Describe the Shat Karma – Everything You Need to Know
Shat Karma is a set of six cleaning techniques. ‘Shat’ means ‘six’ and ‘Karma’ means ‘technic’ or ‘process’. We found these in Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga sutras of Patanjali and othertexts. It has a history of 2000 years. An ancient practice to make the inside part of our body clean.
There are six purification techniques for cleansing different parts of body. It is a preparation not only for Yogi’s who prepared their body for higher practice of asanas,pranayama and meditation but for the people to stay clean from the inside. Shat Karma has lots of benefits. It increases immunity power, balance hormones, purifying the body, increases concentration and three major balances Vata, kapha and Pitta in the body.
The Part of Shat karmas are.
1.Dhauti 2. Neti 3. Nauli
4.Basti. 5. Kapalbhati. 6. Trataka .
- Dhauti: ‘Dhauti’ is a cleansing process of the stomach and esophagus. Regular practicing ‘Dhauti’keeps our stomach and esophagus clean so that we stay away from Indigestion Acidic issue gastritis, belly/stomach pain and other abdomen issues.
We can practice ‘Dhauti’ in empty stomach. Dhoti has many types like
*Vastra Dhauti, *Danda Dhauti (BarisarDhauti),
*Jihva moola Dhauti, *VatasaraDhauti.
- Vastra Dhauti – a cotton cloth around2-3inch.wide and 5-7meter.long is used for VastraDhauti. It swallows like food and insert it in stomach through esophagus. The vastra Needs to soak in lukewarm water or milk while doing the practice.
- Danda Dhauti– Acatheter (rubber tube) of about 90cms. long and of 0.5cms. hole. Need to drink heavy water then place the tube in mouth and get the water out through the rubber tube.
- Jihva moola Dhauti – cleansing the root of the tongue.
- VatasaraDhauti – to drink the air through the digestive track.
# Beneifits – Gastric, cold ,cough are cure with Dhauti. It purified our stomach and recover most of the abdomen issues.
- Neti – Neti is cleansing the nasal passage. It improves our respiratory system. Two types of neti are Jala Neti and Sutra Neti.
- Jala(water) Neti: In jala Neti we use a ‘Neti pot’to get the water in through the nasal passage. The process isto take the water from one nasal and get the water out with othernostril.
- Sutra Neti: In Sutra Nati, a thin sutra or catheter (Rubber tube) is used. It inserted through our nostril and taking out through oral.
#Benefits – it improves our respiratory system. It removes cough, cold and headache.
3. Nauli – Nauli is the process of moving rectus abdominal muscles.Dakshina, Vama, Madhyama practices in UddyanaBhandha to hold external breath. Add points on rest mudra
# benefits – It strengthens the abdominal muscles. It controls the blood pressure. It helps to cure gastric and skin problems. It has 3 steps of bandhas.
- Mula Bandha: Seals vital energy at the perineum, or pelvic floor.
- Uddiyana Bandha: Contraction on the abdomen area.
- Jalandhara Bandha: Closes the throat, so that heat generated in the torso doesn’t move into the higher centers.
4. Basti – Basti is the process of cleansing the colon or intestine. Two types of Basti are there, Sthalabasti and Jala Basti.
- Sthala Basti – Sthalabasti is cleaning the colon with air through a tube or catheter.
- Jala Basti – Jala Basti is cleaning the colon with water. Water into the anus through a pipe. Enema process is a name of jala Basti.
# benefits – it removes the constipation. It improves the digestion power. It cures the allergy or skin diseases.
5. Kapalbhati – ‘kapal’ means ‘head’ or ‘bhati’ means ‘glow’. Kapalbhati is a Pranayam practice. Regular practicing the Kapalbhati increases our face glow. There are three types of kapalbhati –
- Vata karma kapalbhati
- Vyuat karma kapalbhati
- Sheetkarma kapalbhati
# benifits– Kapalbhati glows our face and make it beautiful. It takes healthy our heart, lungs and brain. It cures obesity, diabetes constipation, prostate diseases.
- Trataka– Trataka is a full concentration meditation practice to looking a candle flame or any small objects.It’s an ancient meditation technique to improve our vision/eye sight.
Trataka is two types –
- Antaranga Trataka
- Bahiranga Trataka
# benifits– it cures the insomnia disease. It built concentration power. It increases our eyesight power.
Shat Karmas are powerful cleansing technique. Regular practicing it, makes a man healthy, young, energetic, powerful and purified from the inner part of the body. Every person should practice shatkarmas in their regular life.
