Am feeling inspired to create the book a friend of mine has been urging me to write for a long time - a Yoga detox program that combines the ancient yogic wisdom of purification with our current knowledge of toxicology and medicine.
Would appreciate a little help if there is any interest.
What is your favorite Yoga purification practice and why?
I would very much like to read that book! I do daily tongue scraping, almost daily jala neti, if those count.
The Gayatri mantra because it reflects the student’s desire to have illumined consciousness and not direct their entire focus on the container.
Therefore when a willing student desiring change, guided by a sound teacher, embodying effort in combination with patience… holds this as intention for practice it is thus a purification of the consciousness.
What does modern medicine recognize as effective ways of removing toxins from the body, perhaps only chelating agents, they seemed to have debunked sweat chambers as an effective method to remove heavy metals? Of course certain foods, herbs, minerals, vitamins blah blah blah have the ability to bind with and flush out certain contamination from the body, much like chelating. Yoga methods are mostly concerned with removing impurities/illusions from consciousness allowing a deeper awareness to develop. As far as yoga asana, I’m remembering a report from a study that measured blood samples and excretions; sweat, urine and feces’ over time showing no additional benefits. Certainly a clean diet would limit contaminant intake. Does it not make sense that during asana as the heart rate increases blood moves quicker through vessels and organs along with contractions and elongations, locks are formed pressure builds than suddenly released, a purging effect, plus all the other complexities involved with asana. It makes sense that a well tuned mind/body would be efficient at removing undesirables however, the more one exercise the more one intakes air, water and foods therefore increased possibility of outside toxins entering the body? It would be a gargantuan task requiring tremendous amounts of money to conclude such things, otherwise it’s all speculation and in line with what Gordon wrote would effort be better applied elsewhere. Notice, my photo I was covered with clay that supposedly draws toxins from the body, it was free and felt good the only reasons I did it.
[QUOTE=ray_killeen;60787]What does modern medicine recognize as effective ways of removing toxins from the body, …[/QUOTE]
Perspiration, evacuation, exhalation, and movement, though I have a tough time digesting the phrase “modern” when it is enjoined with an alopathic western medical model.
[QUOTE=theYogadr.;60750]Am feeling inspired to create the book a friend of mine has been urging me to write for a long time - a Yoga detox program that combines the ancient yogic wisdom of purification with our current knowledge of toxicology and medicine.
Would appreciate a little help if there is any interest.
What is your favorite Yoga purification practice and why?[/QUOTE]
I read quite a few books like that written by modern authors and they describe and utilize yogic techniques. . I’ve been doing some of them regularly. The Hatha YOga Pradipika is general source of all the bodily and mind cleansing technigues.
The question is how many people would like to practice disgusting staff that is not fun:)) and some of techniques can be perceived as disgusting for most people.
Second issue, that these techniques require some kinds advanced knowledge of yoga asana, human body, breathing. In US in is usually the curriculum for some 500 and 1000 teacher training programs.
I would say it is possible to create a decent book on “yoga detox”
but it will require some competence from the author…including long personal practice…
Thanks, guys, for your input!
Nila - yes, tongue scraping and neti definitely count! Awesome that you are doing these kriyas daily. I hope there are others doing them every day as well.
InnerAthlete - right on. Cleansing the container is only part of a proper Yoga cleanse, arguably the least important one, but in the philosophy of Hatha Yoga, the koshas are all connected and integrated. Purifying the annamayakosha helps to purify one’s consciousness. It’s best to work on every layer. This would be a real Yoga cleanse, one that doesn’t focus only on the body.
RayKilleen - maybe you are right, the effort would be better applied elsewhere - appreciate your honest opinion - and LOVE the photo - reminds me of my bath in mud at the Dead Sea
InnerAthlete - i have trouble digesting the word “allopathic” with medicine and am really curious why you feel the same with “modern”
CityMonk - the Gheranda Samhita goes into greater detail about cleansing than HYP and for sure both of these books would provide the basis for the project along with Yoga Sutras and Siva Samhita - not every “disgusting” technique would need to be included, only those that could be safely brought into the 21st century - as far as training, I would argue that it isn’t the length but the depth of one’s Yoga experience that is important - for those of us who trained in Asia rather the states, I don’t believe Western ttc hours are relevant.
