SHUDDHIRIYAS, AGNISARDHOUTI AND AGNISARDHOUTI

 

SHUDDHIRIYAS

CLEANSING PROCESS

YOGA HAS BEEN CONSIDERED FOR INTERNAL PURIFICATION OF THE HUMAN BODY IN DEPTH. THE SHUDDHIKRIYAS (CLEANSING PROCESS) HAVE BEEN PLANNED WITH A VIEW OF HAVE TOTAL PURIFICATION OF THE BODY BEFORE VARIOUS SAMSKARAS ARE MADE THEREON FOR BAKING THE BODY IN THE FIRE NAMED YOGA SO AS TO TURN THE BODY INTO A RIPE VEHICLE. THE ORGANS WHERE THERE CAN BE A LOT OF IMPURITIES REQUIRE THESE SHIDDHIKRIYAS. THE INTERNAL ORGANS ,WHICH COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE EXTERNAL MATTERS REGULARLY, NEED TO BE PURIFIED. THE TRACHEA REGULARLY COMES INTO CONTACT WITH THE EXTENAL AIR, THE FOOD PIPE INTO CONTACT WITH THE EXTERNAL FOOD PRODUCTS, AND THE MIND COMES INTO CONTACT WITH THE THOUGHTS OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD, HENCE THE SHUDDHIKRIYAS. CERTAIN ELEMENTS ARE CURED WITH THESE KRIYAS. AYURVEDA HAS DESCRIBED THESE SHUDDHIKRIYA BY THE NAME OF PANCHKARMAS. HOWEVER, THESE PANCHKARMAS STATED IN YOGA, THE EMPHASIS IS ON THE NATURAL METHOD. MANY SHUDDHIKRIYAS HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED IN THE YOGA TEXTS. WE WILL CONSIDER SOME OF THEM IN THIS SYLLABUS. DIRECT STUDY OF THESE SHUDDHIRIYAS IS EXPECTED OVER HERE.

THE DURATION MAYBE DIFFERENT FOR EACH SHUDDHIKRIYA. THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EACH SHUDDHIKRIYA IS GIVEN BUT IT IS ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THAT SHUDDHKRIYAS ARE NOT TO BE PRACTICED LIKE ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA IN DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.

DIFFERENT METHODS OF CLEANSING PROCESS (SHUDDHIKRIYAS)

• AGNISARDHOUTI
• VAMANDHOUTI
• KAPALBHATI
• JALNETI
• NASAGRA DRISHTI

AGNISARDHOUTI

DHOUTI IS A WORD MADE UP OF SANSKRIT VERB "DHOO" WHICH MEANS TO WASH. THE PROCESS OF SUCH CLEANSING IS DHOUTI KRIYA. HOWEVER, EVEN IF THIS KRIYA IS TERMED AS DHOUTI KRIYA, THERE IS NO ACTUAL PROCESS OF WASHING INVOLVED. IN THIS PROCESS, SWIFT MOVEMENTS OF THE STOMACH ARE EXPECTED. THE WORD AGNI USED HERE REFERS TO THE FIRE IN THE FORM OF INTERNAL DEGESTIVE JUICES.

