Colon cleansing with Yoga Basti

Use the many health benefits of a clean colon and feel more balanced with the practice of Yoga Basti.

The colon is the exit for all the solid leftovers of the body. A good evacuation is vital for a healthy body and mind, because if toxic substances remain inside the body our wellbeing will be affected directly. In Ayurveda the colon is associated with the Vata Dosha or the constitution of air and ether. If this Dosha is not balanced it may cause many problems like backpain, constipation, gas, arthritis, nervousness, fears, insomnia and many other. So first of all this treatment of cleaning the colon will help with any of this issues and it will even go deeper and give you a feeling of relief and relaxation.

Basically we are talking about enemas or filling liquid into the colon through the anus. The ayurvedic term for this is Basti, which means bladder. During the Yoga Basti we will use the two basic types of Bastis, one with oil and one with decoction of herbs. The Yoga Basti is a series of enemas lasting 8 days. It starts with an oil enema or Anuvasana Basti, the next day it continues with a decoction enema or Niruha Basti, then it goes on alternating and it finishes with two Anuvasana Bastis.

The traditional scriptures of Ayurveda, like the Caraka Samhita, say that this treatment will not only clean the colon but will reach and clean all the seven Dhatus or tissues in the human body, from the Rasa Dhatu or plasma till the Shukra Dhatu or reproductive tissue.

You can do this practice at home with only two basic tools and two basic ingredients. Of course it is best to choose a quite time at home with as less stress as possible and a light diet and if possible avoid aggressive substances like alcohol or too much caffeine. Give yourself some rest and time to feel the effects of the bastis. It can be so calming and pleasant to connect with your colon and feel the cleansing and relief.

So I want to show you the tools and ingredients you need:

This is the small rectal bulb for the Anuvasana Basti with a capacity of 150 ml and the bigger enema bag for Niruha Basti with a capacity of 2l. During the Yoga Basti I applied 50 ml of Anuvasana Basti and 500 ml of Niruha Basti. You can buy both tools on Amazon or in a pharmacy.

The ingredient for Anuvasana Basti is sesame oil and for the Niruha Basti it is a decoction of Triphala powder with with a bit of stone salt, sesame oil and honey. I bought the sesame oil in an eco-store and the Triphala I bought on Amazon.

As soon as you have all the tools and ingredients you are ready to start the first day with Anuvasana Basti. The traditional Anuvasana Basti has a dosis of 80 ml to 100 ml. In cases of great dryness there is the Sneha Basti with 160 ml to 200 ml of oil, but most of the times during this cleansing the dosis of 50 ml with the name of Matra Basti is used.

Even better than using just sesame oil is the use of medicated oils like Narayana Taila or Kshirabala Taila. They are more expensive but they will have a stronger effect and the extracts of the medicinal herbs that are in these oils will balance the whole body.

Please note that there are contraindications for Bastis like: Fever, extreme weakness, intoxication, diarrhea, bleeding hemorrhoids, parasites, swollen belly organs, tumors in the belly, overweight, diabetes, chronic snuff, underactive thyroid.

But it is a fabulous treatment for: Constipation, weight loss, pain in general, especially in the musculoskeletal system, illnesses in the nervous system or psychological problems and especially stress.

The next day you go on with Niruha Basti or the decoction enema. For this you have to create first the herbal decoction. I chose Triphala powder as this mix of three fruits balances all three Doshas and helps with a good digestion. You have to boil 70g of the powder with 1,6 l of water until only 1/4 of the liquid is left, so 400 ml. Then you put two teaspoons of salt, honey and 50 ml of sesame oil into it and wait till it has body temperature. Then you use the enema to fill it into your colon lying on your left side and relaxing with abdominal breath. After that rest a moment on your back and as well on your right side. You may stand up and walk a bit until you feel the need to evacuate.

Niruha Basti should be done best in the morning with an empty stomach.