Shatkarmas

alt=|thumb Kapalabhati (, "Skull-polishing") is an important shatkarma, a purification in hatha yoga. The word kapalabhati is made up of two Sanskrit words: kapāla meaning "skull", and bhāti meaning "shining, illuminating". It is intended mainly for cleaning the sinuses but according to the Gheranda Samhita has magical curative effects.

thumb|A woman practising trāṭaka with a candle flame Trāṭaka (Sanskrit: त्राटक "look, gaze") is a yogic purification (a shatkarma) and a tantric method of meditation that involves staring at a single point such as a small object, symbol or yantra such as the Om symbol, black dot or candle flame.

Nasal irrigation

thumb|The Shatkarmas are six preliminary purifications used in traditional hatha yoga. The shatkarmas (Sanskrit: षटकर्म ṣaṭkarma, literally six actions), also known as shatkriyas, are a set of Hatha yoga purifications of the body, to prepare for the main work of yoga towards moksha (liberation). These practices, outlined by Svatmarama in the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā as kriya, are Netī, Dhautī, Naulī, Basti, Kapālabhātī, and Trāṭaka. The Haṭha Ratnavali mentions two additional purifications, Cakri and Gajakarani, criticising the Hatha Yoga Pradipika for only describing the other six.

__notoc__ thumb|Uddiyana bandha, performed in nauli. thumb|Nauli is one of the six Shatkarmas, purifications used in traditional [[hatha yoga.]]

Dhauti is one of the Shatkarmas (or Shatkriyas), which form the yogic system of body cleansing techniques. It is intended mainly to the cleaning of the digestive tract in its full length but it affects also the respiratory tract, external ears and eyes.