KRIYA YOGA

Known also as Shat karmas, kriyas are methods for purifying the body and also the mind, while various body functions are being “cleansed” of impurities. Kriya yoga, when followed and practiced carefully, may cleanse the entire physical system, ridding it of both impurities and mucous that has accumulated over a great length of time.o:p>

The following sections detail six basic yoga kriya practices, the most widely used ones today: Neti, Dhouti or Dhauti, Nauli, Trataka, Dhrishti, Basti, and Kapalbhati. Full descriptions are given in most cases about how to undertake these kriya yoga practices. Be sure and carefully follow the directions; but in many cases, you should consult with a guru before undertaking any of these kriya yoga practices.

7.1   NETI PRACTICES

Netis are ancient Indian yoga techniques which refer to cleansing, and Jala Neti literally translates to “water cleansing,” with “jala” meaning “water,” and “neti” referring to “cleansing.” With Jala Neti, the practitioner rinses out his or her nasal cavity by using a pot of salt water, or neti pot. This is a form of nasal irrigation, recognised widely by western scientists nowadays.o:p>

Two types of Neti are Sutra Neti - or rubber or thread Neti - and Jala Neti. Below, find some brief guidelines for the practice of these two Neti. If you find that one form of Neti is unsuitable, as you can’t properly practice it, try the other one - it may prove quite useful.

7.1.1   SUTRA NETI (Thread or Rubber Neti)

 Nasal Cleansing - Using a Catheter

Description of Sutra Neti 

One of the main points to “cleansing” your nasal passages is that many people are so “clogged up” in their breathing sinuses and nasal passages that they end up with nasal infections, asthma, and even emphysema. This leads to a lot of yoga practices being performed in a limited manner, as the sadhaka, or yoga practicant, is unable to properly breathe through his or her nose.o:p>

You should practice pranayama before performing Sutra Neti. Through the friction resulting from breathing practice, the mucous membranes are strengthened and able to work much more effectively. This cleans, humidifies, and disinfects the moist air circulating through your nasal passages before it reaches your lungs, ensuring that it’s in “optimal” condition - before it finally reaches your bloodstream.

Practice Technique

You may purchase the special thin, rubber catheter required for this practice in the store section of most major yoga schools. Take a small earthenware vessel, such as a clay pot, or you may also purchase a special Neti pot, and fill it with clean and pure lukewarm half-saline solution, or ordinary water. If the latter, add one teaspoon of salt per half litre, and stir - in order to dissolve it.o:p>

The water must be hot enough at first to sterilise the catheter; then let it go down to lukewarm. In the past, Sutra Neti was performed using a bundle of cotton threads, which were twisted and soaked in beeswax; nowadays, a thin rubber catheter does the trick. In this case, you will not be “pouring” or using any water inside your nasal passages - just the catheter will serve the purpose.

Bear in mind that although you may breathe through your nose, unlike during Jala Neti, where you must breathe through your mouth, that your nose will be “full” of a catheter, however thin. So you may want to breathe through your mouth throughout the entire practice of this first Neti. Upon any breathing difficulties that matter, though, be sure and temporaraily stop the practice of this Neti.

The first step is to check and see which of your nostrils is “dominant,” or takes in and puts out a greater quantity of air. Very gently, insert the catheter into the dominant nostril until you may feel it brushing the back of your throat. Take great care not to “scrape” the catheter against any of the delicate linings of your mouth, throat, or nose.

Then, reach into your mouth, grabbing the catheter from the back of your throat, and pull it out through your mouth. Repeat for the other nostril. You may pull the catheter back and forth about six times, three times per nostril, each time removing it and placing it back into the cleansing pot. Stop upon any great discomfort or distress.

When using the old-fashioned cotton sutra method, you may pass the cotton sutra back into the other nostril - until both ends of the cotton “hang” out of the mouth. You then join it as a “loop,” gently passing it through your nasal passages - through one nasal passage across the back of the nose - and out the other nasal passage. This is done for about six times; then the sutra is gently removed.

Whether by using a rubber catheter or a cotton sutra, this practice helps to balance the “airflow” of the nostrils. This practice may be performed once per week, and may be immediately followed by the practice of Jala Neti. However, if the passages are greatly blocked, Jala Neti may be performed both before and after Sutra Neti is performed, as Jala Neti, which involves water, may unblock the passages for you.