It’s sure not an overwhelmingly positive response to my query. I do really appreciate the replies. Thanks for contributing!
No doubt there?s been a noticeable consciousness developing amongst American medical doctors when it comes to holistic approaches to human ails, I?ve personally experienced the positive effects of this but there seems to be a long way to go. Unfortunately rigidness of the American medical industry, money and the blood sucking nature of attorneys will slow this transformation at best. Idealistically it would be nice to have an unbiased pocket guide to all known cleansing techniques; perhaps someone like a Rodale has already done it? Then over a millennium of life times each method could be evaluated and updated for success. Then again you can simply Google what you seek, ironically type this in; ?all known cleansing techniques? the first two hits are yoga related.
Gheranda and Shiva Samhitas are just repetitions of HYP…
How is you book going to be different from these three? More details on practice and throwing away nonsense things like wiping genitals with cow manure ash?
I could not care less about TTC hours, thought some of the techniques will require some knowledge about health and pathology…I think you are planing to include this in the book. (ex. one do not want to do a huge basti in case of certain colon disease like diveticul… whatever:) forgot the name) I’ve never fought about this because all the techniques were taught to me by my mom and practiced for years…but Yoga Therapist are very cautious with that staff…especially in US, where one can get sued for everything…
Unless, you want to leave only mind purification, asanas, mudras, and satvic diet…
BTW, wanted to read through your website…but it does not work:( www.yogadr.com?
That would be due to your omission of the word “the” in the url.
I’ve considered reply to this for several days. Often this sort of dialogue leads to or fosters debate or argument or dogma and I’ve not much interest in those three.
However that is contrasted by the fact that Kathleen has asked something of me directly and to ignore it would be disrespectful.
so…
Yes there is integration among the layers. Or more accurately the current nature of human existence is a disconnection amongst the layers. I personally use a softer linguistic approach and use extreme care in drawing conclusions. So for me I would have to adjust this and say:
“working appropriately on the physical body, for some people, at some times, with a wholesome intention…that work can transcend the boundaries of the physical and effect the other layers of consciousness, to one degree or another.”
However it would be important to note, based on your assertions in the article on urine therapy, that this is challenging to “prove” and that some can work on the physical with no measurable, palpable ramifications whatsoever across the remaining sheaths.
For me, a healing approach which traditionally has wielded two tools (pharmaceuticals and surgery) and approaches the body and its functions as isolated components where side effects are an acceptable norm (or gold standard) doesn’t feel particularly “modern”. Though I would not throw the baby out with the bathwater
I’ve just read something interesting in the anatomy book, and this is related to “yoga detox” (Gaja Karani Kriya) : during vomiting " amounts of HCL are lost in vomitus and the [U]blood becomes alkaline[/U]…"
]
InnerAthlete - Thanks for a thoughtful and respectful reply. I’m glad you didn’t doctor bash. Usually the people who do are the same ones who want their appendix out before it ruptures and their mom saved from breast cancer by the knife and the needle. Medicine is just medicine - it’s the art of healing and it doesn’t need any other labels. I feel sometimes like the ones out there - alternative medicine, functional medicine, naturopathic medicine, integrative medicine, etc - they’re more about marketing than they are about any difference in what we all do, which is practice the art of healing. (And yes, “practice” because no matter how hard we work we’ll never be perfect at it.) There’s more to what MDs and DOs do than hand out prescriptions and cut people, and the ones who focus only on those things have done the rest of us a disservice. I was taught at Northwestern’s med school about nutrition, acupuncture, the body as a whole and not just the sum of its parts, the importance of mind in healing, the importance of stressing natural methods prior to the big guns, etc. I’ve always done my best with limited time.
As far as the koshas, there is no doubt that working with one affects the others. It doesn’t have to be metaphysical. When weary from long distance travel, a shower makes us feel tons better - the anna influencing the mano. When a friend comes over to make you laugh when you’re sick and your body stops aching so much, that’s the mano affecting the anna. It’s been shown in science that making yourself smile, the act of forming the manifestation of one on your face, sorta ‘reverse triggers’ the feeling that normally would have caused the smile in the first place. (Laughter Yoga!). That’s a lot different than magically transmuting a physical substance into nothingness as was suggested is possible for those with an advanced practice.
