Question

How we have to do the above mentioned kriyas ?

Answer 1

These shatkriyas should be learnt from some qualified yoga practitioner and not be done on your own; however, for sake of information, the kriyas are mentioned below:

Starting from the top to bottom, the kriyas are as follows:

(i) Kapalbhati : The reason why we have taken at first kriya is because it shines the brain/ skull deriving the meaning as Kapal - skull and bhatti - shining - by doing this pranayama, the brain cells are oxygenated and stimulated.

kapalam bhati iti kapalbhati - kapalbhati is that which shines the kapala (Brain).

Hatha Yoga Pradipika defines the kapalbhati as

Bhastravallohakarasaya recapurau sasambharamau,

kapalabhativikhyata kaphadosavisosani

Meaning thereby that perform exhalation and inhalation like the bellows of a blacksmith. This is called kapalabhati and it destroys all mucus disorders.

To start with, inhale deeply and exhale deeply three times. Again inhale deeply, repeatedly exhale out forcibly and hurriedly making a sound from both the nostrils without bothering about the inhalations. Just focus on forceful exhalations. when you feel that there is no air left inside or after one minute, stop and exhale fully without any force. Come to normal breathing. This is one round. The number of forcible and speed exhalations are number of strokes per minute.  Initially you can start with 10 to 15 strokes per minute and you can increase to 60 strokes per minute but not beyond your capacity and no need to overstrain yourself.

Important Points to be cleared before doing this practice: If you suffer from High B.P., Ischemic Heart Disease, slipped disc, spondylosis, etc., you should avoid this practice. You need to consult with your physician as well as qualified yoga practitioner.

(ii) Tratak: The technique for tratak has been mentioned in other answer linked below:
 

http://www.askyogaexpert.org/answers2questions/179/which-yoga-gaining-concentration-have-that-particular-yoga

(iii) Neti: Sutra neti and Jal-neti:

In sutraneti, the cord is a twisted one with sterilized wax applied on its surface. The cord is placed in the nostril and taken out through mouth. The cord is made of cotton, not synthetic fibre, tightly wound together and wiped with melted beeswax. The width should be about 4mm and length 36 cm.

Since it is better to learn from qualified yoga practitioner, I would not add more here.

In jalaneti, salt is added to water so that in the event of the thread hurting anywhere inside the nostril, the hot water and salt could prove remedial. Those who cannot perform sutraneti to start with, are made to do jalaneti first. The vessel used for jalaneti are specially made. Its nozzle is so made that it fits in the nostril so snugly that it does not allow water to flow from behind. The nozzle of this pot is inserted into one nostril and the whole water of the pot flows out of the other nostril. Keep the mouth open and such in water through the nostril. When the water is put in one nostril, it comes out automatically through the other one. It is a very easy procedure.

Important Point:

It is necessary to perform kapalbhati after this so that no water remains in the nostrils. If one does not perform kapalbhati and water retains in the nostrils, then it causes headache.

Headache can also be caused if too much of salt is put in water. The water would injure if less salt is even put.  Hence, only that much slat should be put as is put in colling the pulses.

The jala-neti water should optimally warm neither too hot nor less hot. Hence keep it only that much warm as can be tolerated conveniently on the back of the palm. So, before using the water in the nostrils, first put some water on the back of the palm and check if it is comfortable or able to tolerated.

Again it would be better to learn the technique from the qualified yoga practitioner. The above practices are very much easy if proper techniques are followed.

If time permits, I would also add here the video of this practice to enable you understand the technique. After some time, please remind us.

Regarding next three kriyas - dhauti which includes - kunjal or vaman-dhauti and vastra dhauti, Nauli and Basti, I would write in my next answer due to paucity of space here.

Answer 2

While writing about other kriyas, I again remind that these kriyas meant to be learnt by qualified yoga practitioners and not by text books or references.

(iv) Dhauti :

(a) Kunjal kriya: It is similar to stomach wash where 1.5 - 2.5 litre of warm water (volume depend person to person) are hurriedly drunk and by tickling the back of the throat, vomiting is induced and all the ingested water alongwith the stomach residue is brought out.

(b) Vastra dhauti:In this practice, the stomach is thoroughly cleansed by ingesting a thin muslin cloth strip 3 inches wide and 8 yards long. It is slowly swallowed with the help of luke-warm water till about 6 yards get into the stomach and then slowly taken out. Though there are other practices which are followed before the cloth strip is taken out as per different schools of yoga.

(v) Nauli: In nauli, isolate and churn the abdominal muscles. It has three practices. When the abdominal muscles are isolated to the right, it is dakshina nauli, and when the abdominal muslces are isolated to the left, it is vama nauli and when these muscles are isolated in the middle, it is madhyam nauli. To practice nauli, you first need to bahir-kumbhaka which means that you should be able to retain breath after full exhalation and pull your abdomen inside for reasonable amount of time - this is called uddiyana bhandha. After that, you can start with nauli kriya.  If you are interested in knowing bandhas, I will be happy to let you know all types of bandhas.

Again nauli is to be learnt by the yoga practitioner.

(vi) Basti - It is cleansing of the rectum - lower GI tract. It is basically yogic enema with water.  We discuss here for sake of information only. Yogis earlier used to sit in a river for basti. However, now-a-days jala basti can be done sitting over a bucket of water. Beginners will have to start by using 13-15 cm catheter for inserting into the rectum. The tube should be lubricated with vaseline or ghee. Insert 4 cm of the tube into the anal passage or as much as comfortable and then squat over the bucket in utkatasana. Exhale and perform uddiyana bandha as mentioned above and the water is sucked up. When there is need or urge to expel the water, it is best to squat over the toilet and remove the catheter and attend to the natural call. After much practice, the catheter is not even necessary and one can suck water into bowel directly but only at advanced stage which may take years to master the technique.

After the practice, make sure all the water is expelled. Then lie in shavasana on a blanket. There are other certain techniques which are to be followed after that. These are not mentioned here because they are to be again learnt physically by some expert. The technique mentioned is for sake of information only.