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Sat-Karma
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One freed from corpulence and phlegm by
the performance of the six acts (sat-karma) succeeds very easily when pranayama
practice is begun.
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 The
sat-karma or 'six acts' (or cleansing practices) have a similar role to asana in
Hatha-Yoga insofar as they are designed to balance the three dosas or humours, as
well as act as a preliminary purification of the nadis before commencing pranayama.
However unlike asana, the sat-karma are largely unknown to contemporary Yoga practitioners
and are therefore rarely practised.
There is a degree of ambivalence in the Hatha tradition about the sat karma, with
some arguing that the practice of pranayama alone is sufficient to purify the nadis
and that the sat-karma are therefore redundant, and others that the prior practice
of the sat-karma renders pranayama more effective.
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Some teachers say that all impurities (of the nadis)
are removed by pranayama only and not by any other means. (Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika:
2.37) |
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Curiously, however, an earlier verse in the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika seems to resolve
the problem before it is even posed.
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One who is of a flabby and phlegmatic constitution
should first practice the six acts (sat-karma). Others should not, as they have
not these defects, the three humours (dosas) being equal in them. (2.21) |
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The logic behind this position is that when the three dosas are out of balance,
it is not so much a matter of whether or not the sat-karma or pranayama would be
more effective, but that in some cases pranayama will not be effective at all unless
the sat-karma are first practiced. For instance, excess mucus in the nose or respiratory
tract makes it difficult if not impossible to breathe freely, which is a major obstacle
to pranayama practice. In such cases cleansing practices like neti, vamana-dhauti
and varisara-dhauti (see descriptions below) can remedy the condition, with the
subsequent practice of pranayama preventing the imbalance from recurring.
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When all the nadis that are now full of impurities
become purified, then only can the yogi successfully perform pranayama. (Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika:
2.5) |
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Even in cases where an imbalance in the dosas is less severe, the efficacy of pranayama
can be compromised if all the benefits flowing from its practice are absorbed in
the correcting the problem. However if the imbalance is slight, pranayama alone
should be sufficient to rectify it. In such cases and where the body is already
in harmony, the sat-karma are indeed unnecessary.
The sat-karma are described in some detail in the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika (2.21-35)
and more extensively in the Gheranda-Samhita (1.12-60) among other texts. A summary
of these accounts are presented in what follows.
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Dhauti ('washing' or 'cleansing') is of four kinds:
a) Antar-dhauti ('inner cleansing') which consists of four practices that clean
the digestive tract:
i) vata-sara ('air-flowing') drawing air into the stomach where it is circulated
before being expelled through the anus.
ii) vari-sara ('water-flowing') moving water thought the digestive tract before
being expelled through the anus.
iii) vahni-sara ('fire-motion') stimulates the 'gastric fire' (jatharagni) in the
abdomen by repeatedly and vigourously pulling the 'navel knot (nabhi-granthi) into
the spine by pumping the abdominal muscles while the breath is held out of the body.
iv) bahis-krta ('expulsion') the large intestine is removed from the body so it
can thoroughly washed and then returned.
b) Dantu-dhauti ('dental cleansing') cleans the teeth and tongue by vigorous rubbing
with the fingers, the ears with the fingers, and the frontal sinuses by rubbing
the area between the eyebrows with the right thumb.
c) Hrid-dhauti ('heart cleansing') includes three practices:
i) danda-dhauti ('stalk') cleans the throat by inserting and then removing a stalk
of plantain, tumeric or cane.
ii) vamana-dhauti ('vomiting') cleans the oesophagus by inducing vomiting after
drinking enough salty water so that it backs up into the throat.
iii) vaso-dhauti ('cloth') cleans the throat, oesophagus and stomach by swallowing
a long strip of cloth of specific dimensions before slowly drawing it out.
d) Mula-dhauti (or mula-sodhana) ('root purification') cleans the rectum with water
either with the fingers or a plant stalk (danda) such as tumeric.
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Vasti or basti ('bladder') involves drawing air (suska-vasti) or water (jala-vasti)
into the rectum by contracting and dilating the sphincter muscles (a tube is sometimes
used in jala-vasti) to cure constipation, excessive flatulence and urinary ailments.
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Neti cleans the nasal passages using either a specially woven thread (suksma-sutra)
or salty water (jala-neti).
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trataka cleans the eyes and facilitates concentration by gazing at a small object,
often a candle flame, until tears well up in the eyes.
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Nauli (from the verb root nala = 'navel string') is also known as laulika (from
the verb root lola = 'to roll' or 'agitate') massages the intestines and digestive
organs and stimulates the 'gastric fire by firstly isolating the rectus abdominis
muscles and then rolling them from one side of the torso to the other.
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Kapala-bhati ('skull-luster' or 'shining skull') consists of three practices that
alleviate conditions caused by excess phlegm:
a) vama-krama ('left process') involves inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling
through the right and vice versa for a number of rounds.
b) vyut-krama ('inverted process') consists of drawing water in through the nostrils
and expelling it though the mouth.
c) sit-krama ('sit process') is the reverse of vyut-krama, taking water in through
the mouth and expelling it through the nostrils.
Pranayama
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The yogi, having perfected himself in the asanas,
should practice pranayama according to the instructions laid down by his guru, with
his senses under control, observing all along a nutritious and moderate diet.
Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika: 2.1
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 Pranayama
is a compound of the two Sanskrit terms prana and ayama, the latter deriving from
the verb root yam = 'to reach' means 'expansion' or 'extension', so when coupled
with prana means literally the expansion or extension of prana. What is to be extended
or expanded is the capacity to retain prana within the body, which leads initially
to steadiness and clarity, and eventually if further cultivated to the awakening
of kundalini.
In his treatise on ashtanga-vinyasa yoga, Yoga Mala, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois writes
that there are literally thousands of ways of practicing pranayama. Some of these
cure diseases and purify the seven dhatus or constituents (skin, blood, flesh, sinew,
bone, marrow and semen), others purify and strengthen the body, others again focus
on purifying the nadis, while still others are considered as a means to knowledge
of Brahman (the Absolute) through the cessation of the fluctuations of the citta.
In all these cases pranayama is able to act as a kind of bridge between the gross
and subtle bodies because of the intrinsic connection that is believed to exist
between with breath, prana and citta. Pranayama trades on this connection by regulating
the breath in order to influence the movement of prana, which in turn has an effect
on citta.
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When prana moves, citta (the mental force) moves.
When prana is without movement, citta is without movement. By this [steadiness of
prana] the yogi attains steadiness and should thus restrain the vayu (air) (Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika:
2.2)
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Breathing is also regarded as a direct means of absorbing prana. One of the other
major forms of pranic absorption is through food, and many Hatha texts also include
dietary advice with the aim of creating a more sattvic (harmonious) constitution
that supports Hatha practice.
The capacity of the anna-maya-kosa to absorb prana through the breath (and food)
is hampered when the body is out of balance and full of impurities, due in large
part to the role played by breathing in the purification of the body. When inhaling,
prana in the surrounding air is drawn into the body where it is said to meet apana-vayu,
which carries impurities that need to be consumed in the 'gastric (or abdominal)
fire' (jatharagni). The incoming prana-vayu fans the 'gastric fire', and the more
effective it is at doing so the more effective the 'gastric fire' is at consuming
the impurities carried by apana-vayu. On exhalation apana-vayu moves towards prana-vayu,
which must then carry the residue of the impurities out of the body. As long as
the body is in need of purification, then, there is less prana available for absorption.
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