Yoga Hygiene

Simplified

Johanna Koenig

Participant of IYTTC 2014 New York

www.yogalife.co.in

“Since body is the means to

duty, wealth, pleasure and

salvation, it should always be

protected with all one’s heart

by the student of Yoga.”

-Yoga Chintamani, II, 97

Ideals of Health Hygiene

The common education system does not teach basic

human health and care to students, rather teaches

abstract information that cannot be used practically in

daily life

Preventative health is not stressed enough, while

symptomic treatment is the focus

Everyone should know the about the basic

physiological functioning of the human body

Everyone should know about what to do in order to be

healthy

“In consequence, the study of personal hygiene still

remains neglected for all practical purposes, and the best

art and science of health yet awaits full recognition and

strict application.”

Main Causes of Ageing Bones:

The mineral density of bones

changes over time

Minerals such as calcium and

lime salts begin to ossify,

causing weakness in bones

Circulatory System:

Mineral deposits cause

inelasticity and arteriosclerosis

Muscular System:

Loss of muscle elasticity and

flexibility leads to loss of normal

tone of muscle

Muscles cannot function

properly

Yoga Way to Rejuvenation

We are at the peak of our health when we are in our youth

Over time, the wear and tear of everyday life takes a toll on our

bodies- disease and disorders arise from this

If we practice yogic lifestyle, we can increase our vitality and youth

Yogins believe in control of organic organs within our body; this

represents a control on the autonomic nervous system

In 1926, Deshabandhu was able to control the beating of his heart

An orientalist in Berlin was buried alive under several feet of

ground for a period of 8 days, and survived

Mala-Shuddhi

Mala-Shuddhi (purification) means: “ensuring healthy

organism is further supplemented by such vital body-

building methods- as scientifically to encourage proper

elimination and nutrition besides coordinating functional

harmony within the body”

Yogins believe that it is possible to avoid old age and

retain use by continuously eliminating toxins from the

body

Toxins are eliminated and flushed out of the body via

several methods

Care of Teeth and Mouth “The importance of teeth in digestion is not sufficiently recognized. Many cases of chronic indigestion arise from imperfect mastification due to faulty dentition(58, Yogendra).”

Most Dangerous Dental Problems:

1. Dental cavities/caries:

Chemical and bacterial process that causes decay in teeth and gums

1. Pyorrhea (Rigg’s disease):

An infection cause by puss and bacteria, in some cases animal parasites

These and most dental problems can be avoided with proper dental and yogic hygiene methods

Danta-Dhouti

Danta-Dhouti, the yogic

method of cleansing the

teeth, may be found to be

“more effective than the

general form of modern

dental hygiene (59)”

Tooth Brushing

Conventional Way

Conventional tooth brush tears

the gums and drives bacteria

into the gums and blood stream

After being used several times,

it becomes very infected with

bacteria

Infection will continue unless

properly disinfected after every

use

Yogic method

Fresh babul twigs

Delicate shoots of a Neem tree

These tree parts have strong

alkaline and astringent

properties according to Sushruta

New twig needs to be used

every time

Dentifrice/

Toothpaste

• Must have some emulsifying

properties to scrub away plaque

• Must have antimicrobial

properties

• Yogins prepare their own tooth

powder

• 10 % catechu, 80%

myrobalancs, and 10% turmeric

or alum

• This paste in addition to twig

brushing does a sufficient job in

cleaning impurities off of both

sides of teeth Using a conventional paste

with chemicals such as

fluoride defeats the purpose

of detoxification.

Basic Ear Care

Ears are important as they maintain our balance, our hearing, and

are a vital body part for healthy daily functioning

Vertigo, a disorder in which the patient feels dizziness and loss of

balance, can be caused pressure of wax inside the ear

KarnaRandhra Dhauti

Is a natural process used to cleanse the ears daily

Consists of purification of both of the ear canals

One needs to irrigate the ears at certain intervals once

a week

During the process, the index finger is slowly pushed in

and out, from side to side to ensure removal of ear

wax, dry skin cells, or dust

Care of the Respiratory System

“The practice of nasal cleansing purifies the air sinuses,

invigorates the brain, tones up the optic nerves and thus

improves sight (Pg75, Yogendra) .”

Diseases that can be avoided by

regular nasal hygiene:

Tonsillitis

Mumps

Sinusitis

Infantile

paralysis

Measles

Scarlet Fever

Influenza

Tuberculosis

Rheumatism

Air Sinuses The care of the air sinuses directly relates to the care of the

greater respiratory system

Infection of these passages can be avoided by using simple

disinfection methods

Kapalabhati :

Kapal- “skull” and “bhati”-illuminating

Vatakrama kapalabhati- Pranayaman breathing technique in

which exhalation is active and inhalation is inactive

Vyutkrama kapalabhati- Similar to Jalaneti, which involves taking

in water through nostrils and spitting it out

Sheetkrama kapalabhati-Water is taken through the mouth and

then pushed out through nose

Eye Care

• Yogins recognize the close

relationship between eye

care and the mind

• We observe most of our

environment through our

eyes- vision

• Health of eye depends on

perfect nutrition, elimination,

muscular tone and nerve

supply

Alleviating Eye Strain

“Eyestrain occurs when your eyes get tired from intense

use, such as driving a car for extended periods, reading

or working at a computer.” 1

Eyestrain is the most common misuse of eye

Yogins use relaxation techniques such as closing eyes for 5-10

minutes to give eyes a rest to alleviate this issue

Suggest gazing at moon, sun and stars to train eyes to focus on

long distances, reducing unecessary eye strain

1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eyestrain/basics/definition/con-20032649

Care of Digestive System

21 total digestive organs

Food that enters mouth must travel a total

distance of 10 yards through alimentary canal

Digestive organs that need daily attention are

stomach and the intestines

Care of Intestine Every time food passes

through alimentary canal,

it leaves a fine coating of

waste matter

If not washed from interval

walls, it interferes with

normal secretion of

digestive juices

Most common

consequence of this is

constipation, indigestion,

and defective absorption

of minerals and vitamins

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19221.htm

Shanka Prankshalana- a method of flushing the entire

intestine out using warm salt water and asanas that

compress the abdomen

Vamandhouti (Autolavage)- a method in which one

drinks excess salt water at a time on an empty, then

stimulates gag reflex to induce vomiting

Vamandhouti clears excess acid out of stomach,

stimulating the production of new stomach acid

Conclusion The human body is

complex and has the capacity to heal itself if properly maintained

We have to be our own doctors

Only we can understand our bodies and be intuitive about what’s going on

Practicing yoga along with yogic lifestyle and hygiene can drastically increase our quality of life and vitality

Thank you!

Picture Sources http://www.faqs.org/health/Body-by-Design-V1/The-Muscular-System-Workings-how-the-

muscular-system-functions.html

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neem_tree,_branches_arrangement,_TamilNadu415.jpe

g

http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education/quality-water-fluoride.htm

http://www.webmd.com/brain/picture-of-the-ear

http://howikis.com/Use_Ginger_to_Improve_Your_Respiratory_System

http://legacy.owensboro.kctcs.edu/gcaplan/anat2/notes/APIINotes4%20respiratory%20anatomy

.htm