धौति

Dhauti

Internal Cleansing

⚠️ Requires supervision from an experienced teacher

Sources: Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā 2.24-25 · Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā 1.13-44
Variants: Antar Dhauti · Danta Dhauti · Hṛd Dhauti · Mūla Śodhana

Meaning

Dhauti (धौति) derives from the Sanskrit root dhū meaning “to wash” or “to purify.” It is the first of the six ṣaṭkarmas and encompasses a set of techniques to cleanse the digestive tract from mouth to anus.

The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā divides it into four main categories:

  • Antar Dhauti — Internal cleansing (stomach, intestines)
  • Danta Dhauti — Cleansing of teeth, tongue, ears, frontal sinuses
  • Hṛd Dhauti — Heart/esophagus cleansing
  • Mūla Śodhana — Rectal cleansing

Main Techniques

Vamana Dhauti (Kunjal Kriya)

The most accessible dhauti technique. It consists of drinking warm salted water and regurgitating it.

Procedure:

  1. Prepare 1-2 liters of warm water with salt (one teaspoon per liter)
  2. Drink quickly, glass after glass, until the stomach feels full
  3. Lean forward over a sink or bucket
  4. With index and middle fingers, gently stimulate the uvula
  5. The water will come out in waves, carrying mucus and toxins
  6. Repeat until the water comes out clear

Best time: In the morning, on an empty stomach.

Vastra Dhauti (Cloth Dhauti)

Classic technique using a wet cotton cloth to cleanse the stomach.

⚠️ Requires direct supervision from an experienced teacher.

HYP 2.24 describes:

“A strip of cloth, four fingers wide and fifteen cubits long, is slowly swallowed as instructed by the guru, and then drawn out. This is called Dhauti Karma.”

Traditional procedure:

  1. Use fine cotton gauze, moistened, approximately 7m long
  2. Slowly introduce it through the mouth, swallowing little by little
  3. Leave a few minutes to absorb mucus
  4. Gently extract by pulling the end
  5. Initially, only a few centimeters; with practice, the full length

Agni Sāra (Vahnisāra)

Cleansing through activation of digestive fire.

  1. Standing, legs apart, hands on thighs
  2. Exhale completely
  3. With empty lungs, rapidly contract and expand the abdomen
  4. Repeat 25-100 times according to capacity
  5. Inhale and rest

Danta Dhauti

Daily cleansing that includes:

  • Danta Mūla Dhauti — Brushing teeth and gums
  • Jihvā Śodhana — Tongue scraping
  • Karṇa Dhauti — Ear cleaning
  • Kapāla Randhra Dhauti — Crown massage

Benefits According to the Texts

HYP 2.25 states:

“Cough, asthma, diseases of the spleen, leprosy and twenty types of diseases caused by excess kapha (phlegm) disappear by the practice of Dhauti Karma.”

Traditional effects:

  • Eliminates excess kapha (mucus) from the system
  • Improves digestion (agni)
  • Relieves respiratory problems
  • Purifies the skin and clears the eyes
  • Prepares the body for advanced prāṇāyāma

Precautions

⚠️ Important warnings:

  • Vastra Dhauti should only be practiced under direct supervision of a qualified teacher
  • Contraindications: Ulcers, hiatal hernia, high blood pressure, heart problems, pregnancy
  • Do not practice during menstruation
  • Vamana Dhauti may be too intense for people with reflux
  • Wait at least 3 hours after eating

When to Practice

  • Vamana Dhauti: 1-2 times per week, or as needed
  • Agni Sāra: Daily in the morning
  • Danta Dhauti: Daily as hygiene routine
  • Vastra Dhauti: Occasionally, under expert guidance

Regular practice of dhauti prepares the body for more advanced haṭha yoga techniques, especially prāṇāyāma and the other ṣaṭkarmas.

See also: shatkarma , kriya