Kunjal kriya 101: The yoga practice that can push toxins out of your body

The ancient Indian practice of yoga is a combination of exercises and meditation techniques, that integrates the mind and the body. Yoga has, for centuries, helped its disciples to improve their flexibility, stamina, mental health, and overall body strength. It comprises numerous poses, practices, and variations, which can be taken up by anyone with some precautions, regardless of their physical abilities, and medical history.

One such variation is called ‘kunjal kriya’. This involves practicing self-induced vomiting, which provides a cleansing effect and purifies our digestive tract, lungs, liver, intestine, and food pipe.

What is kunjal kriya?

It is a technique to detoxify our body of impurities. It was first documented in Hatha Yoga Pradipika, an ancient yoga scripture that described kunjal kriya as a cleansing technique, which helps clean the body and regulate the mind

As per a research published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, an individual feels emptiness of the stomach post indulging in self-induced vomiting. The vomiting is triggered by consumption of saline water on an empty stomach, and has therapeutic benefits.

Here’s how to perform kunj kriya

You will need six to eight glasses of lukewarm water and one teaspoon of rock or normal salt per liter of water to be consumed.

Step 1: Mix the salt in the water (1 teaspoon per litre) and sit in a kagasana position (crow pose).

Step 2: Drink the saline water quickly to get a gag reflex. Now, stand and bend forward to vomit.

Step 3: Once you feel emptiness in the stomach, lie down in savasana and relax for about 30 minutes.

The vomit is induced instantaneously, and it is advisable to perform this technique under supervision when performed for the first time.

Here’s how kunjal kriya benefits our health

Fights cough and cold: The vomiting helps relieve cough and gets rid of excessive mucus. Kunjal kriya enhances the endurance of the respiratory muscles and decreases airway resistance. The lungs are cleaned as a result of this practice, helping you breathe better, and manage symptoms of cough and cold.

Weight management and improving digestion: When performing this technique, the stomach muscles contract and lead to fat reduction. Kunjal kriya also helps with reducing acidity as impurities are removed from the body, and it improves digestion due to the contraction of muscles that stimulates the digestive tract.

Reduces stress and anxiety: As the blood flow increases in the body while performing the technique, the stress response system is modulated. Due to the increased blood flow, oxygen reaches every part of your body, which reduces the heart rate, eases respiration, and reduces blood pressure. Therefore, the perceived stress reduces as a result of practising kunjal kriya.

As a cautionary note, this technique should not be practised by pregnant women, people who have undergone abdominal surgery, children below the age of 16, and people dealing with chronic conditions such as heart ailments.

This technique when performed once or twice a month can help purify the body of toxins and improve overall health!