Cain Carroll came to Inner Vision last weekend to share with the 500 hour teacher training students and some willing volunteer students the 6 yogic cleansing techniques, called shat karma (six actions). Cain explained, in traditional Indian yoga, the first step on the yogic path to end avidya (suffering) is to purify the gross body. Shat karma is practiced to cleanse the body of impurities and toxins, increasing the bodys resistance to disease and strengthening the bodys constitution. Cain had such a unique way of teaching these techniques, having no qualms when talking about the blood and dirt under the fingernails and then showing us some. Cain emphasized the importance of paying close attention, even when practicing cleansing, because youre not just cleaning out snot, youre cleansing your mind. He beautifully encouraged us all to get to know our bodies from the inside out to establish an intimate relationship with the vessel that we currently inhabit. 

Because Cain has tried all of these techniques and still uses some religiously, he had an easy time convincing me why I should do the same. So the day after the workshop, I was committed to at least trying all of the techniques. After all, you cant knock it until you try it, right?

The Danta Dhauti (washing) felt amazing and definitely woke up every opening in my head to the outside world. It included clearing the eyes and ears with water, massaging into the roots of the teeth, gums and tongue, and rubbing the 3rd eye.  Being a current Jala neti practitioner (nasal cleansing with warm salt water via a neti pot), this one continues to work for me. However, it was interesting to learn that you dont want to do this at night before bed as you dont want water sitting in your sinus cavities over night.

The Nauli (abdominal massage) was harder than one would think. Cain makes it look so easy when he demonstrated. But I tried diligently, just as suggested, with a mirror on the ground to see what my abdominals looked like while trying to hold my breath out and pumping my abdomen in and out as rapidly as possible until I couldnt hold the breath any longer.

Finally, for the cleansing of all cleansing! I now know why it said in the handout we will not perform this cleansing during the workshop. Vamina — even the word makes some squirm. In case you cant tell by the name, Vamina is washing by vomiting. Having chronic digestive issues for the past few years, trying Vamina made a lot of sense to me. So, encouraging Connie, a fellow yogi to join me, we found a safe spot in the backyard with our liter bottles of salt water. We started chugging this less than refreshing drink, hoping that the act of drinking it alone would initiate the desired response. We were not so lucky. As soon as we felt full, we continued with the next step in the directions and started to rub the back of the tongue to stimulate the gag reflex. 

Connie was very successful and had a reaction just as the directions said water rushes out in a series of quick gushes. I, however, wasnt as successful and thought wed have to call Jeff with a Vamina emergency as I just wasnt able to conjure up this reaction and I did NOT want salt water in my belly all day. At first, I started to feel inadequate and compare myself to her thinking Man, I wish I could puke like she is. But then I remembered Cain telling us to be gentle and not to force our bodies. (This was after I discovered blood on my fingers and think it was from scratching my throat to initiate gagging.)

After getting a few pointers from Connie, I decided to try a few more times without forcing and allow whatever to happen. I was slightly successful and got A LOT of mucus out of my nose, but knew I didnt get all of that salt water out of my stomach. Somewhat disappointed, I decided to continue on to my pranayam. After 10 minutes of sitting quietly and breathing, I felt an unexpected response. I had to run to the bathroom and in the next hour, I found the salt water coming out the opposite end – in the form of diarrhea. It reminded me of a corroded water spout that was being opened and closed every 10 minutes, starting off with very dirty, nasty water and finally running clear after an hour. As disgusting as this may seem, I was ecstatic! To me, this meant my body was able to take care of me in just the way it needed to. I cant say for sure just yet if it will resolve my digestive issues, but the process itself was well worth it. I would do this again and recommend it to others who are committed to getting to know their vessels more intimately. Thank you to Cain Carroll for his inspiration. I appreciated the candid way in which you shared your knowledge with us. The way you openly discussed made me comfortable to share this story with you.

I cant wait to try the Sutra Neti (nasal cleansing with string)!

Julie Dryer is a substitute and Community class teacher at Inner Vision Yoga.  Personally consult a Doctor, qualified teacher or Health professional before attempting any yogic cleansing practices.