From beneath: the gut, the breath, sleep, the hands

Laghu śaṅkha prakṣālana

On an empty stomach, in the morning, after the toilet; nothing eaten for eight hours. Warm water, lightly salted: nine grams of non-iodised salt in a litre.

Drink one glass (200 millilitres) at a sitting. Then five postures, each eight times, both sides: tāḍāsana, tiryaka tāḍāsana, kaṭi cakrāsana, tiryaka bhujaṅgāsana, udarākarṣaṇāsana.

Then the next glass, then the same five. Up to six or eight glasses. When the urge comes, the toilet at once. Water, postures and toilet until the water that comes out is as clear as the water drunk.

Then twenty or thirty minutes of śavāsana. No other practice that day, only rest, and plain water. Never alone: in the camp, with a teacher. There are no photographs of it yet; it is in words, in the module's own description.

The days after · khichdi with ghee

For the next few days only light, warm khichdi, rice and mung, with ghee. Then, slowly, the rest of the food.

The washed gut settles again in these days, and what is eaten decides what settles. Washing is a fresh start.

Phase one's five · until the sweat comes

Phase one's page, the five doors in order, breathing through the nose. Let the sweat come to the forehead; the blood comes to the skin.

When the sweat comes, do not wipe it off; rub it into the body with the palms, as the old text says. The sweat is the same; now it is the sweat of work.

The complete breath · sitting, six a minute

The yogic breathing page, the complete breath, the first level: four in, six out. Fill from the bottom, empty from the top.

At this slowness the flow in the skin's fine vessels moves with the breath. Hold nowhere.

Kapola

Round the lips like a crow's beak and draw the air in, the cheeks fully puffed, the chin towards the notch of the throat, the breath held. Hold to comfort, then let the breath go slowly through the nose; never with a jerk. A few times.

The module says it brings a fresh bloom to the cheeks. There are no photographs of it yet; it is in words.

Aṅguli, at that moment

When you notice the hand going towards the skin: stop. The arms forward, the fingers a cobra's hood, the arms stiff.

The out-breath long, longer than the in-breath. Until the urge has passed; then let the hands go loose.

Among people, the same hood low, at your sides: the fingers spread and stiff. An itch passes, if it is left alone.

Kara-tala

Feet together, the body straight. Arms forward at shoulder height, the fingers spread as far as they will go. From the wrists drive the palms hard up and down, as if the fingers wanted to touch the arm. Then the arms to the sides, bent at the elbows, the same.

There are no photographs of it yet; it is in words, in the module's own description.

Aṅguli, then Aṅgula-mūla

Aṅguli: the arms forward. The fingers spread like a cobra's hood, and the whole arm stiff from the shoulder to the fingertips, so stiff that it trembles. Then with the elbows bent, the same.

Aṅgula-mūla: the same arms forward and stiff, but the hand beyond the wrist loose, hanging. The arm holds; the hand lets go.

To begin with the module gives Aṅguli five minutes, and Aṅgula-mūla five and then two. Slowly, and begin with as much as you can. Keep breathing throughout.

The complete breath in śavāsana, then sleep

On the back, one hand on the belly, one on the chest. Fill from the bottom: belly, chest, collarbones. The out-breath long. Hold nowhere.

Ten breaths, then simply lie there, and sleep. In sleep the skin repairs its barrier.

A dry cloth, and water

Change out of the wet clothes, dry the body with a dry cloth, and drink water.

This is the alarm system the drug had held down. It comes down.

Then the complete breath, lying down

On the back, one hand on the belly, one on the chest. Fill from the bottom: belly, chest, collarbones.

The out-breath long, longer than the in-breath. Hold nowhere. Ten breaths, then simply lie there.

Nails, water, and oil

Nails short. Bathe with plain water; no harsh soap. A little oil on dry skin after the bath.

Cotton clothes. Water after the sweat.

Yellow eyes, sores that spread, or sweat at night with a cough and fever: a doctor.