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jal neti

Enquiries Into Yogic Philosophy

Learning New Cleansing Techniques (LSP) – Day 5

December 3, 2019

Yesterday was my first day at the Department for Metabolic Disorders. The person in charge was short, squat and had a very aggressive look to him. His name is Shan and I decided to stay clear out of his way.

Class was almost over. All yoga sessions here are similar. Today many supine and prone asanas were included in the routine because we were dealing with metabolic conditions. I was surreptitiously checking the time when all of a sudden I realized Shan was talking to me. “Do you know how to do DRT?” he asked me with an evil glint in his eye.

‘No…uh yes!’ I stammered.
‘Yes or no?’
“I know what DRT is and I’ve attended sessions also but I’ve never conducted it,” I told him, finally getting a hold of myself.
“Hmmm….meet me in my office after class.” He looked at the other intern pointedly, indicating that she was also expected.

“What course are you doing here,” he asked in his office.
“MSc,” I said. “But distance,” I added, hoping that was some sort of justification for not knowing the Deep Relaxation Technique, a meditation technique patented by SVYASA.

“OK, first – tomorrow you both will bring your mats,” he said. “You guys must also participate in the classes. Seeing you the patients feel motivated to move.”

“Yes sir,” we both said in unison.

“Also tomorrow we don’t have class, we have kriyas. You guys be there by 6 am and help the patients.”

I saw this as my chance to practice kiryas under supervision, and quickly seized it. “I can do jal neti, but sutra neti and vamana dhouti are really difficult for me.”

“Then I will teach you. Do you know LSP?”
“Heard of it but I’ve never done it. But I want to!”

I reached the kriya block with my neti kit and my nerves in a bundle. It had been years since I’d done the sutra neti and vamana dhouti. And I was hoping LSP – Laghu Shankh Prakshalana wasn’t going to leave me with the runs.

“Sir, this sutra isn’t going into my nose,” I said as I worked the rubber catheter into my nostril. But he kept encouraging me and eventually the catheter was in the back of my throat. In fact, this morning (because he threatened that he would do it himself) I was able to reach into my throat and pull out the other end of the catheter. This was the second time in my life that I was able to do this.

Vamana Dhouti

 

Sutra neti. I wish I had images of me doing the kriyas, but I was so busy doing them that I forgot to document them!

During vamana dhouti he told me about the importance and relevance of cleansing practices. “If you’re a regular practitioner you should do this once a week. Your asanas will improve. These practices are important.” I tried to re-gurgitate the water without resorting to pushing my fingers down my throat. In the end, it was my fingers that did the trick.

LSP is a technique to clear the entire digestive system. I drank 4 glasses of salt water and then did the basic stretching exercises. Then drank another 4 glasses and did them again. By the time I was back in my room I was ready to exploded in the thunderbox. It took a long long time. The water makes it way through the entire digestive system, bringing along toxins. You know your digestive system is clean when the water coming out of you is clear. As he said, “The water should look like your urine. If it doesn’t you have to go again.” It took me all of one hour, but I’m happy to report that my first time at LSP was good. I’m going to continue doing this practice at home too.

As I got the final sign-off from him, I noticed that his smile didn’t look evil or intimidating anymore. Note to self: the greatest lessons sometimes come from the most unexpected sources.

Enquiries Into Yogic Philosophy

It Starts With a Cleanse – Day 3

December 1, 2019

If you’ve ever consulted with me, or attended any class with me, you would know that I focus more on well-rounded asana classes more than ‘do this asana for this problem’. The reason is that yoga isn’t a quick fix. You will start to derive benefits from a regular practice even if you only practice for a week, but you need to put in that week. And once you reap the benefits, if you quit, then the benefits also disappear. It’s pretty straightforward.

It was my second (and last day) at the Spinal Disorders department at Arogyadhama. Here patients are called participants. Every participant is prescribed a combination of yoga therapy and at least one other treatment for the duration of their stay here. This other treatment could be allopathic in nature, it could be an ayurvedic treatment or even plain old physiotherapy. The point is, yoga is essential in their treatment. Which is why OM Meditation and certain other sessions during the day are mandated for everyone.

