Thanks for the link, just went there and read the thread and saw Yogani’s posts on the subjects.
I’d say I would fit somewhere in that middle camp he described. I’ve been doing meditation and yoga for a bit and have had ecstatic experiences from almost day one. It rises and falls but sometimes it hits in places in an overwhelming way and just makes me shiver inside and out. I am starting to incorporating AYP practices but I learned primarily from Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev at Isha Yoga. I’ve gone through all of their main programs except for Samyama, which is a 10 day intense retreat held in India. The core practices are Shoonya meditation and a kriya practice with kapalabhati and some other stuff.
Anyway, while I am vegetarian now and generally eating healthier, I was not for years and had too many years of bad diets, alcohol, and all that. Gained a lot of weight. I’ve lost a good bit but I still feel like there is a sluggishness in there and I wonder how much has built over time.
I guess my question to yogani (or others) is whether basti means just a simple enema or if it is better to do a fuller “colonic.” I’ve read other guides on the net and in books that talk about colonic boards and a longer process that takes like 30 minutes to have a gallon or two of water really get into your intestines before coming out. Usually they talk about this stuff in combination with a fast as a necessary part of the detoxification process.
If I should move the discussion over to that other thread let me know, just trying to get clarification from this yoga community 
Been reading it for a bit but finally decided to jump in an participate!
I’ve heard of all the great results from intestinal cleansing and enemas, but I have never felt any effect from any of them! i fast sometimes, and try to drink plenty of water, and eat plenty of raw greens, and get strenous exercise including twisting motions, and I think that must keep things pretty clean. Every time I try one of those cleansing programs, expecting great things to happen, nothing does.
Of course that doesn’t mean they don’t work for other people.
Hi Decon,
If you go down that thread a little more… Yogani explains this…
The entire post reads like this…
Hi decon,
I have been doing intestinal wash about once every 2 weeks since my Skatkarma post. It gives me much of the benefits of fasting without much time needed, and some benefits which cannot be obtained from fasting, too.
If you are just doing Laghoo Shankprakshalana (taking around 2 liters of salt water), than probably it doesn’t matter whether you fast or not. Just do it early in the morning before any food is taken. No special diet needed. And believe me: you will feel very hungry and weak if you don’t eat after the wash. So after going to toilet and resting, you’ll want to eat something. You may hurt yourself if you do such strenuous cleansing without feeding yourself.
There is another verions, Shankprakshalana, in which you take around 5-6 liters of salt water. Actually, take and flush until the stool become clear water. I haven’t done this yet, as I don’t think I have the stamina. And there’re some dietary restrictions, too. It’s very important to eat a specially prepared meal after this practice. So it’s not fasting, and you should not fast!. Otherwise the intestines, which suddenly becomes empty after the wash, will cramp. The special meal is to ensure the digestive system is not irritated or hurted, as it is very vulnerable after Shankprakshalana.
The detailed instructions are contained in Satyananda’s book: Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Tell me if you want to hear any further experience from me.
Alvin
Alvin, maybe you should edit your post and replace water with ‘salt water’, just in case someone reads it and doesn’t realize salt is needed.
Drinking 5-6 literes of unsalted water could make a person very, very sick. I don’t know how much is needed to cause death, but it’s not that much!!
Thanks all for the clarifications.
I think the confusion was in terminology for me. I meant using more water when performing an enema/basti, not necessarily the method where you drink it with salt to purify the system.
Here is a site where it differentiates between an enema and a colema. In the colema, there is a multi gallon container and a larger amount of water which is used. The advantages I’ve heard is that the water goes deeper into the intestinal track and clears out more debris, versus an enema which might only go a little ways in. I’m not an expert or even knowledgeable by any means, but that was what I meant by more water
http://www.cfsdoc.org/colon.htm
Thanks for the reminder, David. Yes, it’s warm salt water, around 1 teaspoon of salt to every 500ml of warm water.
Decon, I haven’t tried enema. I wish I could I try, but it’s not convenient to do it at my home. Shankprakshalana is a more thorough cleansing than enema, as it cleanses not just the colon, but the whole digestive system as salt water passes through it from the mouth to the anus. But it’s more exhausting. For me, though, I find it rather refreshing, especially on the day after Shankprakshalana.
