What Is Shatkarma? The 6 Yogic Cleansing Techniques Explained

What is Shatkarma in yoga?

Shatkarma is the set of six cleansing practices of Hatha yoga, used to clear the body before deeper work with postures, breathing and meditation. The name means "six actions": shat is six and karma is action. If you are asking what is Shatkarma in simple terms, it is yoga's own system of internal hygiene, designed to cleanse the nose, digestive tract, eyes and breath.

The practices are described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the 15th-century manual of Hatha yoga by Swami Swatmarama. The text presents them as preparation: a clean, light body makes pranayama easier, and steady pranayama makes meditation possible. That is why, in a traditional school, cleansing comes first in the day.

What are the six Shatkarmas?

The six Shatkarmas are Neti, Dhauti, Nauli, Basti, Kapalabhati and Trataka. Each one works on a different part of the body, and some have several variations.

A yoga teacher training does not teach all six at full depth. At Triguna, the 200 hour course teaches Jala Neti, Sutra Neti, Vamana Dhauti, Kapalabhati and Uddiyana Bandha (the abdominal lock that prepares for Nauli), and Trataka is part of the meditation practice.

What is Jala Neti and how is it done?

Jala Neti is nasal cleansing with lukewarm salt water poured through one nostril and out of the other, using a small pot with a spout called a neti pot. It is the Shatkarma most beginners learn first, and many people keep it as a daily habit.

1. Fill a clean neti pot with lukewarm water that is safe for the nose (see the safety note below) and dissolve a small amount of non-iodised salt, roughly a quarter teaspoon in a cup.
2. Stand over a sink, lean forward and tilt your head to one side.
3. Breathe through your open mouth. Place the spout gently in the upper nostril.
4. Raise the pot so the water flows in through the upper nostril and out of the lower one.
5. Use half the water, then switch sides.
6. Stand up and clear the nose by breathing out gently through both nostrils. Some teachers add a few rounds of gentle Kapalabhati to dry the passages.

Sutra Neti is the next step: a soft rubber catheter or waxed thread passed through the nose and out of the mouth. It sounds alarming and feels strange the first time, which is exactly why it is taught only in person.

What is Vamana Dhauti?

Vamana Dhauti is a stomach cleanse in which you drink several glasses of lukewarm salt water on an empty stomach and then bring the water back up. It is also called Kunjal Kriya. In yoga schools it is practised early in the morning, in a group, under a teacher's eye.

It is not a practice to try alone from a description. Your teacher will tell you how much to drink, how to bring the water up without strain, and when to skip it. People with high blood pressure, heart problems, ulcers, hernia or who are pregnant are usually advised not to do it.

What are Kapalabhati and Trataka?

Kapalabhati is a breathing cleanse of short, forceful exhales from the belly, while Trataka is a gazing practice that cleanses the eyes and trains steady attention. Both are safe for most beginners when done gently, which makes them the easiest Shatkarmas to keep up at home.

Kapalabhati

Sit tall. Exhale sharply through the nose by pulling the lower belly in, and let the inhale happen by itself. Start with 20 to 30 slow pumps, rest, and repeat two or three times. The breath should feel energising, not exhausting. Skip it if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure, a heart condition or a hernia. Because it sits on the border between cleansing and breathing practice, our guide to pranayama for beginners explains when to add it.

Trataka

Place a candle at eye level about an arm's length away in a dark, still room. Gaze at the flame without blinking for as long as is comfortable, then close your eyes and watch the after-image until it fades. Start with one minute and build up slowly. Trataka is also listed in our 200 hour meditation syllabus, because the steady gaze trains concentration directly.

Why are Nauli and Basti taught later?

Nauli and Basti are advanced practices that need strong muscle control and close supervision, so most schools teach the preparation first. Nauli rolls the abdominal muscles from side to side; it is impossible without a solid Uddiyana Bandha, the upward lock of the abdomen after a full exhale. Basti is a traditional yogic enema and is taught only in specialised settings.

That is why Uddiyana Bandha, rather than Nauli itself, appears on many 200 hour syllabuses. Learn the lock first; Nauli can follow on a 300 hour yoga teacher training or with long-term personal guidance.

What does the Hatha Yoga Pradipika say about Shatkarma?

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika lists the six Shatkarmas in its second chapter and recommends them mainly for people with excess fat or phlegm, or an imbalance in the body, as preparation for pranayama. It does not present them as a daily routine for everyone.

That detail is worth knowing. The text treats cleansing as a tool, used when the body needs it, and always in service of the breathing practice that follows. It also stresses that the practices should be learned from a teacher, because done carelessly they can do harm. Modern schools keep the same spirit: Jala Neti and Trataka are taught widely because they are gentle, while Basti and full Nauli are kept for advanced, supervised practice.

What is Uddiyana Bandha and how is it practised?