In alternative medicine the focus is not the symptom of the disease, it is the source of the disease. The source of the disease could be external (such as strained personal relationships) or internal (a congenital physical issue such as epilepsy). Here at SVYASA, treatment starts with cleansing. The daily OM meditations, the bhajan sessions, the Sanskrit chanting etc. are ‘prescribed’ to everyone to start the process of mental and emotional cleansing. It is believed that chanting raises your spiritual quotient and the particular vibrations of the chants cleanse your nadis, which in turn cleanse you emotionally and mentally. Which is why every single participant at SVYASA is put through a deluge of meditation sessions.

Another aspect of cleansing is internal cleansing of the body. For this there are several kriyas that are taught here. So this morning all the participants were marched to the ‘kriya‘ block. Kriya simply means a practice. And on Sundays at SVYASA everyone does Jal Neti, Sutra Neti, Vamana Dhouti and LSP. These techniques ensure a certain level of internal cleanliness.

Detox diets to ‘reset’ the body have become a fad around the world now. In fact, I’m about to go on one in Jan. SVYASA is doing pretty much the same thing. Treatments for all ailments and conditions start with a round of cleansing. Patients here report an instant feeling of lightness after the LSP (Laghu Shankha Parikshalana) and Jal Neti practices. After 4 days of OM meditation along with Cyclic Meditation, patients start to report a sense of calmness and relaxation. Once this happens, patients are ready for the treatment, both emotionally and physically.

The famous Swamy Vivekananda statue in the background, in front of which I have attended many yoga classes.

Enquiries Into Yogic Philosophy Travels

The Place Free of Disease – Day 1

November 29, 2019

As part of my Master’s program in Yoga Therapy, I’m required to intern for a total of 16 days at Arogyadhma – the hospital at SVYASA (Swamy Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana). I decided when I registered for the course that I would try to complete at least 8 days of the internship in 2019, to ensure that work doesn’t pile up.

In 2011, when I was a student of the YIC (Yoga Instructor Course) I once got a bad attack of allergies. I started sneezing uncontrollably, my eyes were watering and I could barely open my eyes. It was similar to my mother’s plight during Cherry Blossom season when we lived in the US. Although I was fine in the US, I had suffered from terrible allergies from the time I’d moved to Bangalore – the reason for that could be an entire medical case study. Anyways, the allergies became an yearly affair, and I’d somehow managed to live through the season. But this time the attack was the worst ever. I was (and still am) the kind that never takes medicine – unless my life depends on it. And that day it did.

I walked into the resident doctor’s office. ‘Help me,’ I squeaked, unable to even get a good look at who I was speaking to. The doctor made a sympathetic sound and said, ‘Take a Crocin!’

‘But I don’t take medicine,” I protested feebly. “I’m looking for a cure!”

‘OK then take a quarter of that Crocin to suppress the symptoms for now, and then do Jal Neti.’

It worked. Since then I’ve kept my allergies at bay just with the practice of Jal Neti. Theoretically, Jal Neti (nasal irrigation) should never be practiced during a bout of cold/allergies. However, in my experience Jal Neti can be used to prevent symptoms from getting worse. The first time I used Jal Neti (back in 2011), it was while I had a full blown allergy attack and I practiced it three times a day, and it helped more than anything else ever had.

Having experienced the efficacy of an alternative healing technique myself, I have a keen interest in alternative healing. Which is why I’m happy that a 16 day hospital internship is part of my Master’s program. The hospital here at SVYASA is called ‘Arogyadhama’ which is Sanskrit for ‘The Place Free of Disease.’ A combination of yoga, Ayurveda and allopathy techniques are used to treat various ailments here.

I’ve been allotted a hostel room – on the fourth floor, replete with an errant gecko in the bathroom, a swarm of ants, a few cobwebs, a grasshopper in the toilet which refuses to be flushed out and a family of monkeys. And I told them I wanted a room all to myself!

It will take a few days to settle in, and I look forward to a fruitful 8 days. I will be blogging daily from here – to give you insight into the kind of work I’m doing, the life of a yoga student, and general bits I learn about life here. Do check back in tomorrow evening for an account of my first day as an intern at a hospital for alternative therapy.

 

Just a purple Shiva meditating in the forest – a regular sight here at SVYASA.