Shatkarma (Ṣaṭkriyā) are the six ancient yogic cleansing techniques designed to purify the body, boost digestion, clear prāṇa pathways, sharpen the mind, reduce disease, and prepare the body for deeper yoga. Modern science now confirms that nasal washes, intestinal cleansing, breath practices, and digestive resets have measurable benefits for sinus health, gut motility, lung function, immunity, and stress reduction. This practical, self-help guide blends Ayurveda, Yoga, naturopathy, research, and real-life tips — with Sanskrit ślokas to add depth.
- Why Does the Body Need Cleansing? (Ayurveda + Naturopathy + Science)
Almost every ancient healing system — Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Tibetan medicine — says the same thing:
“The root cause of most diseases is the accumulation of toxins or waste inside the body.”
In Ayurveda, this toxic residue is called āma, formed when:
- Digestion is weak
- Food is wrong for your body type
- Lifestyle is irregular
- Stress blocks prāṇa
- Sleep is inadequate
- Winter stagnation increases Kapha + Vata
Naturopathy also claims:
Workplace Yoga Programs in India“All diseases begin with toxin accumulation, and all healing begins with toxin elimination.”
Today, modern research supports this idea indirectly:
Gut toxins leak into blood → inflammation
Sinus stagnation → chronic infections
Poor lung clearance → low oxygenation
Constipation → altered microbiome
High stress → poor detox pathways
✔ Sedentary life → lymphatic stagnation
And this is where Shatkarmas come in — they clear blocked pathways and reawaken the body’s natural intelligence.
- Classical Source: What the Texts Say About Shatkarma
Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (2.21)
“धौती शोधनसिद्धये स्याद् बस्तिस्तु वातहरः।”
Dhautiḥ śodhana-siddhaye, bastis tu vātaharaḥ.
Meaning:
Dhauti purifies the body; Basti pacifies disturbed Vata.
Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (2.22)
Lists the six Shatkarmas:
Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Trataka, Nauli, Kapalabhati.
These practices were considered essential before doing advanced pranayama.
Because as Yogis say:
“You cannot fill a dirty vessel with nectar.”
Just as you clean a pipe before running clean water, you must clean the body before running prāṇa.
- The Six Shatkarmas – Easy Explanation, Benefits & How-To
Below you will find:
What each kriya does
Short safe beginner-friendly method
Benefits
Winter relevance
Precautions
No fluff. Only practical steps.
1. NETI – Nasal & Sinus Cleansing (Jal Neti + Sutra Neti)
Best for winters, sinus, headaches, allergies, snoring.
What it does:
Cleans the nasal passages, removes allergens, improves breathing, clears sinus blockages, reduces Kapha, and improves prāṇa flow to the brain.
Short How-To (Jal Neti):
- Heat clean (boiled & cooled) water until lukewarm
- Add ½ tsp rock salt per 250 ml (isotonic)
- Pour water from neti pot into left nostril → it exits right
- Repeat right → left
- Dry the nose with gentle Kapalabhati (very mild)
Benefits:
Clears mucus, sinus congestion
Reduces headaches, migraines
Improves sleep & snoring
Helpful for winter cold-blocks
Enhances prāṇāyāma and meditation
Science:
Nasal irrigation improves mucociliary clearance and reduces sinusitis symptoms. (Multiple clinical trials)
Precautions:
- Use only clean sterile/boiled water
- Avoid if nose is bleeding
- Avoid during acute infection or recent nasal surgery
2. DHAUTI – Upper Digestive Cleansing (Kunjal Kriya)
Best for acidity, heaviness, indigestion, emotional blocks.
Kunjal = stomach wash.
Short How-To (Only under guidance):
- On empty stomach, drink 3–4 glasses of warm saline water
- Gently induce regurgitation (vomiting)
- Expel water completely
- Rest for 15 minutes afterward
Benefits:
Clears excess mucus from stomach
Reduces acidity & reflux
Improves digestion
Removes emotional heaviness stored in solar plexus
Helps bloating, indigestion
Supports weight-loss plateau
Science:
Vomiting reflex resets vagus nerve, reduces acidity, and empties the stomach to neutral pH.
Winter Bonus:
Great for removing seasonal Kapha buildup.
Precautions:
- Not for pregnant women
- Not for hernia, ulcer, heart conditions
- Not for BP, diabetics without supervision
3. SHANKHAPRAKSHALANA – Full Intestinal Cleanse
(Laghu version recommended)
What it does:
Cleans the entire digestive tract from mouth to anus.
Short How-To (Laghu version):
- Drink 2 glasses warm salted water
- Do 5 movements:
- Tadasana side bends
- Tiryak Tadasana
- Kati Chakrasana
- Cobra twist
- Marching/hopping
- Visit toilet
- Repeat cycle 3–5 times
Benefits:
Clears constipation
Improves gut motility
Removes sluggish winter digestion
Enhances skin glow
Reduces bloating
Resets appetite
Amazing Fact:
Your intestines hold up to 7 kg of old waste over years — but this varies individually. Cleansing helps long-standing heaviness.
Precautions:
- Avoid full practice without teacher
- Not for IBD, ulcers, dehydration, seniors with BP issues
4. NAULI – Abdominal Churning
Best for digestion, metabolism, core strength.
