Kriyas

Starting the second week, Fridays were our Kriya days. Kriyas are bodily purification processes that work on cleansing every body system (respiratory, digestive, etc.) through various techniques.

Every morning we performed jal neti and sutra neti to cleanse our nasal passages. Jal neti involves saline water being drained through the nose using a neti pot. In sutra neti, a soft thread or small rubber catheter is used to "floss" the nasal cavity. Once a week we performed vaman dhauti, a stomach cleansing technique where 3 to 4 cups of water are rapidly gulped down and then vomited back out. 

These practices sound a bit extreme (and these were the beginner techniques!), but from my experience they feel AMAZING. I can't describe to you the lightness and clarity I felt after. 

The big day of our first kryias.

Week 2: Preparing to swallow the tube down the esophagus for an advanced version of vaman!
I never made it to this stage.

Me, doing vaman.

More importantly kriyas are a mental discipline of strong determination. It's a practice of mind over matter. It's a practice of overcoming your fears, finding there was nothing to fear in the first place. 

What is at first scary, may eventually turn into a big joke.

Here's an excerpt I wrote for our course long assignment on Hatha Yoga practices:

The purpose of Kriyas are to bring body activity to a minimum, which then facilitates smooth bodily functions. Energy is saved on waste elimination and relocated to other systems. When less energy is needed, less oxygen and carbon dioxide is needed.  Respiration rate will go down and we feel more relaxed.  Thus kriyas facilitate breathing for asana and pranayama. Other outcomes of kriyas include increasing immunity, the ability for the body to recover itself, and the capacity to resist offending factors. 

Hatha Yog Pradipika states that kriyas are not necessary if a person does not have flem. However, in this modern day we have become further away from nature and thus can never reach this state.  It is necessary to do these seemingly unnatural cleansing practices to bring our bodies back to homeostasis and purify the body in order for energy to flow. Kriyas should always be learned under the guidance of an experience teacher. Appropriate pranayama must be performed after.