Our overall wellness is beyond just physical ailments. Internal cleansing is also an essential element for holistic well-being which we apparently tend to ignore.
You will be surprised to know that our ancient yogic texts never miss praise for the practice of Dhauti Kriya. It is one of the best practices for cleansing the digestive tract from within. Dhauti Kriya makes us feel lighter, healthier and more in harmony with our body.
In this article, we will unweave what Dhauti Kriya incorporates, looking into its types and benefits, and providing a step-by-step guide. Let’s step into the realm of vitality and inner purification through Dhauti Kriya.
What is Dhauti kriya and its significance:
Our ancient hatha yoga scriptures highlight the importance of shatkarma practices, amongst which Dhauti kriya practice seems to hold a prominent position. The word Dhauti itself is derived from the Sanskrit word “dhau” meaning to cleanse whereas Dhauti Kriya means the process of purification or cleansing. It is mainly a practice of cleansing the esophagus and the stomach.
The more interesting aspect of this is it is also known as Gaj Karn, where Gaj means Elephant. When elephants experience nausea or discomfort in the abdomen, they suck their trunk inside the food canal and throw out the unwanted contents of the stomach. This is a powerful cleansing technique demonstrated to us by nature. The only difference is that we take support of external equipment to complete the activity.
The practice of Dhauti kriya involves various techniques such as drinking warm saline water, swallowing cloth inside the intestines, and sutra in the nose thereby, helping with the purification of the digestive tract, throat and nose. This is also helpful in building the immunity of the body. Not only it helps in the purification of the body, it also helps in the purification of the mind and body, addressing the holistic approach of Yoga.
Whenever you are feeling any discomfort,acidity issues in the stomach or any indigestion, you can perform Dhauti Kriya. It will also help with the eradication of excess mucus from the respiratory canal or trachea. Thereby, it also helps to relieve the symptoms of asthma and increase the efficiency of the respiratory tract.
Anatomical Implications:
Before we dive into the anatomical and physiological implications of Dhauti Kriya, we need to understand the importance of the Isotonic solution that we have to indigest. The isotonic solution produces a fair amount of cleansing effect on our digestive tract, thereby helping us flush out harmful toxins in our body.
There are 6 types of Dhauti Kriya:
Antar Dhauti:
Antar meaning internal, antar Dhauti Kriya translates to an internal cleansing of the digestive tract, thus promoting overall well-being. It involves various types of internal cleansing practices targeting different parts of the digestive system. There are various types of antar Dhauti that can be performed –
Vatsara Dhauti:
It is a practice where you swallow cloth, gulp it down to your intestines and then bring it back up. This helps clean your stomach and throat by removing excess mucus. This helps in easy digestion and better absorption of nutrients.
Varisara Dhauti:
Varisar Dhauti kriya involves drinking specific amounts of saline water and expelling through natural bowel movements by doing specific yoga postures. This helps to clean the digestive tract and eradicate toxins from the system.
Agnisar Dhauti:
It is derived from the Sanskrit word “agni” meaning fire. It helps to boost the fire element of the digestive system by performing certain movements in the belly to create sensations like fire. This is an ancient practice to stimulate metabolism and boost the digestion system.
Bahiskrita Dhauti:
Bahiskrita Dhauti is a kind of practice in which you hold air in your stomach to clean the intestines. This technique helps to clean the digestive system from the inside through specific breathing and practices. The aim is to ensure you experience a level of divine-like state for the body.
Danta Dhauti-
Danta is a Sanskrit word that means “teeth” and Danta Dhauti refers to teeth cleansing as a yogic oral hygiene kriya. It is an ancient method that highlights the importance of maintaining oral hygiene through a variety of cleansing practices. It is beneficial for both dental oral hygiene and the overall well-being of the body. Danta Dhauti kriya consists of several types of cleansing practices with each having its benefits –
Following are the five subcategories of Danta Dhauti:
Dantamula Dhauti: cleansing of gums and teeth
Jihwa Mula Dhauti: cleansing of the root of the tongue
Karna Dhauti: Cleaning the ears and removing excess ear wax. It promotes auditory well-being and maintaining ear hygiene.
Kapala Randhra Dhauti: It is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘kapal’ meaning skull and randhra meaning hole/passage. It helps in cleaning the nose and curing the sinus, thus helping us to breathe better. A Solution of warm salty water is used to clean the nostrils and remove mucus.
Hrid Dhauti
Hrid is a Sanskrit word that refers to the heart, thus this practice focuses on maintaining cardiovascular health and heart-related cleansing practices.
Hrid Dhauti also has several categories under it which are described as follows:
Vastra Dhauti ( calf’s intestine cleaning): It mimics the eating method of a calf by swallowing the soft cloth and bringing it back to the mouth. You have to chew the cloth and gulp it down to travel internally through the esophagus and stomach. Once it is taken out it eradicates the impurities and excess mucus from the body.
