Asanas and Pranayama of Yoga makes our body and mind healthy. Healthy mind lives in healthy body. The rate of healing of the body depends upon the health of the mind. So, Yoga discipline has added aspect of Yama and Niyama for mental and physical hygiene. The more the hygiene of the body and mind, the healthier they are. In the same line, the discipline of Shatkarma (shat means six and karma – cleansing actions) plays very important role in keeping the body and its cells/tissues clean. So, yoga gives equal importance to shatkarmas as it does to asanas or pranayamas. Without regular cleansing of the system, you will not gain maximum benefits from yogic practices. Without purification of the body one will not be ready for the higher practices of yoga. Moreover, the basic premise behind disease in nature cure is that it is the accumulation of toxins and malnutrition that makes cells / tissues unhealthy. Unhealthy cells/ tissues not only get dysfunctional but are more prone to virus attacks or even bacterial attacks. Healthy cells have their own cellular mechanisms not only to make immune to virus attacks - lysosomes, the cell organelle can kill the virus, other cellular waste materials, but also heal automatically depending upon the mental health as well. You may wonder how the toxicity arises in the body. Basically, these are the metabolic wastes that keeps on accumulating in the body over a long period of time and needs elimination from the body to work properly. Like ama is accumulated over a number of years of digestive processes in the digestive system. The undigested particles of food get stuck to the stomach lining as a sticky yellowish-white substance called ‘Aama’ in Ayurveda. It further moves down to the small intestine and can get absorbed into the body, creating toxins and causing diseases. Also, large intestine and rectum are filled with toxic uneliminated morbid matter which requires elimination. Shatkarmas has various practices like kunjal for cleansing of upper gastro intestinal tract, vastra dhauti for elimination of excess of vata pitta and kapha from stomach and basti (yogic enema) for cleansing rectum / partly large intestine. Similarly, shankha prakshalan cleanses the whole Gastro intestinal tract using salty warm water. The first chapter of Gheranda Samhita has entire focus on the Shatkarmas. These six shatkarmas are:
- Neti, cleansing of the nasal passages,
- Dhouti, cleansing of the alimentary canal,
- Nauli, strengthening of the abdominal organs,
- Basti, cleansing of the large intestine,
- Kapalbhati, cleansing of the frontal area of the brain and
- Tratak, intense gazing of a point developing concentration and cleansing the mind.
But remember now a days, cleansing is not enough. Healthy body and mind also requires to ensure that your diet contains all nutrients in order for proper functioning of the body and its immunity, not ignoring sleep as well.
I hope that this helps you. You may write back for more clarification.
Related Links:
Gherand Samhita Shatkarmas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21-0FjuNtWg&list=PLAhykQo5kqVT55mO6RIK1O7G2_VXuGjGY