CityMonk - am curious which book you were reading. Can you share? I’ve written about my professional take on vomiting as a cleansing practice on my web site. I’ll just say here that I’m not much of a fan.
Everyone else - I’d still like to know what cleansing techniques are being practiced out there - why they’re being done and why they’re liked.
Anyone doing shanka prakshalana? Vamana dhauti? Basti? Moolah shodhana? Sutra neti? Trataka? Is nauli kriya a big part of most people’s practice? What else?
[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;60881]That would be due to your omission of the word “the” in the url.
;)[/QUOTE]
oh…thanks…
[QUOTE=theYogadr.;61140]
CityMonk - am curious which book you were reading. Can you share? I’ve written about my professional take on vomiting as a cleansing practice on my web site. I’ll just say here that I’m not much of a fan.
Anyone doing shanka prakshalana? Vamana dhauti? Basti? Moolah shodhana? Sutra neti? Trataka? Is nauli kriya a big part of most people’s practice? What else?[/QUOTE]
the “alkalizing vormiting” thing is from the “Human Anatomy and Physiology” by Elanie N. Marieb and Katja Hoehn, seventh edition, pg 908. I was tryong to “alkalize the body” hoping that it will help me with hight stomach acidity. And I’ve seen a lot of people who are trying to “alkalize” the body by following certain diet, drinking certain supplements…etc. And I did not think it is quite possible to alkalize the blood because of the homeostatic regulation, and also a Dr. told me that if our blood goes a little alkaline or a little acid - we would end up in emergency room.
I do [B]prokshalana [/B]quite regularly. i used to do it with lemon water, with salty water as well. MOrning time is the best for it, and salty water does not absorbs so quick, if absorbs at all… have never done [B]dhaut[/B]i…interesting but in 18th century india, yogis performed this kriya with red cloth, and westerns thought that they washing their intestines to swallow them back:) Never done [U]dhauti [/U]with air neither. [B]]Basti[/U][/B] is the easiest of the kriyas for me. I do 2 L one ones in a few years, and the small one as needed. In yogic texts it says that the basti is different from the enema in that enema water come under the pressure, and in basti practitioner suck water in using nauli…go figure;) We practice [[B]U]trataka[/U[/B]] in class with my students in the winter time, when it is possible to attain complete darkness. I stopped doing [B][U]nauli[/U][/B] aka Agni Sara, because I had too much acid in the stomach, very hight metabolism and I believed that it can pump up the agni even more. Never done [B][U]sutra neti[/U] [/B]since do not understand its benefits. Doing [U]jala neti[/U] when sick or came back from public place. [B]Vamana kriya[/B] (vomiting) that is probably what I should be doing for my high HCL…is a very good kriya, not the pleasant one, require some technique and relaxation, I use water withe salt and trace of manganese…
There are a lot of contradictions to most of these kriyas. contradictions are not mentioned in yogic txt. Keep in mind that those who want to cleanse, probably already got some pathology ion their guts;)
What else....pranayama is the less complicated but very effective one.
The Gal bladder cleaning is not a yogic technique? right?
BTW… I thought people are somewhat aware of anatomy of their bodies. I have one student very [B]intelligent and concerned about health and diet[/B]. Yesterday, we had a class on digestive health, and she said that the stomach stores the bile. I said that the gal bladder stores the bile. She commented : ok, the goal bladder is the one where the kidney stones comes from?
If I would compile a book on physical body cleansing, I would probably include some general info on how these systems work …
Thanks, CityMonk.
Repeated pathological vomiting can cause the body to become alkaline, and that’s not something you want. Our bodies do a fabulous job of balancing acids and bases for optimal pH, but some things are too much for our systems to handle. Here’s a reputable link:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec12/ch159/ch159c.html
The alkaline diets promote health. They’re full of fruit, vegetables, beans, lentils, and nuts while they avoid meat and dairy, refined sugar and processed food. I love that and fully support anyone who gives it a try. I just disagree about the underlying physiological reason for why it’s healthy. The “why” doesn’t really matter so long as it heals - and it does!
