Names
Kunjar Kriya, Kunjal Kriya, Gaja Karani, the Stomach Wash
Many people in the west know this Kriya as ‘Kunjal Kriya’ although its real and original name is ‘Kunjar Kriya’. The word ‘Kunjal’ does not have a meaning in Sanskrit whereas ‘Kunjar’ means elephant, just as ‘Gaja’. ‘Gaja Karani’ thus means the act of an elephant. The pose for the Kriya has similarity to the trunk of an elephant.
There is another, very similar practice which is called ‘Vyaghra Kriya’. The difference to the Kunjar Kriya is that Kunjar is done on empty stomach whereas Vyaghra is done after a meal. The technique and method however is the same.
How to perform Kunjar Kriya
In the morning, with empty stomach, you drink lightly salted, slightly warm water. Use about one teaspoon on one liter water. If you are not used to drinking big amounts of water at once and are just doing this Kriya for the first time, you can start with drinking 4 glasses. A normal practitioner will use 6 to 8 glasses and people who are used to drinking a lot of water can also drink 10 to 12 glasses. You should drink as much water that you feel very full and already feel as if you have to throw up.
While drinking in standing, you press your navel with your left hand and bend slightly forward. You will vomit the water out and by pressing you navel, you prevent the water from going too far down.
When you have drunk your water, you just bend forward a bit further. You can also squat down on the floor. Now take your index and middle fingers, put them into your mouth and until the root of your tongue, where your throat starts. Rub your tongue in the back and press it down there. This action will make you vomit.
You can repeat this for a maximum of three times.
Benefits of Kunjar Kriya
This Kriya is especially recommended for people suffering from Asthma and excess of mucus in the respiratory system. If you suffer from Asthma, it is recommended to do Kunjar every morning. You will see that already after a few months, the number of Asthma attacks is noticeably reduced. The therapeutic vomiting opens the breathing channels and is thus beneficial for your lungs.
With its cleansing of the esophagus and stomach it takes out all waste that might be stuck as well as the mucus which in the result makes you breathe lighter. You get rid of bad breath caused by this stuck waste. Your throat, nose and chest but also your eyes and ears work better once the mucus is cleaned.
Obviously this is also a very good practice if you have food poisoning to take out the toxins created in your body.
You perform hard work with the pyloric sphincter and as a result your vagus nerve is stimulated. This work also makes the blood flow strong in your abdominal region and your complete chest. Prana Vayu, the main breathing air which lives in the heart region, is also stimulated through this.
Advice for Caution
This Kriya should only be performed in the morning with empty stomach. Beginners should only perform this practice under guidance of an experienced Yogi.
Do not eat anything at least 30, better 45 minutes after performing the Kunjar Kriya.
You can practice the Kriya in the beginning just in order to master it but once you feel that you know how it is done, only use it for its purpose: to therapeutically cleanse yourself of mucus, toxins etc. Live naturally and avoid anything that causes such problems but don’t use this Kriya as a solution for everything!
Tips and Help
Do not think of this practice as anything disgusting. This is a mistake which beginners often do. Having this thought will only hold you back and prevent your body from properly vomiting. That will make you feel sick as you have drunk a lot of water. Think of it of a fast cleansing practice of a few minutes that provides relief from stomach pain and makes you feel light in stomach and chest.
If you feel more comfortable to drink and vomit in sitting you can do that in sitting as well but the preferred and recommended posture is standing and bending slightly forward.
Please do not worry if you think not all the water that you drunk came out again. You should try to get out as much as possible but even if the water goes down and does not come up anymore, it is fine, it will find its own way out. Do not w about it. Remember that also this Kriya needs some practice.
When to Avoid Kunjar Kriya
People suffering from stomach diseases like abdominal ulcer or intestinal cancer as well as those suffering from hernia, high blood pressure and heart problems must consult their doctor before practicing this Kriya.