Learn Nauli Kriya In 9 Steps to Transmute Your Life-Force Energy

Is it Nauli Kriya, Nauli Yoga, or is it Alien Yoga? 👽

If you follow yoga trends on social media, you’ll unquestionably have come across the latest stomach contortion craze sweeping the internet.

People across platforms are raving about this new “Alien Yoga.”

The strange name comes from yogis' seemingly out-of-this-world control over their abdominal muscles. Some of the abdominal contractions in people doing nauli kriya are quite something!

So what is Alien Yoga exactly?

Contrary to its viral name, there’s nothing extra-terrestrial about this classic yoga move.

Classical Hatha Yoga refers to it as Nauli Kriya. It’s a term that can be traced back to the yoga text Hatha Yoga Pradipika from the 15th century.

And one that is often illustrated as a rocky boat on a stormy sea – as can be seen in this Nauli Kriya video:

The Satkarma Kriya System

Nauli is one of the six practices from the Satkarma Kriya system. It is also known as the six cleansing techniques for the body.

The Satkarmas are thought of as a way to purify the body for subtler yogic practices such as breathing techniques and meditation.

According to renowned author and yogic scholar James Mallinson, in the tantric tradition, Satkarma translates to ‘the six magical acts.’

These acts, or techniques, were considered to cure several diseases of the physical body and to clear and control the mind.

The 6 Cleansing Techniques: Satkarma

1. Netī (nasal cleansing using either water or a thin string)
2. Dhautī (cleansing of the digestive tract)
3. Naulī (movement of the abdominal muscles)
4. Basti (enema)
5. Kapālabhātī (vigorous breathing)
6. Trāṭaka (focusing of the eyes at a singular point)

“These six techniques, which purify the body, should be kept secret. They confer wonderful abilities and are esteemed by the best yogis.” – Hatha Pradipika 2.23

It is mentioned in the yogic texts that reaching higher levels of Tantric Hatha yoga is challenging without the proper practice of the purification mentioned above techniques.

The Benefits Of Nauli Kriya

It’s one of the most vigorous exercises from the secret world of tantric Hatha Yoga.

“It always stokes a sluggish [digestive] fire, fixes the digestion and so on, and brings joy. It removes all imbalances and diseases. This nauli is the crown of hatha techniques.” – Hathapradipika 2.32-35

This yoga practice includes intestinal cleansing and creates robust purification in the abdominal region and organs. As such, it is considered the best abdominal cleansing technique.

Let’s take a look at 5 nauli kriya benefits:

1. It improves digestion and activates your inner energy and fire, further burning negative thoughts away from your mind. It is one of the best tools to unlock your Manipura chakra.
2. The inner abdominal organs—the spleen, kidneys, pancreas, gall bladder, and adrenal glands—are all stimulated, restoring their proper functioning.
3. Using the abdominal muscles strengthens them, resulting in a flatter and more toned belly.
4. The vigorous movement of the abdominal muscles also decreases constipation and bloating! It is pretty standard to feel the need to use the bathroom after an intense Nauli session, thus making Nauli a pretty valuable tool to turn to when you feel constipated.
5. According to the Ayurvedic science of medicine, Nauli balances the three main body characteristics: Vata (wind), Kapha (mucus), and Pitta (bile).

How Wim Hof Uses The Brain To Control The Nervous System

Performing Nauli by exercising control over the abdominal muscles also stimulates the nerves in the abdominal region. In turn, this positively affects the nervous system.

This stimulation serves as a bridge between the voluntary and the involuntary nervous system.

Bridging is generally what advanced yogis do to take control of various processes of their being. It is usually considered involuntary.

This control reflects how the Dutch athlete Wim Hof can withstand extreme cold—an aspect he attributes to his yoga-inspired breathing technique.

Multiple scientific tests have proven that Wim Hof can voluntarily shut down his body's functions and activate his nervous system on command.

This recent scientific research on Wim Hof is consistent with what yogis and tantrikas of India and Tibet described long before it, though it should be read carefully: the study measured breathing technique and cold exposure, not nauli, so it supports the broader principle of voluntary influence over autonomic function rather than any specific claim about this practice.