Remember that the point of the Sutra pot of saline water isn’t to fill up the catheter with water and “squirt” it into your nose. You’re only sterilizing the catheter and then moistening it to enable it to move freely through your nasal passages, cleansing them in a manner similar to the cotton sutra use. Later on, during Jala Neti, there will be the use of water being “poured” into your nasal passages.

Benefits of Sutra Neti

This Neti stimulates, strengthens, and helps to nourish the functioning of the nerves and related other parts of the eyes, especially aiding in the brain functions that are related to the eyes. The tear ducts and the olfactory areas are also soothes and helped, and mucous production in the sinus passages is temporarily increased.o:p>

All of this also “flushes” the secretory glands, which may stop viral invasions, helping the blood to circulate more freely and in a “fresher” flow. Also, dried mucous deposits are “cleared away,” and foreign bodies that may be in the nasal passages are removed.

Needless to say, you won’t have many “boogers” after performing several thorough such cleansings. You might also want to keep some Kleenex around, while following either of these Neti practices. Tissues or a handkerchief will further come in handy during some of the later respiratory-related kriya yoga practices.

Jala Neti should optimally be used right after Sutra Neti - to further “flush” out the nose, nasal passages, and sinuses. Also, it’s usually important to perform Sutra Neti before you perform the water-based Jala Neti, to make sure all “clogs” inside the nasal passages are completely cleared out. Such clogs impede the flow of water during Jala Neti, so these practices should be performed duly in order.

Also, both Neti practices involve the other koshas, which means they stimulate the Ajna Chakra, located deep inside the centre of the midbrain. Sutra Neti may help cure asthma, sinusitis, and headache, and it may even “fix” a deviated nasal septum. When used in conjunction with Jala Neti, still other such similar problems and diseases may be mitigated, or even cured completely.

You should perform this Neti two times a week in order to combat bad health and the above conditions. But you may inquire with a holistic medical practitioner or experienced guru about your physical problems, and how best to assist with them. The frequency needs of this practice may vary, according to your personal needs.

Precautions

Be sure to look over the rubber or cotton catheter carefully before practice. If using the cotton one, be sure the beeswax or other wax is carefully applied in a smooth and clean manner. Check over the rubber catheter for any breaks, tears, rips, or “rough” edges, as these may cause serious injury to the mucous membranes of the nose and the mouth’s inner surfaces.o:p>

Be sure to sterilise either type of catheter in the sutra pot of saline water. Lastly, you should only perform this practice on an empty stomach, and under the guidance of an expert guru or holistic medical practitioner. You might want to establish a relationship with one or both of these, as they may greatly assist you in the safe practice of yoga.

7.1.2   JALA NETI (Water Neti)

Nasal Cleansing - Using Water

Practice Technique

Once again, you must go to a yoga school’s store, this time to purchase a special vessel called a Neti Lota. But if this isn’t available, a teapot with serve the needed purposes; or any other such vessel with a narrow, long “spout” will do. Just don’t use a watering can, or in all seriousness, a plastic straw. The latter bends - and is also too “sharp edged.”

First, fill your vessel or Lota with clean, pure lukewarm water, which should be at roughly the same temperature as your own blood. This renders it most suitable for “pouring” it through your nose. Once again, add about one teaspoon of salt per half litre of water, and stir well - in order to thoroughly dissolve it.

Again, check out your nostril dominance. This time, you’re actually going to pour water into your nose, so be very careful here. Beginning with the strongest and most “freely breathing” nostril, gently insert the spout of the Lota, or the teapot’s spout, into your free nostril. To remain safe, be sure and breathe through your mouth - by leaving it open - during the entire performance of this Neti.

While slowly tilting your head to the right, make sure the water runs through your left nostril. This enables the water to flow through, first in your left nostril - and then out, through your right nostril. It doesn’t matter which nostril you insert the spout into, whether it’s the left or right one; it should just be the dominant nostril. Then, tilt your head to the right as described, very gently, but not too far.

