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Kriya Yoga (Internal and External Cleansing): I. DHAUTIS: 1. Antar-dhauti (Internal Washing): a. Wind Purification One learns to close the epiglottis and, with a sudden push, a little volume of air is swallowed into the stomach. After one rests for a second, the same procedure. is repeated until the stomach is filled with air. Then slowly the air is belched out along with foul gases from the stomach. b. Kunjar-kriya (Water Purification) Drink a large quantity of salt water and shake the abdominal portions. Contract the stomach and put the fingers at the root of the tongue and tickle until the water is vomited. c. Agni Sara (Fire Purification) Sit in a comfortable crossed legs position and inhale deeply. Then with forced exhalation, empty the lungs as much as possible. As long as the diaphragm is in the raised position, pump the abdominal muscles inward and outward in a quick succession. In each round one should pump fifteen to twenty times without inhaling. One can practice ten rounds daily. d. Cloth Purification Take a fine piece of Muslin Cloth three inches wide and fifteen feet long. The borders should be well stitched and no pieces of loose thread should be hanging from its sides. Wash it clean with soap before use. Dip it in tepid water lightly salted. Squeeze out the water and swallow one end of it little by little. On the first day, swallow only one foot of the length. Keep it there for a few seconds and then take it out very slowly. On the next day, swallow a little more, retain it a few minutes, and then take it out slowly. Thus little by little you can swallow the whole length, being careful to catch the end firmly with the bands. Retain it for about two minutes and then remove it. Do not injure your throat by rough treatment. Do not injure your throat with rough treatment. When this kriya is over, drink a cup of milk if possible. This will serve as lubrication for the throat. This exercise should be done with an empty stomach, preferably in the morning. Practice once in four days or once a week. One will feel a little vomiting sensation on the first two or three attempts. To get the cloth moving slowly without any difficulty, gulp down a little salt water along with the cloth. As soon as the kriya is over, wash the cloth with soap and dry it. 2. Danta-dhauti (Cleaning the Teeth): The teeth should be meticulously cleaned with the branch of a tree such as Eucalyptus or with a good commercial toothbrush. Dental floss can also be used. Along with cleaning of the teeth, it is essential to give gum massage, which strengthens the gums and squeezes out the impure matter from the gum pores. 3. Hrid-dhauti: For cleaning the tongue and root of the throat, join together the index, middle and ring fingers and insert them into the throat. Rub well the root of the tongue, wash it again, and repeat the process several times. Mouth wash and gargles with salt water are also essential. With the thumb of the right hand, rub the depression in the forehead near the bridge of the nose. By this practice, diseases arising from derangements of phlegmatic humors can be cured. 4. Moola-sodhana (Rectum Irrigation): "Basti" drawing water into the rectum, is done by creating a vacuum in the intestines "Nauli Kriya". This is done through the central manipulation of the abdominal muscles. Sitting in a tub of water and practicing Nauli one creates a vacuum by which water is drawn into the large intestine. To keep the sphincter muscles open, insert a small tube about four inches in length into the rectum. As soon as the water is drawn, the tube should be removed, Then with a few abdominal churnings, the water is thrown out from the large intestines with mucus and other waste products.
This practice of "Basti" is described in the preceeding section entitled "Moola Sodhana". The practice of basti is much more natural than other modern forms of colon irrigation. The possible causes of constipation are listed below:
1. Failure to permit bowel movements when called for.
2. A lack of residual material to form
stool to excite activity.3. Lack of sufficient vegetables and
fruit in food.4. Lack of fluid due to insufficient
water intake.5. Muscles necessary for expelling bowel
contents too weak to act.6. The habitual use of purgatives such as chocolates, etc.
III. NETI (Nasal Cleaning)
A sterile string that has the end hard enough to be pushed through one nostril until it can be passed out from within the mouth. The string should be dipped in lukewarm salt water before insertion.
Take the stiff portion of the string first and bend it in a bowlike shape and, using the index finger and thumb, insert it
into the right nostril first, a few inches inside, then withdraw it; then insert in the same manner into the left nostril.It is common to sneeze violently for the first few days, but gradually the sneezing will subside. Eventually the whole string can be pulled out through the mouth.
