Because of metabolic reactions taking place 24 x 7 in our body, it continuously throws off metabolic wastes through its mechanism.
Like Kidneys eliminate Uric acid and other waste products, which come through the blood. Sweat Glands removes waste materials through perspiration, which contains toxins. We throw away impurities of the body through various openings by means of perspiration, urine, excretion and breathing.But for this excretory system, the body would be loaded with disease carrying poisons. In Nature cure, according to the law of Unity of causes, all diseases are caused due to the accummulation of morbid (waste material) matter (Toxins) in our body. With a view to removing waste materials properly, Hatha Yoga had already developed a method of six fold yogic cleansing processes which are called shat karmas - shuddhi kriyas. And these are Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Nauli, Tratak and kapalbhati for cleansing of the stomach, cleansing of the colon, cleansing of the eyes, and cleansing the respiratory organs. When the morbid matters are thus removed through these shatkarmas, the body automatically is cured by its own healing mechanisms. The only need is to remove the toxic from the body. This was the ways of the healing in earlier days, when the metabolic waste accummulated in the body used to be the primary causes of the diseases.
But now-a-days, there are other causes of accummulation of toxins in the body and that are adulterations of the food material, preservatives used in the packed food (like sodium benzoate which in the long run if accummulated may cause diseases), usage of DDT as fertilizers, pollutants in the air and drinking water and even water used for washing and bathing are not that much spared for such uses. So, in todays environment of toxics, when there is very less chance of getting pure food, pure air and pure water, cleansing therapies have been designed - like liver cleansing, kidney cleanses and alkanity cleanses which can sufficient therapies enough to remove the chemical toxics from the body and help the excretory and eliminative organs in doing their own functions.
So, both the above yogic shatkarmas and cleansing therapies have same function and effects, but with different targets. Both are effective therapies. One must explore these techniques and therapies for optimal health.
