Have you ever heard of “Nauli Kriya”? It’s an old yoga practice that combines physical and mental improvements. This activity makes your abdominal muscles move in circles, which helps your organs, makes your core stronger, and helps digestion. It also helps you feel more balanced and energized.
The Sanskrit word Nauli comes from two words, Nau (boat) and li (to cling to). When combined with Kriya (an action or group of actions), it is a technique that rolls, rotates, and moves the muscles and nerves in the belly area.
Nauli Kriya is a great exercise that connects your mind and body and helps to make your body stronger and your mind more resilient. Learn more now!
What is Nauli Kriya?
Nauli Kriya comes from Hatha Yoga, a type of yoga focused on cleansing and purification. This practice involves isolating and rolling the muscles in the abdominal area, which causes a circular movement. This technique helps massage and strengthen the organs inside the body, especially those that help with digestion.
Nauli Kriya helps digestion and stimulates the organs. It helps to make the abs stronger, and is useful for making the body and mind healthier. It is a good way to cleanse the body.
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Advantages of Nauli Kriya
Here are some of the advantages of doing Nauli Kriya regularly:
- Nauli Kriya helps to strengthen and massage the muscles, intestines, nerves, reproductive organs, urinary system, and organs related to waste elimination in the stomach area.
- Exercising is thought to help the organs inside your body, such as your stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, bladder, intestines, and gallbladder.
- The Nauli Kriya helps clear out poisonous substances from the digestive system by boosting the digestion process in the body.
- This Kriya increases your hunger, helps your body break down food and get rid of waste. It also helps you lose weight and reduce belly fat. Nauli is seen as a cure-all and it works on your abdominal muscles.
- This method helps the mind work better and also helps to activate the Manipura chakra, which is known as the source of energy.
- Nauli Kriya helps your body stay healthy by balancing the energy inside you, giving you strength and energy.
- Research showed that doing Nauli Kriya may be able to treat Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).
How to Practice Nauli Kriya
Nauli Kriya is a difficult yoga pose to learn. It’s important to be careful when doing it. If you are new to yoga, it is best to get help from an experienced teacher in order to prevent injury. Here are the steps to do Nauli Kriya correctly.
Step 1: Uddiyana Bandha (Stomach Vacuum)
- Breathe in deeply and then breathe out all the air.
- After you breathe out, bend your body forward a bit while keeping your hands on your legs for support.
- Push your stomach up as high as you can and press your hands firmly onto your legs.
- Pull your stomach in towards your back while holding your breath.
- Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in for as long as it feels comfortable for you.
- Let go, stand up, and breathe as much as you like.
Step 2: Madhyama Nauli (Central Nauli)
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- Once you have done Uddiyana Bandha a few times, you can move on to Madhyama Nauli.
- Begin by activating the core abdominal muscles by moving them from side to side. Visualize making a circular motion with the abdominal muscles.
- Keep doing this exercise until it feels comfortable. It might take some time for newbies to get the hang of it.
Step 3: Vama and Dakshina Nauli (Left and Right Nauli)
- You can practice isolating the muscles in your left and right abdomen while you are comfortable with the Madhyama Nauli exercise.
- Breathe out all the air and then do the Uddiyana Bandha.
- Now, attempt to shift the muscles on the right side of your abdomen to the right, and the muscles on the left side of your abdomen to the left.
- This action separates the two sides one after the other by making a circular movement.
- Do this step repeatedly until you can keep it under control.
End:
- Stand upright, inhale deeply, and exhale once you are done with practicing Nauli.
- Relax and breathe normally for a few moments.
Safety and Considerations
Precautions
- You should only do Nauli Kriya if you have the right teacher to show you how to do it, because it’s a complicated practice.
- If you feel any discomfort or pain in your stomach while doing Nauli Kriya, stop immediately. The next day, use less pressure and pay more attention while doing it.
Contraindications
- People with heart problems, high blood pressure, hernias, gallstones, abdominal pain, constipation, and ulcers should not do Nauli Kriya.
- Do not do Nauli Kriya if you have had an operation on your stomach.
- Pregnant women should not do the Nauli Kriya.
Yoga is an old practice from India that helps us stay healthy and works as an alternative to medicine. Nauli Kriya is one of the most important yoga exercises that can help cure diseases if done correctly. To get the full benefit of better digestion and avoid any problems, it is important to do Nauli Kriya regularly. Let us know if this article was helpful for you!
FAQs
1. Name the types of Nauli Kriya.
Based on the position of the contraction of the abdominal muscle, Nauli Kriya is categorized into three types:
- Vama Nauli.
- Dakshina Nauli.
- Madhya Nauli.
2. Best time to practice Nauli Kriya.
- Keeping your stomach empty is necessary to practice Nauli Kriya.
- If remaining on an empty stomach is impossible, you can practice at least 5 to 6 hours after your meals.
- Early morning is the ideal time before consuming any food or drink.
3. What is the best duration for beginners to perform Nauli Kriya?
It is essential to approach Nauli Kriya gradually and mindfully, especially for beginners.
- Practice for around 5 to 10 seconds initially.
- You can slowly extend the duration as you become more comfortable and your abdominal strength increases.
- Be mindful of any pain or strain and stop if you feel uncomfortable.
- Consider getting help from an experienced yoga instructor for proper technique and safety.
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