Short How-To (Beginner sequence):
- Stand with legs apart
- Bend knees, hands on thighs
- Exhale fully
- Pull stomach in (Uddiyana Bandha)
- Isolate central muscle (Nauli)
- Roll left → right or center
Benefits:
Tones abdominal organs
Improves digestion
Reduces gas
Balances Samana Vayu
Strengthens core
Funny Fact:
Nauli looks like a “stomach wave.”
People around you may think you’re magically churning butter inside!
Precautions:
- Avoid during periods, pregnancy
- Avoid in heart issues, BP, ulcers
👁 5. TRĀṬAKA – Eye & Mind Cleansing (Flame Gazing)
Best for focus, anxiety, screen fatigue.
Short How-To:
- Sit comfortably
- Fix gaze on candle flame or black dot
- Do not blink until tears appear
- Close eyes & visualize flame
Benefits:
Strengthens eye muscles
Improves concentration
Reduces anxiety & racing thoughts
Excellent for students & IT professionals
Science:
Fixation reduces noise in the brain’s visual cortex → deeper mental calm.
Precautions:
- Avoid if you have severe dry eyes
- Avoid if you have epilepsy
6. KAPALABHATI – Cranial Shine Breathing
Best for winter mornings, sinus, dullness.
Short How-To:
- Sit straight
- Take a deep inhale
- Forceful exhale by snapping belly inward
- Inhale is passive
- Begin with 30 strokes × 2 rounds
Meaning:
Kapal = skull, Bhati = shine
— Cleanses skull region, brightens face.
Benefits:
Improves lung capacity
Clears mucus
Boosts metabolism
Sharpens mind
Increases warmth (great in winter)
Science:
Studies show improved ventilation, autonomic balance, and increased oxygenation.
Precautions:
- Not for BP, glaucoma, pregnancy, heart issues
- Never do aggressively
- Why Shatkarmas Work — A Scientific Explanation
Nose cleansing improves mucociliary clearance
Helps remove pathogens → fewer infections.
Gut cleansing resets digestion
Improves peristalsis, reduces constipation, better microbiome.
Breath cleansing improves oxygenation
94% of metabolic waste is removed via breath (CO₂ + water vapor).
Abdominal churning activates the vagus nerve
Lowers stress, improves digestion.
Eye cleansing reduces sympathetic overdrive
Improves attention span & reduces stress.
Cleansing increases prāṇa flow (Yogic view)
Better concentration, emotional stability, and energy.
- Winter Special: Why Shatkarmas Are More Useful in Cold Months
Winter increases:
- Blocked nose
- Sinusitis
- Constipation
- Sluggish digestion
- Mucus & heaviness
- Vata dryness
- Low prāṇa flow
Best winter Shatkarmas:
Jal Neti
Kapalabhati
Kunjal (only with guidance)
Trataka
Laghu Shankhaprakshalana
- Practical Daily–Weekly Plan (Safe + Beginner Friendly)
Daily (5–10 minutes):
- Mild Jal Neti (alternate days)
- Kapalabhati (30 strokes × 2)
- Trataka (2–3 minutes)
- 10 deep breaths
Weekly:
- Nauli practice (twice a week)
- Laghu Shankhaprakshalana (once every 2–4 weeks)
- Oil pulling (3–4 days a week)
Monthly (If trained):
- Kunjal once a month under supervision
- Amazing Body Facts to Make It Fun
You breathe out most fat — exhaling CO₂ removes 84% of fat.
Your colon is over 5 feet long — imagine the waste it can store!
Tears during Trataka cleanse emotional tension.
After a good Jal Neti, people often say: “I can smell the world again!”
Your lungs together have the surface area of a tennis court.
Nauli is the only exercise that massages your organs like internal yoga therapy.
- Printable Precautions Checklist (Put this as a BOX in your blog)
SHATKARMA SAFETY CHECKLIST
Avoid ALL major Shatkarmas if you have:
Pregnancy
High BP / Heart disease
Hernia (inguinal/hiatal)
Recent abdominal or nasal surgery
Ulcers / Severe acidity
Glaucoma (no Kapalabhati)
Severe sinus infection (no Neti until cleared)
Epilepsy (no Trataka without guidance)
Severe dehydration
Elderly with fragile health
GENERAL RULE:
Always learn from a trained yoga teacher
Stop immediately if dizziness, pain, bleeding
Do kriyas on empty stomach
Use clean, boiled/cooled water for Neti & Kunjal
Never force any method
- The Takeaway — Clean Body, Clear Mind, Light Spirit
Shatkarmas are much more than detox rituals.
They are:
Purification practices
Stress-clearing tools
Digestion improvers
Winter immunity boosters
Mind–stabilising techniques
Yoga-preparation methods
Ayurveda says:
“शरीरशोधनं योगस्य द्वारम्।”
Śarīra-śodhanaṁ yogasya dvāram.
Meaning:
Purifying the body is the gateway to Yoga.
When the internal pathways are clean, prāṇa flows like a river.
When prāṇa flows, the mind becomes quiet.
When the mind quietens, healing begins.
Do them gently.
Do them safely.
Do them wisely.
Your body already knows how to heal —
Shatkarmas simply help remove what’s blocking that intelligence.