PROCEDURE

1. STAND ERECT WITH A DISTANCE OF 1 TO 1.5 IN BETWEEN BOTH THE FEET. INHALE.
2. BEND THE LEGS AT THE KNEE IN FORWARD DIRECTION, PLACE BOTH AND HANDS ON THE KNEE AND EXHALE.
3. THE PRESSURE OF THE SHOULDERS SHOULD COME ONTO THE KNEES THROUGH BOTH HANDS. THE LEGS BELOW THE KNEES AND THE HANDS STARTING FROM THE SHOULDERS SHOULD BE IN ONE LINE, DIAGONAL TO THE GROUND.
4. AFTER EXHALING COMPLETELY, CONTRACT THE STOMACH FULLY AND IMMEDIATELY BRING IT BACK TO THE PREVIOUS POSITION. CONTINUE THIS CONTRACTION AND EXPANSION EXERCISE IN RAPID MANNER. THIS EXERCISE IS TO BE DONE WHILE BEING INTHE STATE AFTER COMPLETE EXHALATION. WHEN THE MOVEMENT OF THE STOMACH IS GOING ON, THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY INHALATION OR EXHALATION IE POORAKA AND RECHAKA SHOULD BE COMPLETELY STOPPED. TRY TO PERFORM THE PROCESS AS MANY TIMES AS POSSIBLE AND IN A FIRM POSITION. THE GRADUALLY INHALE, STAND STRAIGHT AND COME BACK INTO THE PRE-POSITION. THE MOVEMENT OF THE STOMACH SHOULD NOT BE JERKY BUT SHOULD BE DONE RHYTHMICALLY.

DURATION

SINCE THE PROCESS IS TO BE PERFORMED AFTER EXHALING, A DEFINITE DURATION CANNOT BE SPECIFIED. IT IS EXPECTED TO CARRY ON THE PROCESS TILL THE TIME THE BAHYA (OUTER) KUMBHAKA CAN BE EASILY MAINTAINED. THE DURATION OF THE BAHYA KUMBHAKA (THE STATE AFTER COMPLETE EXHALATION BEFORE INHALATION) WILL DETERMINE THE DURATION OF THE PROCESS. THE DURATION WILL CHANGE AS PER THE STUDY OF EACH SADHAKA. EVEN IF THE DURATION OF THE BAHYA KUMBHAKA IS LESS, THE PROCESS CAN BE STUDIED IN VERSIONS AS THE ASANAS WERE STUDIED. THE PROCESS CAN BE PRACTICED FOR 3 TO 4 TIMES AT A STRETCH. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO PRACTICE IT FURTHER.

WHEN IN THE AGNISAR PROCESS, THE PRESSURE BECOMES NEGATIVE, THE VESSELSS SUCK BLOOD INSIDE. WHEN THE PRESSURE IS NEGATIVE, THE BLOOD GETS SUCKED TO THAT AREA, WHEN THE PROCESS IS POSITIVE, THE BLOOD GETS PUSED FORWARD. THUS, IN THE PROCESS OF AGNISAR, THE RAPID MOVEMENT OF THE STOMACH CAUSES NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE PRESSURE, THE IMPURE BLOOD IS SUCKED INTO THE VEINS AT THE SAME RATE AND PUSHED FORWARD. THE PRESSURE CAUSES THE BLOOD FLOWS IN ONE DIRECTION. THESE CAUSES THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD IN THE STOMACH TO BE RAPID AND EFFECTIVE, THUS IMPROVING IT CONSIDERABLY.

PRECAUTION

NO ONE WHO SUFFERS FROM STOMACH AILMENTS SHOULD PRACTICE THE PROCESS WITHOUT PROPER GUIDANCE OF AN EXPERT. THOSE WHO HAVE UNDERGONE ANY OPERATION OF THE STOMACH SHOULD NOT TRY TO PERFORM THE PROCESS FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF OPERATION. AFTERWARDS TOO, AN ATTEMPT SHOULD BE MADE UNDER THE EXPERT DIRECTIONS. THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM THE LOSS OF TONE OF THE STOMACH OR SWELLINGS OFTHE INTENTINES OR AILMENTS OF THE LIVER SHOULD NOT PRACTICE UNLESS ADVISED BY THE EXPERTS. ALSO, AT ONE POINT OF TIME, THE PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE REPEATED MORE THAN 3 TO 4 TIMES.

