Purification Hatha Yoga Kriyas

Purification

Purification of body, speech, and mind is a central practice of ancient Yoga

Here we will bring a new light and perspective to the idea of purification. We are not just addressing the superficial cleansing of the skin, bathing, ritual ablutions, "thinking" clean or positive thoughts, or merely eating a clean diet (although such can be an aid), but we will go much deeper and causal dislodging the pre-existing influence of old toxic associations and their noxious influences as well eliminating any future conscious or unconscious tendencies, habits, propensities, or vulnerabilities while actually stimulating the inherent body/mind intelligent energetics which naturally not only disrupts but reverses such tendencies so that natural and effortless synergy is furthered.

In classical yoga as presented by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras the practice of Saucha (purification activities) is taught as a beneficial aid toward realizing the goal of yoga (samadhi) and as such Patanjali calls it a niyama (a positive activity of body, speech, and mind that is synergistic with the other seven limbs of ashtanga yoga) also recognizing the benefit of cleansing the gross physical environment and the purification of the psychic environment as well.

Patanjali says in Sutra II.40-41. "Through its effective practice of physical purity, attachments to toxins and corruptive forces disappear naturally as natural instinctual or intuitive catharsis or revulsion and as such one rids oneself of their noxious influence directly proportionately as to the development of the inner wisdom. Also through both internal and external purity (saucha) of the body, psychic environment, and through the removal of the occlusions of consciousness, there is achieved balance, cheerfulness, one- pointedness, harmony of the senses, and yogic vision. Here one is no longer attracted by corruptive influences because one has established (and is happily rooted within) an inner energetic freedom."

Hence sauca is defined as having both an both inner and outer aspect --On one hand there exist the subtle and inner cleansings of the psychic, energetic (pranamaya kosha), mental and emotional (manomaya kosha) aspects as well as the cleansing of our fundamental belief systems and identifications about self and "reality" (vijnanamaya kosha). On the other outer hand there can be discerned the more gross or outer practices that deal with the physical body, physical environment, and outer psychic environment).

The result all leads towards the same freedom, but the techniques of each is thus necessarily different (according to the system it best addresses). Through functional practice all the negative afflictions of the body, mind, energy system, emotions, and belief system can be cleared and natural inherent healthy tendencies stimulated and re-activated. Meditation is the great cleanser of the mind along with Mouna (silence). Mantra and singing Bhajan is the great cleanser of the throat chakra. Devotional practices (Bhakti) cleanses the heart. Pranayama cleanses the psychic nerves, opens and harmonizes the pranayama kosha. Swadhyaya, isvara pranindhanani, and tapas cleanse the vijnanamaya kosha. The Shat Karmas or Kriyas are the great cleansers of the body. Vairaga, satya, asteya, aparigraha, santosha, ahimsa, and simplification of life style free the negative mental and emotional energetics which negatively disrupt the body's energy field, saps our strength and health, and thus limits our spiritual practice. A natural clean environment of clean air, clean water, clean food, friendly animals and natural flora living in a mutually synergistic ecology will also make available an additional complimentary and beneficial intelligent wisdom and energy (shakti) that will contribute positively to our practice. This will also help santosha (contentment) further freeing the mind from noxious external influences from manmade (artificial) forces of conditioning.

In this regard along with clean food, clean air, bathing, exercise, pure thoughts, visualization or dharana (see chakra purification meditation link below), sweating, fasting, tapas, vairaga, pranayama, asana, meditation, and nature (shakti) all can work in harmony as a synergistic whole to quicken the healing and re-integration process which is yoga. In this regard Love and Devotion are the greatest cleansers - love being devotion and surrender to the highest and most central (Hridayam) core principle.

Although asana practice also powerfully effects the mind/body, creates lightness, removes dross, as well as serving to overall purify, energize, and integrate body. mind, and spirit, Hatha yoga in general developed even more specific powerful cleansing activities that although applied to the gross physical body (annamaya kosha) they also possess necessarily powerful energetic consequences to the mental/emotional (manomaya kosha) and energy bodies (pranamaya kosha) and thus serve to accelerate the overall goal of yoga. These specific activities particularly help remove sluggishness and heaviness (excess kapha and tamas)and create lightness and releasing blocked energy. These purification activities are called Hatha Yoga Kriyas of which the Shat Karmas (the six actions) are the best known. Of these there are also two kinds -- the inner, subtle, and energetic on one hand; and the gross, outer, and more physical on the other hand. These kriyas were given to all beginning hatha yoga practitioners when they began their practice (sadhana) of asana, bandha (energy locks), pranayama, mudra, pratyhara, dharana (concentration and visualization), and meditation (dhyana).