Cleansing of the Digestive Tract - Dhauti

Kunjala or Gajakarni

As with Jala Neti, keep a vessel filled with warm water mixed with salt of one teaspoon to half a litre proportion. For this exercise, keep at least five to six litres of water.

Sit in a squatting position and drink water as slowly as possible but in quick succession. Continue to drink as many glasses as possible until a vomiting sensation develops. Normally a person can drink five to seven glasses of water at a stretch without any difficulty.

After drinking the water, stand erect and bend forward at an angle of 90 degrees. Keep the left hand on the stomach and with the index and middle fingers of the right hand tickle the uvula situated in the mouth. This will give you a feeling of vomiting and then the water will start coming up in a constant stream. After the flow stops, again tickle the uvula with the fingers and bring up the remaining water. This process should continue until certain that there is no more water inside.

It is necessary that the water should be brought out only in the half-bent posture.
It would be harmful to remove the water in a standing position.
This exercise should be performed only on an empty stomach and preferably before
dawn.

Benefits of Kunjala

The benefits conferred by this exercise are many. It cures most diseases connected with the stomach, like constipation, indigestion and biliousness. It brings great relief to asthmatic patients. They should form a habit of doing this exercise almost daily so that, in course of time, they will be completely relieved of this disease.
This should be performed only under the guidance of an expert.
Heart patients and persons with high blood pressure should not attempt this without expert guidance.

Vastra Dhauti

Vastra Dhauti is another cleansing kriya specifically meant to cleanse the stomach. It is pretty much like Vaman Dhauti, except that here a muslin cloth is used in place of water. This should also be done on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

This exercise is mainly intended to remove mucus and other waste products from the oesophagus (the gullet) and the stomach. This practice is explained below.

• Secure a fine piece of muslin cloth, three to four inches wide and 15 feet long. It should be ensured that no pieces of loose thread hang from the sides, for which the borders should be well stitched. The cloth should be washed in soap before use and dipped in salt water.
• Sit in a squatting position. Put one end of the cloth in the mouth and swallow it slowly and carefully, mixing it with saliva as one swallows food. On the first day, swallow only one foot of the cloth. This should be kept for a few seconds and then taken out very slowly. On the next day, swallow a little more, and in due course of consistent practice, one would be able to swallow the whole length.
• Beginners should remove the cloth after it is retained for a few minutes. Advanced practitioners can do Nauli exercise after the cloth is inserted into the stomach.

This should never be attempted without the guidance of an expert teacher. This should be done on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning.

It is always better to leave out at least eight inches of the cloth to enable one to pull out the inserted cloth without any difficulty. In case the cloth does not come out, drink as much water as possible and pull the cloth out by bending forward at the waist and the entire cloth will emerge without difficulty.

Varisara Dhauti or Shankha Prakshalana

This is one of the most important exercises in Shat Karma. There is a lengthy procedure to be followed meticulously. The guidance of an expert is very essential, otherwise the practitioner may get into difficulties in performing this accurately. The main purpose of this exercise is to completely wash the alimentary canal from the mouth to the anus with warm alkaline water.

This exercise is to be practised in the early morning on an empty stomach. Even tea, coffee or milk should not be taken before its commencement.

Take a clean plastic bucket or any other similar container filled with warm water mixed with salt. Two teaspoons of salt may be added per litre of water. The temperature of the water should be a few degrees warmer than that for the Kunjala exercise.

Assume the squatting position and drink two glasses of water from the bucket. Then repeat the following four Asanas in quick succession.

1. Sarpa Asana (Serpent Posture)
2. Urdhwa Hastottan Asana (Turning Right and Left Posture)
3. Kati Chakra Asana (Waist Rotating Posture)
4. Udarakarasa Asana (Abdominal Massage Posture)

In this exercise, the stools that come first will be solid, then semi-:solid and, finally, of yellowish water.

The process of drinking water and doing the Asanas should be continued along with passing frequent motions until crystal clear water emerges from the bowels.

Before clean water is evacuated one would generally consume 10 to 15 glasses of water on an average. In some special cases of diseased persons, they consume about 25 to 30 glasses of water before crystal clear water is expelled.

After completion of this, drink four or five glasses of lukewarm water with salt and perform Gajakarni and Jala Neti.

Gajakarni cleans the region from the stomach to the mouth and also removes any residue salty water from the stomach. Jala Neti cleans the nasal passages.

After this only warm water bath may be taken. Cold water bath should not be taken after Sankha Prakshalana. A specially prepared meal with rice, ghee and pulse (mung dal) should be taken within an hour of completing the exercises.

On this day, the stomach should not be stuffed with heavy meals. Further, for another week it is better to avoid all rich, acidic, chemically processed and non-vegetarian foods.
This may be practised by healthy persons once in six months. For diseased people, the frequency may be changed as per the suggestions of the expert treating the patient through Yogic therapy.

Since this exercise ensures thorough cleaning and irrigation of the entire digestive tract, the benefits accrued from this are innumerable.

Benefits of Shankha Prakshalana

• Cures all diseases connected with the digestive organs. Chronic headaches, diseases of the eyes, nose and teeth are cured.
• Women derive wonderful benefits. Menstrual disorders and barrenness can be cured. It is one of the best exercises for kidney and urinary system and it also helps prevent urinary infections and the formation of kidney stones.

Contraindications

However, there are certain conditions for which Dhautis must not be practiced. These are: stomach or intestinal ulcers, hernia, heart problems, and high blood pressure.

However Dhautis should not be done daily or made a regular habit. Once every three months should achieve the desired results.