Also with the use of a nasal douche, pour a small quantity of salt water through one nostril, closing the other with the thumb. Raise the head and allow the water to flow down to the throat and out of the mouth. Do not try to inhale the water as it brings an unpleasant sensation. This process should be repeated three times with each nostril. This process also helps to strengthen the eyes.
IV. NAULI (Uddiyana Bandha, Abdominal Contractions)
1. Uddiyana Bandha
To practice uddiyana bandha, first of all one has to empty the lungs by a steady and forcible expiration. When the lungs are empty, the diaphragm rises naturally to the thoracic cavity. Now there is no interference by the diaphragm; during this time, draw up the intestines and the navel toward the back, so that the abdomen rests against the back of the body high in the thoracic cavity. This can be practiced in either a sitting or a standing position. While standing, place your hands firmly on the thighs, keep the legs apart, and bend your trunk slightly forward.
Do not attempt to hold the abdomen too long in this position. Hold the breath comfortably outside without inhaling. This can be repeated five to eight times with brief intervals.
2. Nauli-kriya
Here also the same technique of uddiyana bandha should be applied. While standing, practice uddiyana abdominal contractions first; while in this position, allow the center of the abdomen to be free by contracting the left and right sides of the abdomen. This position will bring the abdominal muscles in a vertical line. This is madhyana nauli (central contraction).
After mastering the central nauli, the next step is to get control over the left and right muscles of the abdomen separately. This is known as vama and dakshina nauli (left and right contraction). The technique is the same as the central one, except that one has to apply more pressure on the thighs with the bands. If the left side is contracted, then the left band presses on the thigh, the trunk bending slightly forward and to the left. The opposite applies to the right side.
All these processes of uddiyana; central, left, and right nauli are called churning or rotating of the abdominal muscles. This churning of the abdominal muscles is done in a quick succession of manipulating the abdominal muscles from the central nauli to the left and then to the right with uddiyana bandha. All the above processes combined bring wonderful control over the abdominal muscles.
The success of these exercises depends on the abdominal muscles. Before practicing uddiyana and nauli, one has to lose excess fat by other Yogic exercises.
V. TRATAK (Gazing Exercise)
1. Gazing at a Candle:
Keep a candle flame three to four feet, away from your body. The level of your eyes and the candle flame should be in a horizontal line. Sit erect, keeping the spine straight and the body relaxed.
For one minute look upon the flame with a steady gaze and without winking. After a minute, close the eyes, relax the eye muscles, and visualize the flame between the eyebrows for a minute. Then again gaze with open eyes of the flame for awhile and then relax and close the eyes. This may be continued for five to six minutes. Gradually increase the period of gazing.
2. Bhrumadhya Drishti (Frontal Gazing):
Advanced students start concentration by directing and turning the half-closed eyes toward the space between the eyebrows. However, one should avoid too much strain on the eye muscles. Prolonged practice may be injurious if proper precautions are not taken.
3. Nasagra Drishti (Nasal Gaze):
Sit in a comfortable position with the body relaxed and gaze at the tip of the nose for one or two minutes. Avoid too much strain during practice; if you feel any pain or tiredness, close the eyes and relax the eye muscles. Repeat the practice and relaxation a few times.
VI. KAPALABHATI (Diaphragmatic Breathing)
After taking a comfortable sitting position, preferably the lotus pose, take a few deep breaths. See that the diaphragm is moving properly. Start one round of this exercise with ten or fifteen expulsions. At the end of ten expulsions, take a deep inhalation and hold the air as long as possible.
Practice three rounds in the beginning, each round consisting of ten expulsions, and gradually increase the number of rounds to five or six. After a few weeks' practice, increase the expulsions to twenty or twenty-five. Between successive rounds, normal respiration is allowed to give the needed rest.
Summary:
(One can practice any number of these six kriyas in conjunction with the basic principles of Sadhana-Bhakti. The basic principles of Sadhana-yoga are (Chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra (meditation on the Holy names of God), no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat eating, and no speculation.). The more one advances in the practice of these six Kriyas, the more one is qualified to advance in the practice of Hatha-yoga and Astanga Yoga. The highest platform of Astanga Yoga is Samadhi. Bhakti-yoga is the highest yoga.)
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