The 6 Cleansing Kriyas | The Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:35

Mar 20, 2020
2 min read

These 6 kriyas purify the body and produce special benefits.

Chapter II

The 6 Cleansing Kriyas

II.22 The 6 cleansing kriyas are dhauti (swallowing a cloth), vasti (colon cleansing), neti (threading the nose), tataka (gazing), nauli (abdominal massage), kapalbhati (breath of fire).

23 These 6 kriyas purify the body and produce special benefits, so they should be kept secret as they are valuable by the ancient yogis.

24 Dhauti - Slowly swallow a wet piece of cloth, then pull it out.

25 Dhauti can definitely alleviate cough, asthma, diseases of the spleen, skin disorders and 20 other diseases that stem from excess kapha.

26 Vasti - Squat in water up to the navel and insert a tube into the anus, drawing the water up into the colon before expelling it out.

27 Vasti can cure diseases of the spleen, tumors, edema, stomach disorders, and all diseases.

28 When practiced correctly, vasti refines the tissues of the body, the senses, and the mind. It makes the body lustrous and increases agni (digestive fire), destroying the accumulation of doshas.

29 Neti - Insert a smooth thread into the nose and through the nasal cavity and pull it out through the mouth.

30 Neti purifies the skull and enables the practitioner to perceive more subtle things, while removing all diseases of the body above the shoulders.

31 Trataka - Gaze without blinking at a small object with full concentration until the eyes begin to water.

32 Trataka removes all diseases of. the eye and should be carefully guarded like a casket of gold.

33 Nauli - With the shoulders bent forward, rotate the abdomen swiftly to the right and left.

34 Nauli is the crown of hatha yoga practice because it stimulates the agni (digestive fire), destroying all diseases and imbalances of the doshas while bringing about happiness.

35 Kapalbhati - Inhale and exhale rapidly like the bellows of a blacksmith. This destroys all diseases cause by kapha.

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