Nauli Kriya Balances Manipura Chakra

Practice nauli in the morning. Before breakfast and on an empty stomach is best. This is a great way to jump-start your day.

Nauli tends to give you a boost of fire energy. This is because it activates and purifies your navel (solar plexus) chakra – the Manipura, which governs the fire element. Trust me, it’s better than an espresso!

“The technique called nauli [purifies] the Manipura [chakra] in the navel.” – Hatharatnavali 1.63

Once the Manipura chakra is balanced and purified, the emotions associated with this chakra, such as anxiety and stress, will also ease.

You’ll find feelings such as vigor, and dynamism will increase.

How To Perform The Nauli Kriya

It’s an advanced yogic practice that involves mastering several techniques and then merging them into one wave-like movement:

1. Breath retention, called bahya kumbhaka,
2. The abdominal lock called uddiyana bandha,
3. The isolation of three different abdominal muscle groups – the central pillar, left pillar, and right pillar of the abdomen.

“With the shoulders rounded, the yogi should, with a fast and forceful rotation, revolve the belly left and right. The adepts call this nauli.” – Hathapradipika 2.32-35

How to do nauli kriya in 9 steps:

1. Begin by entering the starting position:

• Stand with legs shoulder-width apart and toes slightly pointed outwards.
• Hinge forward at the hips, placing hands on the thighs above slightly bent knees.
• Fingers must point inwards and towards each other, placed just above but not resting on the knees.
• The spine must remain straight in alignment – neither curved nor arched.

2. Take three preparatory deep breaths, to warm-up your lungs.

3. With a strong exhalation through the mouth, crouch into a squatting position to expel all air from the lungs.

• Hold your breath without inhaling. One void retention equals one performance of Nauli. This is the “nauli breathing pattern.”

4. Rise back up to the starting position again, this time without air in the lungs.

• In the beginning, looking down at your bare abdomen is helpful to see what is going on.

5. Perform ‘uddiyana bandha’ - the abdominal lock.

• Pull the belly in and upwards, pulling it close to the spine to create a concave underneath the rib cage.
• When done correctly, your chest and shoulders will naturally lift up towards your head.

6. Isolate the muscles of the middle abdominal area, creating a pillar coming out. That stretches from the base of the pelvic floor up until the rib cage. This step is called Madhyama-nauli.

• It can be difficult to learn how to control muscles that you’ve never used before so have patience.
• Placing a mirror on the floor under you can help you to learn to control the abdominal muscles. With the visual aspect added, things become easier.
• For beginners, it can help to practice ‘pumping’ the stomach while holding the breath. This entails rapidly performing uddiyana bandha (step 5) and releasing it, several times during one breath retention.

7. Balance your body weight towards the left side by leaning onto your left arm. move the middle pillar of your abdominal muscles to the left side. This is called the Vama-nauli.

• Repeat with the right side which is called the Daksina-nauli, as demonstrated in the above image.
• After mastering Nauli Kriya, leaning your body to one arm will not be necessary any longer. It’s mainly to help you find and isolate the side muscles.

8. Combine the three pillars into one churning wave movement.

• Once you begin to gain control over all three pillars, it will be quite easy to combine them to create the wave-like movement.
• It’s important to perform equal amounts of the wave movement on both sides to equalize the polarity of the energy. So, for instance, if you do 7 waves to the left, also do 7 waves to the right.

9. At the end of the equalized wave movement, you can add a few rounds - usually three - of the middle pillar 'pump' movement before releasing the practice.

• You do this by performing the middle pillar and releasing the middle pillar.
• It’s almost the same as ‘pumping’ the stomach as we did with the uddiyana bandha—this time only with the muscles of the middle pillar. The stomach remains actively engaged at all times (see image 1), which differs from a flabby stomach from releasing the muscular tension.
• If you want to feel an intense sensation of energy shooting up your spine, hold the last performance of the middle pillar. Push it out at the end for as long as you can. Go beyond your comfort zone by holding it a second or two longer than you usually can.