The flow from the left nostril to the right nostril should happen by itself, as long as the Lota, teapot, or other long-spouted vessel is positioned carefully, and the “tilt” of the head is slight enough to allow a thin stream of water to pour in through the dominant nostril.

As stated, respiration must continuously occur through your open mouth. You don’t want to try to breathe through your nose during this Neti. The water should flow freely through the nostrils for about half a minute. If there are any clogs, tilt your head forward, allowing the water to run out through either your nostrils or your open mouth, depending on which way it flows out.

That’s why the other, first Neti should be performed first, in order to remove any such clogs. Perform Sutra Neti again, to remove the clog or clogs, and then go back to performing Jala Neti. If you discover an obstruction that’s too stubborn to allow you to get past it, stop performing either Neti, and attempt to discover what’s causing the problem. There may be a skin flap, nodule, or polyp of some kind. If you smoke, swelling of the airway passages may be involved.

After you’ve checked out the nature of any such obstructions, and once the nostrils have been “flooded” with water for the brief time period noted above, remove the Lota or other thin “spout.” Now, clean out your nose thoroughly, this time by “blowing” it into a tissue or handkerchief. Use some strength, but carefully, in order to remove all blockages that may still be inside your nose, throat, or nasal passages.

Next, repeat the process of pouring water into your less dominant nostril, this time while tilting your head slightly to the left, so that the water will circulate over to the right side. Let the water run freely; this time, there should be no blockages. Once again, remove the Lota or other “spout” after half a minute, and then “blow” your nose. Don’t ever blow too hard; just in gentle, “poof”-like out breaths.

Drying the Nose

You now have overly “moist” nasal passages and cavities, including your skull’s nasal sinus cavities. To complete the process of cleaning out your sinus passages, mouth, throat, and nose, dry out your respiratory “parts” by following the directions below:

Stand up straight, with your feet together and touching, clasping your hands behind your back - and bending forward from the waist. Hold a very thick piece of “Kleenex” style tissue - or preferably a cotton handkerchief - in front of your face, over your nose, but not enough to impede breathing. This will catch any “flying” substances.

Continue bending forward until your head is pretty much completely upside down, and remain this way for half a minute, which should allow all the remaining water to drain from your nose. As in Kapalbhati kriya, which is explained in a section further below, blow strongly through your nose, about 15 to 20 times. Then stand back up, with your head and back erect. This should’ve efficiently “dried” out your sinus passages; next, you will want to dry out your nasal passages.

You may now close one of your nostrils, perhaps the less dominant one, by gently pressing on the outside skin “flap” of that nostril. Next, perform a complete respiratory cycle, breathing in and out, strongly and swiftly, 30 times. This is done while continuing to hold a tissue or handkerchief in front of your nose, as it expels the remaining moisture inside your mouth, nose, nasal passages, and throat.

Repeat the process with the other nostril, and then do it a third time, through both nostrils. If there’s still a “feeling” of water inside your nasal passages or throat, repeat the functions of this process until you feel like your nasal passages - especially those - are thoroughly dry.

Once this is done, give your handkerchief a nice “laundering,” as it’s doubtless full of mucous and “gunk.” You should perform this yoga technique in the early morning before breakfast, along with your other yoga practices. You may perform it more frequently in the case of a head cold, a “cold in the nose,” or even influenza; but always be sure to practice it on an empty stomach.

Summary of Jala Neti

You may feel a burning sensation as salt water passes through your nostrils, due to the mucous membranes being in unaccustomed contact with water, which isn’t usual for them. You don’t often have water in your nasal passages, and this may lead to that “awful” feeling, like when you accidentally breathe water in during a shower.

Be careful to only use a small amount of water each time you pour it into either one of your nostrils. After several times of performing Jala Neti, the “bad” feeling of burning should vanish. If it doesn’t, consider only using Sutra Neti as a nasal passage cleansing Neti, or try practicing Jala Neti less often, to see if the “burning” feeling goes away.

And there are some other kriya yoga practices with which you may “cleanse” your nose, mouth, nasal passages, and sinus cavities - such as Kapalbhati, which you may find further down below, in its own section. Plus, there are certain other yoga practices and techniques that may aid you in the process of nasal cleansing.

