Dhauti - yoga cleansing the stomach
Dhauti is a generalized group of purifying yoga practices that are part of Shatkarma. One of their main goals is to cleanse the stomach, digestive tract and other organs, whose health largely depends on the functioning state of the gastrointestinal tract.
Practices help get rid of a wide range of problems. Ayurveda says that dhauti cures twenty diseases of Kapha.
There are many cleansing techniques within dhauti. According to hatha yoga, you can divide the practice into two groups, each of which includes separate techniques:
Antar Dhauti:
vatsara (bhujangi mudra) - swallowing air with subsequent removal of belching;
bachiscritis - cleansing the rectum with its removal to the outside;
vahnisara (agnisara kriya) - performing abdominal manipulations with the aim of kindling a digestive fire;
varisara (shankkh prakshalana) - through washing with water;
karna - cleansing the ears;
danta - cleansing the teeth;
jihva - cleansing the surface of the tongue.
Hrid Dhauti:
danda - purification of the esophagus and stomach using plant stems;
vastra - cleansing the digestive tract with a piece of tissue;
vamana - cleansing the intestines with water;
mula shodhana - cleansing the anus with the middle finger or turmeric root.
Yogis can perform some of these practices both with a certain frequency, and if necessary, when there are all prerequisites for the development of pathological conditions in the body.
The benefits of dhauti for bodily and mental health
Yoga claims that a combination of different options of cleansing techniques have a complex effect on the body:
the digestive tract and respiratory system are cleaned;
mucus, stagnant bile, toxins are removed;
the balance of chemicals and doshas is restored;
excess weight is eliminated due to getting rid of excess body fat;
the problem of flatulence, constipation, digestive problems, bloating, poor appetite disappears.
In Hatha Yoga Pradipika, it is stated: “There is no doubt that cough, asthma, spleen diseases, leprosy and twenty other ailments caused by excess mucus are neutralized by dhauti.”
Vamana dhauti
Usually vamana dhauti is performed in the morning on an empty stomach. The night before, it is better not to eat too tightly, as the procedure can facilitate the movement of gastric juice through the esophagus. Before practice, both the intestines and the bladder should be emptied whenever possible.
Prepare for the procedure 4 liters of clean, without any impurities of water. Her temperature should be the same as her body temperature. Divide the water equally and add 4 tsp to one of its halves. salt. If there are all prerequisites to think that the acidity of the stomach is increased, then you can make a solution without salt, and add a pinch of soda.
How is vamana dhauti performed:
Squat in a crow pose (Kakasana).
Drink 2 liters of salted water quickly.
Stand, stretch, lean forward. In this case, you need to lean on your hips.
Make a few belly movements using the Agnisar Kriya technique.
After that, the water should go out. If this does not happen, you need to help yourself. To do this, simultaneously with two or three fingers you need to press on the root of the tongue. Remove your fingers when vomiting occurs. Thus, remove all water from the stomach. At the same time, remember: the amount withdrawn must be greater than the amount drunk. This indicates that you have got rid of toxins and excess mucus.
To fix the effect, do the same with unsalted water.
When performing vaman dhauti, you need to pay attention to the color of the water leaving the stomach. It is normal if it is colorless, slightly foamed and with mucus. It can also be colored yellowish, greenish or brownish. This indicates a small amount of bile in the stomach.
In the event that water with impurities of blood comes out, then pay attention to your feelings. If severe pain occurs in the abdomen, the cause may be a stomach ulcer. If there are no painful symptoms, then do not worry.
Vamana dhauti cannot be performed in a number of cases: with a hernia, pregnancy, acute ulcer, high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma, Mallory-Weiss syndrome, with severe exhaustion, varicose veins of the esophagus.
Agnisara Dhauti
Agnisara Dhauti is a cleansing technique that helps strengthen digestive fire (Agni). That is why this practice is also called the "breath of fire."
The procedure is performed daily 3-5 hours after a meal. It takes at least a month to experience its effect. Practice relieves constipation, excess gas and indigestion, stabilizes acidity, improves appetite, and has beneficial effects on liver and kidney function. It also positively affects the psycho-emotional state, helps to fight depression.
There is a preparatory and basic technique of agnisara dhauti, performed only after mastering the previous one.
We will not focus on the preparatory technique now, but immediately turn to the main (full-fledged) technique.
The procedure for performing the basic technique of agnisar dhauti:
Sit in the lotus position (Padmasana) or Vajrasana. Close your eyes and fold your hands in your lap.
Take a deep breath and then exhale completely. At the same time, the elbows are straightened, and the hands rest on the knees.
The neck is extended (without tension), Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock) is performed by pressing the chin to the sternum. There should not be any tangible discomfort. Then it is necessary to begin to strain and relax the abdominal muscles, similar to "retraction." The number of such “retractions” depends on the level of preparation of the yogi. For a beginner, ten times is enough, for the more prepared - 30 and the most advanced - up to 100 times.
When discomfort begins to appear, you need to carefully raise your chin. When the head is raised, a very light relaxing breath should be taken.
Gradually, breathing will be restored. You need to rest from 30 to 60 seconds and perform two more approaches.
Do not practice agnisar dhauti for women during menstrual bleeding and after the second month of pregnancy, with umbilical hernia, gastric ulcer, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, after operations on the abdominal cavity (during the year), with heart diseases, diarrhea, high body temperature, and infectious diseases and taking antibiotics. Also, do not perform the technique for women within two months after pregnancy.
Vastra Dhauti
Vastra dhauti is a cleansing of the stomach with a narrow strip of natural matter. The procedure should be carried out in the early morning and in advance to worry about the stomach being completely empty.
For practice, you will need a thin fabric made of natural material 6-7 meters long and 8-15 cm wide. There should not be free-hanging fibers. They need to be removed in advance.
The execution order of the Vastra Dhauti:
A strip of cloth is thoroughly washed with soap, rinsed and boiled in clean water for at least 5 minutes.
It is necessary to have a vessel with warm water in which the tissue will be located.
It is necessary to squat, pressing the heels to the ground, but at the same time avoiding touching the buttocks with the ground. Under them, you can put some object that will be the right height (books, bricks, etc.). The body should take a comfortable and relaxed posture.
An unfolded strip of tissue at one end is placed on the tongue and begins to perform swallowing movements.
In cases where the fabric is stuck, it is allowed to use a small amount of warm water. You can’t drink a lot of it, since the place in the stomach should be primarily for matter.
Trying to suppress the urge to vomit, the tissue is brought to the esophagus.
As much as possible, a piece of matter is swallowed 2/3 of its length, after which nauli kriya is performed, consisting in the rotation of the abdominal muscles from side to side.
After nauli kriya it is necessary to squat down and pull out the fabric very carefully and slowly.
The correct implementation of dhauti practices has a strong healing effect on the bodily and spiritual health of a yogi, helps to restore the balance of doshas and always feel great.