It is a general body cleansing technique. There are four kinds of Dhautis, which clear away the impurities of body. These are :
• Antar dhauti: internal cleansing
• Danta dhauti: cleaning the teeth
• Hrid dhauti: cleaning the rectum
• Mool shodhana: cleaning the rectum
However, the following dhauti kriyas are in common practice.
Vastra dhauti:
• Take a fine and specially prepared cotton cloth, 2 inches (5 cm) broad and more than 14 ft (5 m) long.
• Insert one end of the cloth in the mouth.
• start swallowing it slowly and carefully, while sipping a little amount of warm water.
• The cloth is drawn down bit by bit.
• Try to swallow maximum length of cloth.
• Then, after a few minutes (4-5 minutes), pull it out gently to remove accumulated mucous and water from the stomach and oesophagus.
• At first one may feel nauseous and may succeed in swallowing only an inch (2.5 cm) or two, but after some practice one may swallow the full length of cloth.
Caution: This exercise should be done in strict supervision of a qualified yoga teacher.
Varisara dhauti or Shankha prakshalan:
This technique is termed shankha prakshalan because it washes the Conch-shaped intestine.
• Take sufficient amount of lukewarm saline water.
• Drink 2-3 glasses of that water.
• Then practice Tadasana, Tiryak tadasana, Kati-chakrasana, Tiryak bhujangasana and Udar akarshan asana. (each asana — 5 times )
• Drink another 2 glasses of saline (salty) water and again practice those asanas.
• Again drink 2 glasses of water followed by those asanas.
• Go to the toilet to clear the bowel without any strain.
• Come out of the toilet, again drink 2 glasses of salty water, practice the five same asanas and go to the toilet.
• Continue this process till you get your alimentary canal completely cleaned.
• Total consumption of water to clear the bowel varies from person to person. It may require drinking of 20-25 glasses of water.
Caution: No solid or liquid food material should be taken prior to the process.
• It is a long process and should not be done without proper guidance of a trained yoga teacher.
Agnisar kriya or Vahnisar dhauti:
• Assume the posture of Vajrasana, keeping distance between knees but both toes together.
• Keep the hands on knees, arms straight.
• Open the mouth and take out the tongue.
• Start breathing rapidly and pressing in the navel knot towards spine at least 100 times, by contracting and expanding the abdomen. This process of abdomen movement and respiration resembles the panting of a dog.
• In the advanced form of Agnisar kriya, maintaining the same Vajrasana posture, exhale fully, retain the breath and perform Jalandhara bandh. Then contract and expand abdominal muscles rapidly so long you are able to retain the breath.
Vaman dhauti:
In this process vomiting is induced by tickling the back of throat. It is also known as Kunjal kriya.
• Prepare some salty water.
• Drink maximum quantity of this water, as much as you can, in standing posture.
• Then lean forward and place the middle and index fingers of the right hand in mouth, extending them up to throat as deep as possible. Press the back portion of tongue.
• This will initiate the strong urge of vomiting and water will come out of mouth.
• Continue pressing the tongue till the stomach is empty.
Dand dhauti:
In this process the food pipe, oesophagus, is cleaned, from throat to stomach, by inserting a specially prepared stick, may be made up of banana-tree stem, in the size of half an inch (1.25 cm) in diameter and two and half inches (6.5 cm) long.
• Carefully insert the stick into oesophagus till its lower portion reaches the stomach. Then take it out very slowly.
Caution: It is a delicate exercise and involves severe risk; and hence it should not be done without an expert’s direction and supervision.
Danta-moola dhauti: Rub the teeth (gums) with catechu powder or with pure earth or with the help of adequate toothpaste and brush, until all dental impurities are removed.
The really important thing is the intelligent and persistent massaging of the gums and not so much the brushing of the teeth, which in fact produces the opposite effect.
Jivha-shodhan dhauti :
• Join the index, middle and ring fingers together, place them into the throat, and slowly rub well the root of the tongue, and wash out. Expel the phlegm.
• Rub the tongue with butter and milk, repeatedly. Then by carefully holding the tip of the tongue, pull it out gradually and slowly.
The rubbing of the root of the tongue prevents the accumulation of phlegm which occurs throughout the years, and which is responsible for stale breath and general lack of freshness in one’s mouth; it keeps at bay throat infections, even tooth decay. The manipulation (milking) of the tongue stimulates the inner recesses of the oral cavity and greatly adds to the perfect functioning of various glands in the deep of neck, i.e. thyroid and parathyroids.