Every traditional system holds that the body accumulates something that periodically needs clearing — ama in Ayurveda, and its equivalents elsewhere. Modern physiology describes this differently: the liver, kidneys, gut, lungs and skin do the work continuously and do not require assistance from products.
But the practices themselves are often sound, for reasons the tradition did not know. Rest from constant eating, adequate fibre, water and sleep genuinely support the organs that do the clearing.
Fasting is the oldest practice in this section and the one with the most serious modern research behind it. Periods without food trigger real metabolic changes: insulin falls, the body shifts toward fat as fuel, and cellular housekeeping processes including autophagy increase. Studies of time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting show improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and body weight for many people.
The Indian tradition has practised this for millennia. Jain fasting, Ekadashi, Ramzan and the Christian fasts all rest on the same observation.
Gentle forms to begin with: a twelve to fourteen hour overnight gap between dinner and breakfast, which most people manage without difficulty. One light day a week — fruit, vegetables and water only. A day of water fasting is a step beyond that and should not be a first attempt.
Please do not fast if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, underweight, diabetic on medication (the risk of hypoglycaemia is real and serious), taking regular medication that must be taken with food, elderly and frail, under eighteen, or if you have any history of an eating disorder.
Extended fasting of several days needs medical supervision. Break a fast gently — fruit or thin khichdi, not a full meal. If you feel faint, confused or unwell, stop and eat.
If fasting has become something you feel you must do, or a way of controlling weight that you find hard to stop, that is worth talking to someone about. Please speak to your doctor.
The yogic shatkarma include jala neti (nasal irrigation with saline, genuinely useful for sinus congestion and allergy — use boiled or distilled water, never straight tap water), kunjal (therapeutic vomiting), shankhaprakshalana (a full intestinal wash) and basti.
Neti is safe and worth learning. The stronger practices should be learned under supervision, and are not suitable if you have ulcers, hernia, high blood pressure, heart disease or are pregnant.
The old site carried pages on the "zapper" — a small electrical device promoted by Hulda Clark as killing parasites and curing disease. I have not carried those across. The claims behind it have no scientific support, the underlying theory that all disease is caused by parasites is false, and Clark's promotion of it led to regulatory action. Applying current to yourself in the belief it is treating an illness carries real risk, including delaying proper treatment. I would rather say so plainly than quietly drop it.
This site is a personal account and a record of traditional practice, shared for information. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a treatment for any disease. I am not a doctor.
If you are unwell — and especially if you have a serious illness such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease — please stay under the care of a qualified physician. Nothing here should replace or delay that care.