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VAMANDHOUTI
Introduction
:
It
is another easy method of dhouti. The washing up of the entire track
starting from the mouth to the digestive path at the beginning of
the small intestines, that is mouth, esophagus, stomach etc are
included in this process. One can wash one's mouth, but in the daily
routine one cannot wash the esophagus or the stomach. The impurities
residing there are carried along with the food particles and are
mixed in some proportion with the blood. This has adverse effects
on the body. In the case of some patients, the stomach wash is effected
by introducing rubber tube into the stomach. This process is done
in Yoga without any external instruments, only with the physical
movements of the internal organs in the body. This process of stomach
wash is done with the help of dand (catheter), water or cloth. We
will consider the process done with the help of water.
| Process
: |
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- Heat
pure drinking water till it achieves the body temperature
and put a pinch of salt in it.
- Initially,
the proportion of salt can be kept a little high.
- Start
drinking this water sitting at one place. Generally, nothing
is felt till a liter of water is consumed.
- Keep
on drinking the water. Afterwards, the weight of the water
is felt into the stomach, which gradually causes strain.
- After
intake of 1.5 to 2 liters of water, there is a nauseating
feeling. Keep on drinking.
- While
drinking the water (salted and heated as described herein
above), it should be drunk sip by sip consuming it from
a glass.
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- Ultimately,
there is a feeling that no further quantity can be consumed
and there is an intense feeling to vomit.
- Try
to consume another glass by keeping the feeling in check
with mental efforts.
- Then
stand up with a distance of 1 to 1.5 ft in the legs and
bend down slightly.
- Insert
the fore or index finger, middle finger and the small finger
of the right hand into the mouth and press a little at the
end of the tongue.
- This
aggravates the feeling to vomit.
- The
water in the stomach will come out in gushes.
- Try
to bring out the entire quantity by inserting fingers into
the throat.
- When
the entire quantity of water comes out, the nausea stops
and the feeling to vomit vanishes.
- Wash
the mouth and perform shavasan.
- Shavasan
should be performed for 10 to 15 minutes as per the need
and then one can resume the normal routine.
- After
one hour, a drink may be allowed.
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Duration
:
The
feeling to vomit becomes intense within 10 to 15 minutes of the
start of drinking the water. The actual process of vomiting lasts
for only 2 to 3 minutes. That means the entire process of vamandhouti
lasts for 15 to 20 minutes. However, shavasan must be performed
as per the need for at least 10 to 15 minutes. This process is not
to be reiterated. It is a one time process at a given time. Also,
it is not to be performed daily. This is to be performed as per
the need under proper guidance. It is said in the texts that the
process is to be performed after having food. However, for learning
the process, it should be performed early in the morning, on empty
stomach. After learning the process thoroughly, if it is to be performed
with specific purpose in mind, it may be performed after having
food.
Physical
Effects :
In
this process, the stomach is filled with the water and then the
same water is turned out from the mouth. Hence, the stomach and
the esophagus are washed clean from inside. The impurities are thrown
out. In the general digestion process, when the food and the water
are consumed, they travel from the stomach to the small intestines
and then absorbed into the blood. That means, poisonous substances
when swallowed through the mouth or if generated in the stomach
due to some internal problems, travel with the food to the small
intestines and are absorbed into the blood in at least certain proportion.
This process helps to bring out such poisonous materials. Also,
the water drunk in the process includes salt. The osmotic pressure
in the stomach is increased due to such water and instead of such
water getting absorbed, the water in the blood gets absorbed into
the stomach. Hence, the poisonous substances on the inner wall or
lining of the stomach are brought into the stomach and thrown out
along with the water.
Due
to some sort of problem, certain poisonous materials or deformed
juices are generated in the stomach after consumption of food. This
hinders proper digestion. If this process is performed immediately
after having food, such poisonous materials are thrown out of the
body and they do not get mixed into the blood. This vamandhouti
process is useful for patients suffering from acidity.
Precaution
:
This
process cannot be learnt from reading it in a book. It should be
learnt under the guidance of the expert and then may be performed
independently when learnt properly. Also, like asanas and pranayama,
this process should not be performed daily. It should be performed
according to the need under the expert guidance.
People
suffering from heart trouble, blood pressure - high or low, diseases
of the nervous system, or trouble from ulcers, should not perform
the process. It should be done under expert advice and to the extent
prescribed by them.
While
performing the process, the same amount of water as consumed should
be thrown out. However, if the exact quantity is not thrown out,
there is no need to get scared. The water then travels across the
digestive track and is thrown out of the body by way of diarrhoea.
It does not cause any trouble to the body.
It
is necessary to perform shavasan for 10 to 15 minutes. Also, if
any food is to be consumed, it may be taken after 1.5 to 2 hours
after the process.
References
in the ancient texts :
The
first chapter of the Gherandsamhita states that :
Bhojanante
pibadwari chakantham puritam sudhih |
Urdhwa drishtim kshanam krutva tatjalam vamayetpunah |
Nityamabhyasyogen kaphapittam niwarayet || G S 1-39
Meaning
:
Drink
plenty of water after having food and vomit out the entire water
after glancing upwards for a minute. The vamandhouti eliminates
kapha and pitta.
Here,
the process is to be performed after having food. However, it is
not expected that it is to be performed daily. Also, it states that
the process eliminates kapha-pitta. That means when kapha-pitta
are generated in excess and cause some trouble to the body, then
this process should be used to get rid of them. When the kapha -
pitta are in control, then the process need not be performed.
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