KAPALBHATI

THE PROCESS OF KAPALBHATI IS RELATED TO THE BREATHING PROCESS, HOWEVER IT IS NOT A TYPE OF PRANAYAMA PRACTICE. BUT, CERTAIN SADHAKAS THINK IN THIS MANNER AND STUDY KAPALBHATI UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY ARE STUDYING A TYPD OF PRANAYAMA. HOWEVER, THE PROCESS OF CLEANSING THE WIND PIPE IS ONE OF THE SHUDDHIKRIYAS. THE WORD KAPALBHATI IS MADE UP OF TWO WORDS, "KAPAL" MEANING SKULL (HERE SKULL INCLUDE ALL THE ORGANS UNDER THE SKULL TOO) AND "BHATI" MEANS SHINING, ILLUMINATING. DUE TO THE PROECSS THE ORGANS UNDER THE SKULL MAINLY THE BRAIN AND THE SMALL BRAIN ARE INFLUENCED IN A GOOD MANNER. HENCE THE WORD IS USED IN THAT WAY.

PRE-POSITION 

RECHAKA IS MORE IMPORTANT IN THE PROCESS. WHILE PERFORMING RECHAKA, IT IS TO BE PERFORMED BY WAY OF EFFECTING A PUSH WITH THE HELP OF STOMACH MUSCLES. THE DIAPHRAGM AND THE MUSCLES OF THE ABDOMEN ARE TO BE MOVED VIOLENTLY AND THE AIR SHOULD BE EXHALED WITH THE HELP OF THAT MOVEMENT. HENCE, THE RECHAKA IS NOT PROLONGED AND MORE AIR ALSO IS NOT EXHALED.

A CYCLE OR ROTATION OF KAPALBHATI SHOULD BE PERFORMED AS FOLLOWS:

1. KEEP BREATHING GRADUALLY WHILE SITTING IN PADMASANA.
2. INHALE AND START PERFORMING KAPALBHATI AS STATED BEFORE. THAT MEANS A STRONG RECHAKA, NATURAL POORAKA AND AGAIN STRONG RECHAKA AND NATURAL POORAKA.
3. KEEP ON DOING THIS ROTATION SWIFTLY IN RHYTHMIC MANNER.
4. PERFORM AS MANY CYCLES AS POSSIBLE AND THEN KEEP BREATHING GRADUALLY. ALL THESE PROCESSESS ARE INCLUDED UNDER ONE CYCLE OF KAPALBHATI. 

DURATION

WHEN THE PROCESS FOR AT LEAST 21 TIMES IN A CYCLE OF KAPALBHATI. SUCH THREE CYCLES MAY BE PERFORMED IN ONE SITTING. WHEN THIS MUCH IS ACHIEVED, THEN THE REPETITIONS WITHIN A CYCLE CAN BE INCREASED. EACH ONE SHOULD INCREASE THE REPETITIONS AS PER HIS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND STRENGTH.

PHYSICAL EFFECT

IN THIS PROCESS OF KAPALBHATI, THE CARBON DIOXIDE IS THROWN OUT OF THE BODY IN LARGE QUANTITY AND SIMILARLY IN THE SAME POSITION, THE OXYGEN IS ABSORBED INTO THE BODY. THIS INCREASES THE OXYGEN IN THE BLOOD, HENCE THE NEED FOR OXYGEN IS LESSENED AND THE MESSAGES OR THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO BREATHING CENTER IS CALMED DOWN THE CENTRE BECOMES CAL AND REDUCES ITS INTRUCTIONS TO THE BREATHING ORGANS. THIS FACILITATES CONTROL OF THE BREATHING ORGANS. IF THERE ARE URGENT MESSAGES FROM THE MAIN CENTRE, THEN THE ORGANS FOLLOW THOSE MESSAGES AND IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE MOVEMENT OF THE ORGANS.

PRECAUTION

IT IS SAID THAT IN A CYCLE OF KAPALBHATI, MAXIMUM REPETITIONS OF RECHAKA AND POORAKA SHOULD BE PERFORMED. FOR A COMMON PERSON, 120 REPETITIONS PER MINUTE I.E. TWO PER SECOND IS AN IDEAL RATIO. SADHAKAS ABOVE THE LEVEL OF COMMON PERSON CAN GO UP TO 200 REPETITIONS. IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER BEYOND THAT.