Please read the 3 posts about vamana dhauti on my blog before you start throwing up regularly. I advise against it, but I have tons of friends who practice this kriya on a daily basis and swear by it. In fact, many of them are very attached to it and get quite disgruntled when I say I don’t think it’s wise!
I also do shanka prakshalana regularly but have some issues with fully promoting it to the public. It hasn’t been studied, and I’m concerned about dehydration and hypernatremia (dangerous high salt level in the blood) in some people.
Has anyone ever known anyone to have a negative response or serious side effect from prakshalana? If so, PLEASE share. I’m stuck with anecdote here as there is no scientific research. Not even in Lanavala have they looked at this much, although when I was there they agreed to collaborate with me. Hope we can get to that.
Basti is HUGELY preferred to enemas in my book. Why have somebody else poke something in your rear (or poke something yourself) when you can do this so much more naturally?
I love trataka and nauli and support their use as cleansing kriyas. I’m surprised you had trouble with the latter - am curious if you actually did have trouble or stopped based on theory.
Thanks again for your lengthy reply. The last bit about explaining digestion was also helpful. It’s hard for me to know where others are in their knowledge base. I’m really surprised at your student!
Warm regards,
Kathleen
[QUOTE=theYogadr.;61309]Thanks, CityMonk.
Has anyone ever known anyone to have a negative response or serious side effect from prakshalana? If so, PLEASE share. I’m stuck with anecdote here as there is no scientific research. Not even in Lanavala have they looked at this much, although when I was there they agreed to collaborate with me. Hope we can get to that.
Warm regards,
Kathleen[/QUOTE]
Shanka Prakshalana if not done properly can lead to excess of salt in the body - I have a friend who is a doctor who tried the asana (untrained teacher I suppose ) and had to be hospitalised.
Do they teach it in Lonawala ? I thought the did not. I presume you are referring to Kaivalyadham Lonawala.
[QUOTE=theYogadr.;61309]
I love trataka and nauli and support their use as cleansing kriyas. I’m surprised you had trouble with the latter - am curious if you actually did have trouble or stopped based on theory.
Thanks again for your lengthy reply. The last bit about explaining digestion was also helpful. It’s hard for me to know where others are in their knowledge base. I’m really surprised at your student!
Warm regards,
Kathleen[/QUOTE]
1 . I stopped nauli and udiana since I started to have very high agni. I was hungry 24/7 and I had not changed my diet or activity level. I would eat a meal and I will be hungry again in 15 minutes. Then, got gastritis (diagnosed) because of high acid production…and I decided to stop “pumping” …
Reaswaran, I was not taught shanka prakshalana at Kaivalyadham (and yes, I meant Lonavala - it’s never spelled the same way twice, is it?), and I don’t know if they teach it in their TTC. Probably not as a thorough review in their library of all the yogic medical research came up empty. Of course they are well aware of it as a yogic technique. The head of the research department was very interested in running an experiment with the students. If I can manage to get back there with an appropriate study design, we’ll do just that together. It’s interesting that the one person you know who had problems with their sodium level is a physician! For sure this technique should always be done under supervision because if the sodium shifts are rapid one’s thinking can become cloudy and it can lead to lethargy. You might not make it to the doctor in time to fix the problem before sliding off into a coma. Thanks for your input.
CityMonk, so did stopping nauli and uddiyana fix the hyperacidity? Did it help at all? Are you less hungry now? Please share so we all can learn. Unbelievable about your students. That’s pretty sad.
[QUOTE=theYogadr.;61432]For sure this technique should always be done under supervision because if the sodium shifts are rapid one’s thinking can become cloudy and it can lead to lethargy. You might not make it to the doctor in time to fix the problem before sliding off into a coma. Thanks for your input.
C[/QUOTE]
I think that is one of the main reasons (Plus the careful diet required post the kriya) why this technique is not being taught in most of the yoga schools. Pity though- it seems to be an effective technique.