its cleansing action on the stomach and oesophagus, it has particular
benefits in the treatment of digestive and respiratory disorders. It is
an absolute necessity in any program of treatment of asthma, bronchial
disorders, indigestion and hyperacidity. The strong contraction induces
copious elimination of phlegm and mucus and subsequent relief.
The author has used it to treat the severe condition of bronchiectasis
with good effect.
It is said that there are only three occasions when the mental processes
are naturally and completely suspended- during sexual orgasm, sneezing
and vomiting. If, as is so often the case with diseases like asthma, the
cause is mental tension, the technique acts as a psycho - physiological
short circuit providing a respite from the circular, repetitive, mental
self-harassment of the anxiety - beset patient, and allowing a positive
orientation and outlook to develop. During the early stages of practice,
many people experience a sort of psychological block or barrier as a result
of negative social conditioning about the process of vomiting. With perseverance,
this is transcended and the student benefits greatly from the ensuing
acceptance of bodily function, experiencing a parallel mental and emotional
catharsis as energy is released on all levels.
The author has personally practised all three of these techniques on
a daily basis for the last thirteen years, and they are chosen here to
be discussed because of the relative ease with which they may be assimilated
into a daily routine by people living in today's polluted, competitive,
high pressure and time - conscious society. Neti, nauli, and kunjal can
all be completed in less than fifteen minutes.
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