I don’t have experience in enema. But I think if you want to combine it with fasting, it’s suggestive to wait for some hours without food before you do enema. So that the colon is more empty, and then you clean its lining with water. Does it make sense?
I think the use of fasting is to teach yourself that you are not your cravings. The part that is beyond the hunger is you.
“By contemplating on oneself, by eating sparingly, and by practicing Siddhasana for 12 years, the Yogi obtains success.” -Hatha Yoga Pradipika
I’m coming to the opinion that ‘eating sparingly’ is up there in importance with exercise, stretching and pranayama. In that sense, it’s a perfect companion to IAMing.
I’m getting back into the Warrior Diet I found on the nutrition forum of Dragondoor.com (just search “warrior diet”) Essentially, it’s about eating once a day.
I had gotten out of it before as I was surrounded by lots of people in the “Zone” type mindset, where you have to eat a solid meal 3-5 times a day so you don’t spike your insulin levels. That’s sort of the normally accepted view and so I didn’t know if there would be long term ill effects of once a day eating. Now that I’ve read all the rat longevity studies, I’m convinced that fasting is very good for the body assuming one gets the proper nutrients of course.
The fasting reading says that actually eating nothing is good for steady insulin levels too. According to Dr. Furhman’s book on fasting on amazon, the problem comes when you try to mix snacking on carbs while fasting–that can be enough to knock the body out of ketosis but not provide enough carb fuel. You can get lost in the middle. I don’t know if I agree with that, but it does explain why a tiny snack and fasting don’t mix for me. Just a small snack makes the fast difficult to maintain in my case.
-Yoda
Jim’n wrote:
I think the use of fasting is to teach yourself that you are not your cravings. The part that is beyond the hunger is you.
It does give me a different view of cravings. At the end of the fast I go through a long list of things in my mind that I want to eat, and none of them seems like “enough”. It’s like the craving and the actual food are two different things.
Yoda wrote: . . .“I was surrounded by lots of people in the “Zone” type mindset, where you have to eat a solid meal 3-5 times a day so you don’t spike your insulin levels.”
I think the zone is very good nutritional advice, and I follow it often as I have hypoglycemia. It consists of the proper ratio of protein-carb-fat. It doesn’t have to be a whole meal. You can eat one spoonful of the proper ratio, and it conforms to “the zone”. If I am fasting to get rid of a disease, and it’s particularly bad, I will do just that. Eat just an ounce of the proper ratio, then return to the fast for another day. It has very little relapse effect on the disease.
I do think the Zone is a good diet strategy, it’s the 3+ square meals a day I was responding to.
I just read in yesterday’s paper that calorie restriction reverses aging in humans (reverses age related DNA damage in a 6 month study). Imo, that goes with the meridian/nadi cleaning that takes place with fasting.
Urine drinking anyone? Seriously, it’s in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. I often drink a bit in the shower just as a system check, and more if I’m feeling a cold coming on, but not enough to be therapeutic probably.
I’ll have to combine it with fasting sometime to see what that’s like.
I’m diggin eating 1x a day so far. I can do two iam sessions plus yoga stretching on a totally empty stomach so I feel that I can cover more ground per session. Plus, I enjoy eating more. Plus I could stand to loose a few pounds.
I’m blowing off any serious fasting aside from that. One website I found says that 40 day water fasts are healthy to do, but you have to go 21 days at least to gain real spiritual results. The writer didn’t get into any more detail, but he knew about the whole breatherian claim and the sungazing thing, and he seemed experienced.
I know that my 2 day fast increased a sense of detachment and created a mild euphoria so I’m guessing that effect would deepen with greater duration and maybe 21 days would trigger some new sort of physiological functioning.
>> Urine drinking anyone? Seriously, it’s in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
There are lots of urine-drinkers here. Search on ‘amaroli’ on the forum. There is a lesson on it too.
Hi
Yoda said:
I know that my 2 day fast increased a sense of detachment and created a mild euphoria so I’m guessing that effect would deepen with greater duration and maybe 21 days would trigger some new sort of physiological functioning.
I did a 6 day fast on grapes and water, a few years back along with a group of people.
It was quit a learning for me. The first two and a half days were the most difficult, this is where the cravings and emotional eating were hammering at my door.
Once the body is empty of food apparently the cravings dissapear. So the important thing is not to eat anything, even snacks, as they will restart the cravings. Don’t know why the grapes do not act like food in that way but I was able to eat as many as I wanted.