Also, your eyes may become “red” or bloodshot from the practice of Jala Net; but this will eventually go away. However, if you have a structural “blockage” in your nose, such as nasal polyps, like some people grow - or with which they’re born - you might not be able to pass water freely through your nostrils. If so, only perform Sutra Neti, and skip Jala Neti. This should still help to “cleanse” your nose.

Precautions

Make sure that water only passes through your nose; try to keep it from “flowing” out of or into your mouth. If any of the water enters your throat or mouth, it indicates that your head position is too far back, or tilted the wrong way. You aren’t able to “dry out” the inside of your mouth - a major part of the cleansing process.

That’s why you must make any needed adjustments, to ensure that the water only flows through your nasal passages. This exercise is meant solely to cleanse your nose. But during the “drying” phase, you may be able to clear out your mouth, the back of the throat, and other sino-throat areas as well, possibly by “hacking up” some mucous.

Also, make sure your nose is properly “dried” once you’re finished performing the cleansing phase of Jala Neti. This must be done to ensure that the nasal passages don’t become irritated, which may give you the symptoms of a major head cold. Finally, don’t blow too hard when blowing your nose, in any situation described above.

Contraindications

Those who are suffering from chronic nasal haemorrhages shouldn’t undertake the practice of Jala Neti; not without first consulting with an expert, such as an eye, ear, nose and throat doctor, holistic practitioner, and/or a guru. It’s best to undertake this yoga practice under close supervision, and that of a health practitioner is most welcome.

Benefits of Jala Neti

This Neti, which is meant as a finishing process to the earlier Sutra Neti, completes the act of removing the dirt and bacteria, along with the “clogs” of dried and wet mucous, from your nasal passages. It may also remove obstructions from the back of your throat or mouth, although it isn’t meant to do that; but it nonetheless may do so.

You will find this Neti helpful in relieving cold and flu symptoms, sinusitis, and a wide variety of ailments of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, and nasal airways. You may also receive some relief from myopia, deafness, tonsillitis, adenoidal problems, and inflammation of the mucous membranes.

Regular practice of this Neti has a “cooling” effect on the brain, soothing your mental processes. It’s also beneficial for hysteria, epilepsy, temper difficulties, and migraine headaches; and to some extent, it cures depression. This Neti may also impart feelings of freshness and “lightness,” but not light-headedness, in your brain and head, and it will also energise you, removing those tired, drowsy feelings that may plague you during or before yoga practice.

Finally, this Neti awakens Ajna Chakra by stimulating the olfactory lobe in the brain, which is just above the nasal sinus cavities. This obviously then assists your sense of smell, and may vastly improve it. Regular practice of this Neti will eliminate a lack of sense of smell, making you deeply appreciate “nice” odours, such as the smell of fresh-cut flowers or rose petals. You should try burning some incense, to celebrate; or perhaps you could try some nice “aromatherapy.”

Practice Notes

It’s advisable to quit smoking before you undertake the practices of Sutra or Jala Neti, as smoking may “thicken” or otherwise clog up your nasal linings and passages. However, if you’re a smoker, these practices may be quite helpful in maintaining the better health at least of your nasal passages, linings, membranes, and sinuses. It may even be mildly cancer-preventative to practice these two Netis; although of course they won’t have any effects upon lung cancer.

7.2   DHOUTI OR DHAUTI PRACTICES

Dhouti or Dhauti comes from the Sanskrit word "dhoo," which means “to wash,” or “to cleanse.” The process of such cleansing is called Dhouti and sometimes also Dhauti Kriya, with kriya being the yoga practice involved. There are many variations on the spellings of “dhouti” and “dhauti,” but there’s no real difference to the commensurate practices. We will tell you below about any such differences.

7.2.1   VAMAN OR VAMANA DHOUTI

Description of Vaman Dhouti

You will be cleansing your upper digestive tract with this Dhouti, which is one of the easiest methods of doing so. Beginning with the mouth and ending with the digestive tract at the stomach’s bottom opening of the small intestine - which includes the mouth, the oesophagus, which is the long passage leading from the throat down into the stomach, and the stomach - you will be washing out those area’s impurities.

