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The shatkarmas (
in Yoga Magazine, a publication of
The shatkarmas are six (or more) preliminary purifications described in the ''
The six purifications taught in the ''Hatha Yoga Pradipika'', and repeated in the ''demonstration
/ref> * Dhautī, the cleansing of the whole digestive tract. * Naulī, a self-administered abdominal massage, using only the muscles of the abdominal wall. The practitioner stands with the feet about hip width apart, hands on knees, and body at about a 45-degree angle. The core is rotated internally by moving the
The shatkarmas (Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
: षटकर्म ''ṣaṭkarma'', literally ''six actions''), also known as shatkriyas,Shatkarmas - Cleansing Techniquesin Yoga Magazine, a publication of
Bihar School of Yoga
The Bihar School of Yoga is a modern school of yoga founded and developed by Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati in Munger, Bihar, India, in 1963. The system of yoga taught at the school is recognized worldwide as Bihar Yoga or the Satyananda Yoga ...
are a set of Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga (; Sanskrit हठयोग, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''haṭhayoga'') is a branch of yoga that uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word ह� ...
purifications of the body, to prepare for the main work of yoga towards moksha
''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...
(liberation). These practices, outlined by Svatmarama
The ''Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā'' ( or Light on Hatha Yoga) is a classic fifteenth-century Sanskrit manual on haṭha yoga, written by Svātmārāma, who connects the teaching's lineage to Matsyendranath of the Nathas. It is among the most infl ...
in the '' Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā'' as kriya, are Netī, Dhautī, Naulī, Basti, Kapālabhātī, and Trāṭaka.
The '' Haṭha Ratnavali'' mentions two additional purifications, Cakri and Gajakarani, criticising the ''Hatha Yoga Pradipika'' for only describing the other six.
Purpose
The shatkarmas are six (or more) preliminary purifications described in the ''Hatha Yoga Pradipika
The ''Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā'' ( or Light on Hatha Yoga) is a classic fifteenth-century Sanskrit manual on haṭha yoga, written by Svātmārāma, who connects the teaching's lineage to Matsyendranath of the Nathas. It is among the most infl ...
'' and later texts. Their purpose is to remove "gross impurities", cure a range of diseases, and prepare the body for pranayama
Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, "Prāṇāyāma") is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In classical yoga, the breath is associated with '' prana'', thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the ''prana-shakti'', or life en ...
, trapping the breath so as to force the vital energy prana
In yoga, Ayurveda, and Indian martial arts, prana (, ; the Sanskrit word for breath, " life force", or "vital principle") permeates reality on all levels including inanimate objects. In Hindu literature, prāṇa is sometimes described as origin ...
into the central sushumna
() is a term for the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual theory, the energies such as prana of the physical body, the subtle body and the causal body are said to flow. Within this philosophical framework, the na ...
channel, allowing kundalini
In Hinduism, kundalini (, ) is a form of divine feminine energy (or ''Shakti'') believed to be located at the base of the spine, in the '' muladhara''. It is an important concept in Śhaiva Tantra, where it is believed to be a force or power ...
to rise, and so to attain moksha
''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...
, liberation.
Description
The six purifications taught in the ''Hatha Yoga Pradipika'', and repeated in the ''Gheranda Samhita
''Gheranda Samhita'' (IAST: gheraṇḍasaṁhitā, घेरंडसंहिता, meaning “Gheranda's collection”) is a Sanskrit text of Yoga in Hinduism. It is one of the three classic texts of hatha yoga (the other two being the '' ...
'', are:
* Netī, a nasal wash. This is the practice of using a neti pot
Nasal irrigation (also called nasal lavage, nasal toilet, or nasal douche) is a personal hygiene practice in which the nasal cavity is washed to flush out mucus and debris from the Human nose, nose and sinuses, in order to enhance Obligate nasal ...
to cleanse the nasal passage
The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nasal c ...
s. A basic neti wash consists of purified water and non-iodized salt, to create a gentle saline solution
Saline (also known as saline solution) is a mixture of sodium chloride (salt) and water. It has a number of uses in medicine including cleaning wounds, removal and storage of contact lenses, and help with dry eyes. By injection into a vein, i ...
./ref> * Dhautī, the cleansing of the whole digestive tract. * Naulī, a self-administered abdominal massage, using only the muscles of the abdominal wall. The practitioner stands with the feet about hip width apart, hands on knees, and body at about a 45-degree angle. The core is rotated internally by moving the
abdominal
The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...
muscles alternately in a clockwise, then in a counterclockwise direction.
* Basti, a colonic irrigation.
* Kapālabhātī, a skull polishing, and is a pranayama
Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, "Prāṇāyāma") is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In classical yoga, the breath is associated with '' prana'', thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the ''prana-shakti'', or life en ...
(breathing) practice intended to energize and balance the nadis, and the chakras. Specifically, it is a sharp, short outbreath, followed by a relaxation of the core that allows the body to inhale on its own.
* Trāṭaka, gazing at a fixed point such as a black spot or a candle flame.
The two additional purifications in the '' Hatha Ratnavali'' are:
* Cakri, the dilation of the anus, using a finger moved about in the rectum.
* Gajakarani (present but described differently in the ''Hatha Yoga Pradipika''), holding sweetened water and the breath in the oesophagus, followed by expulsion of its contents.
References
{{Yoga Kriyas Shatkarmas