Kunjal Kriya

Yoga is now accepted the world over as a very effective practice in maintaining sound physical and mental health. However, yoga will not be as effective unless it is accompanied with body cleansing techniques. The ancient yogis developed the shatkarmas or the 6 purificatory practices for this purpose, which are as follows:

1. Trataka: helps achieve concentration of the mind.

2. Kapalbhati: purifies the frontal lobes.

3. Neti: cleans the nasal tract.

4. Dhauti: cleans the digestive tract (Kunjal Kriya is a part of this). 

5. Nauli: massages the abdomen

6. Basti (also known as enema): cleans the colon (large intestine)

Kunjal Kriya is a technique that cleans the digestive tract from the mouth to the stomach by drinking warm, salty water and voluntarily vomiting it.

While this may sound absurd and repulsive, you will find this very helpful especially for maintaining a good digestive system. In fact, vomiting is the natural bodily response if one has eaten too much food or has had something poisonous. 

However, that happens after much effort by the body to digest the food. By doing kunjal, we would have saved the body of all this effort. Moreover, it releases all waste - mucus, phlegm, excess acid, rotting food that exists in the alimentary canal. 

How to do kunjal

1. Drink multiple glasses of water rapidly until the stomach is full. You should aim to drink at least 2 litres of water. One may or may not add salt to the water. Salt inhibits stomach acid secretion. Therefore, salty water would be beneficial for those suffering with hyperacidity. However, those suffering from high blood pressure should surely avoid salt. 

2. Lukewarm water is best suited for kunjal kriya. Surely, cold water should be avoided.

3. Once you have drunk the water, bend forward and induce vomiting by tickling the back of the throat with 2 fingers (index and the middle finger) of the right hand and pushing the abdomen in with your left hand.

4. Continue vomiting until no more water is expelled.

Timing and Frequency:

1. The best time for kunjal is in the morning empty stomach.

2. Kunjal should not be done immediately after meals. One should keep at least a 4 hour gap between doing kunjal kriya and meals.  

3. One could do kunjal everyday if time permits. However, do this at least once every week. 

4. Sunday (or any other holiday) would be best suited for this purpose as one should rest for at least half an hour after doing kunjal. 

Benefits:

1. Kunjal cleans the digestive tract from the mouth to the stomach, thereby - preventing auto poisoning from undigested food residues which may find their way into the intestine. 

2. The above improves gut health, which contributes to overall well being. 

3. Kunjal reduces excess hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Hence it is very beneficial for those suffering from hyperacidity. Further, salty water will also reduce secretion of acid in the stomach. (See Precaution No. 2). 

4. Those suffering from biliousness (presence of bile in the stomach) will find kunjal very helpful in emitting the bitter tasting bile. 

5. Kunjal is a boon for asthma patients for 2 reasons:

5. • Large blobs of phlegm are thrown out by asthmatics during Kunjal. This helps to remove blockages in the respiratory passages of the lungs and brings great relief.

   • Kunjal is very helpful when asthmatics are having an asthma attack, as kunjal helps terminate asthma induced spasms. The bronchi, which tighten and contract during an asthma attack, relax as soon as one expels the water. While it may be difficult to do kunjal at the time of the attack, it surely will bring much relief.

6. Kunjal provides relief for conditions such as bad breath, phlegm, sore throats.

Precautions:

1. Kunjal should not be done by people with hernia, high blood pressure, or heart problems.

2. While kunjal will be very beneficial for those suffering with hyperacidity, it should not be done if the situation has deteriorated to the formation of an ulcer.

3. Kunjal erodes the mucus lining in the stomach. Therefore, it is suggested to have khichdi (a mix of rice and dal) mixed with ghee about half an hour or an hour after doing kunjal.