These are carried into your upper digestive tract through the swallowing of food particles, which are also mixed into the bloodstream. You may be able to wash your mouth, at least by brushing your teeth and possibly rinsing with a mouth wash, as part of your daily routine; but ordinarily, you can’t just “rinse out” your oesophagus or the contents of your stomach. That’s why this yoga practice exists.

The impurities, when they accumulate, have an adverse effect on your body, so you need this “digestive wash” to help cleanse them out. In some cases, you may be able to initiate the “stomach wash” by inserting a rubber tube into your stomach. However, in this yoga technique, the practice is performed without any external instruments, such as a rubber, cotton, or bamboo catheter.

You will be using the physical movements of your body’s internal organs, instead, although the use of a catheter, or “dand,” is involved; or you may use water or a piece of cloth. In this case, we will consider the process as performed with the use of water - as in Jala Neti - as outlined above. Later, we will discuss the use of a cotton piece of cloth, and also the use of a bamboo, or wooden-style, catheter.

Practice Technique

Once more, you will require a Lota; but if this isn’t available, use a medium-sized drinking glass, which may be made of plastic for safety reasons. Whether it’s a clear glass or cup, or opaque, doesn’t matter, as you’ll only be using it to drink from. You might want to use your favourite beveredge-holding vessel for this practice.

Take this vessel and fill it with clean, pure lukewarm water, which should be at about room or body temperature. The water should be suitable for drinking purposes before adding the salt. Add only one or two small “pinches,” making sure it’s dissolved; but be sure you use pure drinking water. Don’t use hospital saline solution this time, as you will be drinking this liquid.

The proportion of salt at the beginning of this practice may be kept fairly high, as long as it’s tolerable while drinking it. Taste it, to make sure you’ll be able to drink it down in large quantities. You will be drinking fairly large quantities of water, so be sure you have two or three gallons of “bottled” or plastic jugs of drinking water handy, or that you’re near a source of drinking water. It may be handy to use tap water, as this will fulfil two purposes - which we’ll further explain down below.

Get a bucket, or be sitting somewhere close to a large sink - or an available, nearby toilet. Sit down comfortably, such as at the kitchen table, and start drinking this water - while staying in the same place. You should sip it slowly, one small “slurp” at a time.

You won’t feel too “full” until you’ve consumed about a litre of water, so keep on drinking it, until you feel the “strain” of the water filling your stomach. You’re going to be drinking even more; in fact, this is more or less “chugalugging” a huge amount of salt water. So you have to drink slowly and carefully, in order to get “used to it.”

Upon the intake of 1.5 to 2 litres of water, you will probably feel nauseated; however, keep on drinking, but not to the point of throwing up. Eventually, you won’t be able to drink any more of the water, and you will be feeling an intense urge to vomit. While trying to keep this feeling “down” with the water, consume just one more glass or cup of water, if at all possible.

Now stand up, keeping your legs spread apart about 1.5 feet, and bend over a little bit, while restraining your nausea. While keeping the bucket handy, or standing over a sink or toilet, insert your index finger, middle finger, and ring finger of your right hand into the mouth, pressing on the end of the tongue; or perform some other “gag” reflex act.

This should bring on a strong, full urge to vomit, and the water should begin coming out in great gushes, or floods. Be sure you aim it into the bucket, sink or toilet. By inserting your fingers deeper and deeper into your throat, make the entire quantity of salt water you’ve swallowed flood out of your stomach and mouth; once it’s out, the feelings of nausea should go away.

When you’re finished, rinse your mouth with warm non-salted water, or perhaps with a mouth rinse - such as hydrogen peroxide mixed with warm water. This latter rinse is very effective, and you only need about a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide mixed with warm water, in order to thoroughly cleanse the mouth. It’s especially effective to rinse with hydrogen peroxide right after brushing your teeth; but never rinse with “straight” hydrogen peroxide, or drink it in any way.

Now that you’ve finished the cleansing technique, perform Shavasana for about 10 to 15 minutes - or as long as you feel comfortable. You may resume your normal routine of Shavasana later. After waiting another hour, you may take a drink, as you’ll be feeling pretty thirsty, to avoid dehydration. You may now drink anything you want - though of course for your health’s sake, we don’t recommend “hard liquor.”