After day 3 the body started feeling lighter and on day 5 I went to my tai chi class and boy was it powerful. No conductivity for me, but just the feeling of being all energy and feeling the smooth resistance of love chi in every movement.
When I went to bed that night I could’nt feel my physicallity, when I joined my fingers all I felt was energy.
I had to stop it on day 6 because I work in dangerous environments and have to be well grounded.
Two others in the group went on and completed 30 days. One of which says it had a permanent effect on his eating habits. He said he no longer felt emotional cravings, whereas previously he would devour a packet of biscuits if he was feeling emotional.
So that’s by bit on fasting
Louis
Hi Louis,
This grape and water fasting… can wine be substituted for grapes??? 
I would like to know some more on this fast. In India… some women around this time of the year do a 21 day fast on fruits and water alone… which actually ended on Wed. but I had not heard of a grape fasting. So is this something done in Ireland, or something to do with religion or some group you belong to? Was the purpose of this fast spiritual, religious, therapeutic, or just a whim? Did the guys loose a lot of weight… or did it not matter? Did you not feel weak and fatigued and dizzy… so all these feelings you had were they just your body protesting or did it really increase your energy level?
Sorry for so many questions… Just saw 3 bags of grapes in my fridge… so I was just wondering… 
-Shweta.
Hi Shweta (lovely name)
This grape and water fasting… can wine be substituted for grapes???
I think this has been well tried and tested, and on an ongoing basis in Irish pubs
Did we do it on a whim - yes . Not my whim but the whim of a healer who was facilitating a group of us on a healing course. He said he had a dream and that we should all go on a grape fast 
(subject to clearance from our doctor) for one week.
It was all done in a jovial maner as were the instructions, we were laughing and serious at the same time, if you know what I mean.
It was do do with spiritual clensing, getting in touch with our cravings, our emotional eating habits and tetoxing.
The two people that did the 30 days did loose some weight. Both were in their twenties and quite fit, the weight loss was not excessive.
Is it done in Ireland - only in the pubs, as stated above
Sometimes I felt a little weak and had to be careful about getting up too quickly from a chair. Slow methodical movements were the order of the day and the application of mindfulness and awareness in everything that I did - this was my safeguard in operating in my job environment, it was my grounding.
The girl that did the 30 days was operating a playschool with about 20 children at the time and managed to hold all this together, she did loose some weight but said her awareness and energy work with qi gong was amazing.
The chap that did it was unemployed with lots of spare time, he would also practice a lot of yoga and meditation. He managed quite well.
I think the grapes should be purple grapes and the water should be pure. Tap water with chlorine and/or flourine is not recommended.
The grapes apparently have a good tetox effect (including the pips) and also supply nutrients.
For more info on see
http://www.cancertutor.com/Cancer/GrapeCure.html
and
http://www.althealth.co.uk/services/info/misc/fasting1.php
The best of luck and make sure you ok it with your doctor
Louis
You are funny Louis. I thought Irish pubs were more about grains… not fruits… Oh well shows how much I know…
Thanks for the detailed reply. I was curious… will try it some day… not sure I could give up my cup of tea in the morning yet!!! 
-Shweta.
Yes Shweta, we do have a reputation for falling around the place slubbering pints of Guinness and saying the rosary. Times are changing however and the sophisticated european set now partake of the grape in abundant merryment
The rosary, which I was always very fond of, is being replaced with meditation and yoga. - have to get promoting AYP.
Yes, very partial to the cup of tea meself, to be sure
Louis
Not sure about that today Louis… I think I am giving up caffeine…
Well my grandma was British… I have heard a lot about the Irish from her … so I am sure I don’t have the whole picture… if you know what I mean
sparkle said:
we do have a reputation for falling around the place slubbering pints of Guinness and saying the rosary
Shanti your British grandmother is right — always trust the prejudices of older generations — all the stereotypes about the Irish are correct. I spend all my time slubbering pints of Guinness, saying the rosary, and contributing to AYP only in the small spaces between rosary and guinness.
Can’t you see excess alcohol and blind dogmatic belief written between the lines in everything I say and do?
David you are funny… so you are into the grain fasting huh??
Actually… other than a few things you hear that were never said and once when you were talking to yourself… I would have never guessed you were between your “slubbering pints of Guinness and saying the rosary” 