Varisara Dhauti( selective digestive tract purification): It is an effective technique of drinking warm saline water and practicing certain asanas to clean the digestive tract. This helps remove toxins from the body and promotes digestive health, thus benefiting heart health.
Kunjal Kriya ( Stomach and esophagus cleaning): You have to drink a large amount of saline water and vomit it out all through certain movements. Not only it aids acid reflux issues but also reduces the burden on the heart by promoting good digestion.
Anulom Vilom( Alternate Nostril breathing): It is a breathing technique that aims to balance the two hemispheres of the brain and regulate blood pressure. Through this practice, oxygen flow is increased in the body thus benefiting cardiovascular health indirectly.
Moola Dhauti
This kriya focuses on the internal cleaning of the lower digestive tract, specifically the rectum and anus by using soft turmeric root or middle finger. It helps to clear off any feces by performing Moola Dhauti in certain poses such as Utkatasana.
Laghoo Shankhaprakshalana
It involves cleansing the entire digestive tract using water as a medium and is very effective in relieving constipation issues. You have to drink a certain amount of warm water and then perform particular yoga asanas. The series is repeated several times until the whole stomach is cleared off the unwanted waste through bowel movements.
Vyaghra Kriya
Vyaghra is a Sanskrit word referring to “Tiger” and Vyaghra kriya indicates the practice of tiger. It has been observed that when a tiger eats large amounts of food, it vomits the undigested food after a gap of three to four hours. We also perform this kriya similar to Kunjal kriya by using warm saline water but it is performed after eating food with a gap of two to three hours.
Benefits of Dhauti Kriya :
Having mentioned several types of Dhauti Kriya above, the immense advantages it offers have been scientifically proven. We shall now look into the following as to how beneficial it is for our overall well-being:
Tridoshic: It is said that Dhauti kriya helps us to balance all the three doshas of our body- Vata, Kapha and Pitta. This enables us to bring harmony to our body and mind.
Digestion: Our gut is one of the major factors in overall well-being and Dhauti Kriya very effectively works on improving our digestive health and metabolism.
Constipation: Dhauti kriya is a natural cure for constipation, as it focuses on thorough cleaning of the intestines.
Acid reflux: It’s good news for everyone that Dhauti Kriya heals all stomach acidity issues naturally, so we don’t have to take harmful antacids.
Skin ailments: It brings a natural glow to your skin, making it radiant and free of acne and dark circles.
Oral health: Many teeth diseases are cured by practicing Dhauti kriya. It also helps us to manage bad breath by improving the function of salivary glands.
Respiratory health: Dhauti kriya is highly potent in improving our lung efficiency by clearing the air passage and improving overall respiratory health.
Migraine: Dhauti kriya is one of the best practices to cure and prevent migraine attacks.
Inflammation: Any inflammation in the body, arthritis or joint disorder is cured by the correct practice of Dhauti kriya as it helps us to get rid of impurities effectively.
Precautions of Dhauti Kriya:
While it has several miraculous benefits, we need to be careful and fully aware while performing this Dhauti Kriya. Following are some precautions we need to keep in mind to ensure a smooth and safe flow of practice:
Expert instructor: It is very important to perform these kriyas under expert supervision and proper guidance so as to prevent any injuries or harm to the body.
Mindfulness: You have to listen to your body while performing these activities to not overexert and also keep in mind your physical ailments. The techniques have to be improvised according to your personal needs.
Right diet: Balanced nutrition as well as keeping the body hydrated is very important to prevent any weakness while performing the rigorous kriyas. Dehydration and nutritional deficiencies can be harmful to the body.
Environment: Ensure a safe and calm environment to perform these techniques. You can also wear loose clothing to ensure physical comfort as well.
Contraindications:
Pregnancy or periods: Avoid performing Dhauti Kriya during pregnancy or menstruation as it will create unnecessary strain on the body.
Abdominal surgery: Surgery requires a lot of time to heal so avoid any kind of activity that will cause exertion to the body.
Health issues: People with certain health issues such as ulcers, hypertension, hernia, heart conditions, or epilepsy should avoid performing this kriya as it can lead to harmful effects.
IBD: People with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease should avoid performing advanced forms of Dhauti kriya as it can exaggerate their condition.
Chronic: People suffering from any chronic diseases are advised to consult an expert or doctor first before attempting any of the Dhauti kriyas to avoid complications.
In a nutshell, incorporating the practice of Dhauti Kriya into your daily life will help you awaken a new you and cleanse inside out. Just go for it under an expert yoga and Ayurveda instructor to walk in the right direction.
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