Uddiyana Bandha is the "upward flying lock": after a full exhale, you draw the abdomen in and up under the ribs while holding the breath out. It is the foundation for Nauli and part of the Triguna 200 hour Shatkarma syllabus.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Rest your hands on your thighs.
2. Inhale through the nose, then exhale completely through the mouth.
3. Keep the breath out. Make a false inhale: expand the ribs as if breathing in, without letting air in.
4. The abdomen will draw in and up under the ribcage. Hold for a few seconds, only as long as is comfortable.
5. Release the belly first, then inhale slowly. Rest with a few normal breaths before repeating.

Practise only on an empty stomach, early in the morning. Do not practise it if you are pregnant, menstruating, or have high blood pressure, a heart condition, a hernia or ulcers. Learn it from a teacher before trying it at home.

How is Shatkarma linked to naturopathy and the five elements?

At Triguna, Shatkarma is taught alongside naturopathy, which uses the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether to cleanse body and mind. Both share one idea: clear what is blocking you, then build steadiness.

Students practise mud therapy for the earth element, water therapy, and air therapy through breathing, and learn how to increase the fire and ether elements through lifestyle and practice. The emotional detoxification kriyas on the 200 hour course take the same approach to emotions, combining pressure points, breathing techniques, release through sound and laughter, and meditation over three days. Our page on why students choose Triguna explains Five Elements Therapy in more detail.

What mistakes do people make with Shatkarma?

The most common mistake is treating Shatkarma as a quick detox to do alone from a video. The practices are simple to describe but easy to get wrong, and the cautions matter.

• Using unsafe water for Jala Neti. Always use distilled, sterile or boiled and cooled water.
• Doing too much too soon. More Kapalabhati or longer Trataka is not better. Build up slowly.
• Practising on a full stomach. Most Shatkarmas need an empty stomach, which is why they are done before breakfast.
• Ignoring health conditions. Pregnancy, high blood pressure, heart problems, ulcers and hernia rule out the stronger practices.
• Skipping the teacher. Vamana Dhauti, Sutra Neti and Nauli especially need hands-on guidance the first times.

What are the benefits of Shatkarma?

The traditional purpose of Shatkarma is to prepare the body for pranayama and meditation by clearing the nose, digestion and mind. Modern practitioners mostly notice practical effects: a clearer nose, a lighter feeling in the morning and a calmer start to the day.

• Easier breathing. Jala Neti clears the nasal passages, which makes slow nasal breathing in pranayama far more comfortable.
• A steadier mind. Trataka and Kapalabhati both sharpen attention, which helps when you sit to meditate.
• Body awareness. The practices make you notice the inside of the body, not only its shape in a posture.
• Discipline. Doing them every morning builds the steady routine yoga depends on.

Shatkarma is not a medical treatment and does not replace one. If you have a health condition, speak to your doctor before starting, and always tell your teacher.

How does Shatkarma fit into a yoga teacher training day?

Shatkarma usually opens the day, before breakfast and before any postures, because most practices need an empty stomach. At Triguna, every morning runs like this:

1. 6:00 to 7:00 AM: Shatkarma, pranayama and naturopathy
2. 7:00 to 7:30 AM: break and freshen up
3. 7:30 to 9:00 AM: Hatha yoga practice
4. 9:00 to 10:00 AM: breakfast

Cleansing is taught together with naturopathy, the school's work with the five elements. Students practise mud, water and air (breathing) therapy and learn how the elements are used to detoxify body and mind. Our page on what Triguna means explains the idea of balance behind it, and why students choose Triguna covers the Five Elements Therapy in more detail.

Can you practise Shatkarma at home?

You can practise Jala Neti, gentle Kapalabhati and Trataka at home once a teacher has shown you how; leave Dhauti, Nauli and Basti for supervised practice. A simple home routine looks like this:

1. Jala Neti a few times a week in the morning, with safe water and a clean pot.
2. Kapalabhati, two or three gentle rounds of 20 to 30 breaths.
3. Trataka, one to three minutes, followed by sitting quietly.
4. Pranayama and meditation straight after, while the body is quiet.

Stop any practice that causes pain, dizziness or discomfort that lasts. Feeling a little strange the first time is normal; feeling unwell is not.

Where can you learn Shatkarma safely?

Learn Shatkarma from an experienced teacher in person, ideally on a residential course where you can practise daily and ask questions afterwards. Each practice has its own technique, cautions and pace.

On our 200 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, Shatkarma is taught every morning by Vikas Bisht, who teaches Shatkarma, pranayama and Hatha yoga and has studied naturopathy and yoga therapy. The 7 and 10 day yoga, meditation and body purification retreats are a shorter way to learn the basics without the teaching syllabus.

For the bigger picture, our complete guide to yoga teacher training shows where cleansing sits in the full syllabus. If you are planning a course, see the best time to train in Rishikesh, our 8-week preparation plan, and how Hatha and Ashtanga yoga differ.