Shankhaprakshalana - Yoga Natural Body Detox

by Ivana
(London, UK)

Dear Melissa,

First of all thank you very very much for your website. It's been incredibly helpful.

I'd like to ask you if you have any experience with this yoga cleansing practice - Shankhaprakshalana. And what is your opinion about it.

I have been reading lots of materials about this or others intestines cleansing technique, and I have done Shankhaprakshalana couple of times. So far I haven't felt or found any negative side effects. But still I'd like to have also your opinion. Do you think that such flushing of the intestines could be dangerous? Would you recommend it as a part of natural body detox?

Thank you very much for the answer and for your work :)

Ivana


ANSWER


Hi Ivana,

Thank you for the compliments about my site.

Honestly, I do not know a whole lot about yoga. I have great respect for it, but my journey to health has never included it.

I looked up Shankhaprakshalana to get more information about it. I'm sure most of my readers will not be familiar with this term, so let me summarize briefly.

Shankhaprakshalana is a natural body cleansing technique that involves drinking large amounts of salted water, performing specific body positions (Asanas), and immediately going to the bathroom to relieve oneself. This process is repeated until nothing but clean water is evacuated.

This technique cleans the entire alimentary canal (mouth to anus), but the main goal is to remove waste matter than has accumulated in the intestinal tract.

Cleaning out the intestines improves your natural body detox pathways and leads to better health.

I understand the principles involved and see how good results could be obtained. But this is not something that can be taken lightly. An expert in this cleansing technique needs to be present to make sure it is done correctly. Also, one needs to rest for a day or more after shankhaprakshalana.

Similar results can be obtained with simpler methods.

Colonics come to mind as one way to clean the intestines. Although, admittedly, they will not clean as much of the colon as shankhaprakshalana. Colonics are also expensive and, perhaps more importantly, many people would be too shy or embarrassed to have one done.

Fiber from gelatinous seeds (like psyllium, flax, and chia) work well too. The fiber swells up and acts as a broom, sweeping out built up fecal material from the colon walls. See natural colon cleansers for more info.

Both of these techniques can be used with good results - and they won't disrupt your daily routine.

Wishing you the best of health,

Melissa
Approach Wellness