Keep in mind that mastering Nauli Kriya takes time and effort. If you expect to master it on your first attempt, you will be disappointed. On average, most people find that it takes about a month of steady practice to accomplish

How Long Should I Perform Nauli Kriya?

• For beginners, to see the beneficial effects, it is recommended to start with 3 minutes per day.
• Advanced yogis may perform it for 15-30 min per day.
• Perform each set for as long as you can hold it.
• You are welcome to strive towards 21 (the yogic number) rounds in each direction – clockwise and anticlockwise – which makes 42 rounds in total.

When NOT To Practice Nauli Kriya

Nauli works by creating a strong pressure differential in the abdomen. You exhale completely, lift the diaphragm, and the abdominal contents are drawn upward and inward. That vacuum is the entire point of the technique — and it is also why the list below is worth reading properly rather than skimming. Anything already under pressure in your abdomen, or anything that reacts badly to a sudden pressure change, is a reason not to practise.

To be straight about the evidence: direct research on nauli itself is almost non-existent, so this list comes from the classical manuals and from yoga-therapy practice rather than from clinical trials. The mechanism it rests on is not in question, though, and one adjacent finding is worth knowing — a study measuring intraocular pressure during common yoga positions recorded a significant rise within one minute, in subjects both with and without glaucoma.

• Women who are pregnant, and children under 12.
• Anyone menstruating — wait until the cycle has finished.
• Hernia of any kind — inguinal, umbilical or hiatal. The upward pull is precisely the force a hernia tolerates worst.
• Stomach or intestinal ulcers, colitis, or active inflammatory bowel disease.
• Recent abdominal or pelvic surgery. Wait for clearance from your surgeon, not merely for the pain to stop.
• High blood pressure or heart disease.
• Glaucoma or raised intracranial pressure.
• Gallstones or kidney stones, which a sudden pressure change can shift.
• People with severe abdominal issues, such as an abdominal tumor, should seek the advice of a medical practitioner and an advanced yoga teacher before attempting this exercise.
• Practice on an empty stomach only. It is best done in the morning. However, it can also be done 4 hours after a meal, 1.5 hours after a beverage or cigarette, and at least 8 hours after consuming alcohol.
• Water is not considered breaking a fast.

Transmuting Life-Force Energy With Nauli Kriya

Is your vital life-force energy feeling suppressed lately?

Or is there simply an air of heaviness around you regarding performance?

If so, practicing nauli for just 10 minutes a day can bring a much lighter, more charged feeling.

This is because it sublimates the stagnant energy in your lower chakras, such as the root and sacral chakra.

Even better is to combine nauli kriya with regular mula bandha—kegels practices for men.

This positive feeling occurs because it transmutes the frequency of your energy into a different vibration. Energy that vibrates at a different frequency, making you feel energized and refreshed.

The power of your focus will direct this energy. Of course, the direction also depends upon your intention and what you want to increase in your life.

For example, you need to study for a test but are not entirely satisfied. Maybe you feel lazy and lethargic.

You could turn that gross, heavy energy into refined mental energy. Refined mental energy equals clarity and focus.

Once you have transmuted it, you can focus on your studies. This new focus comes without feeling distracted by procrastination energies.

A similar transmutation happens with your erotic lustful impulse. You are channeling your inner Kundalini energy towards a non-sexual purpose.

We can achieve abundance, health, increased digestive fire, and spiritual evolution with kriyas, pranayama, and bandhas.

Conclusion: Master Nauli Kriya

Do you want to master nauli kriya and transmute your vital life-force energy into manifesting your ideal love life?

Then it would be best if you considered joining my tantra workshops or private mentoring program.

This is for you whether you're married and struggling with a passionless relationship or you're single and struggling with dating high-quality women.

This transmutation of life-force energy to the desired outcome is one of the results that I help men achieve through The Tantric Man Experience.

If you are interested in mastering special techniques for manifesting your ideal love life, watch my free training video for men.

Nauli Kriya FAQ