Kapalabhati- Cleansing, Clearing Breath
Kapala means “skull,” and bhati means “that which brings lightness.”
Kapalabhati is a breath technique (pranayama) used specifically for cleansing and purifying the lungs and nasal passages. This pranyama is also one of the six kriyas, purificatory exercises.
In kapalabhati the breath is strong and fast and it comes from the abdomen rather than the chest muscles. If you have mucus in your throat or lungs, this breath will help to clear it out. Through kapalbhati, we pump the lungs and expel blockages out through the nostrils.
This breath can help relieve sore or numb eyes, sinus pressure and tension in the chest. People suffering from asthma will benefit from this breath as kapalabhati tones the respiratory system. This breath oxygenates the blood and improves circulation.
Kapalabhati stimulates every cell in the body, increases prana, shanti and shakti.
One Sivananda yoga expert explains, “When the vital nerve current is stimulated through this exercise, the entire spine will be like a live wire and one can feel the movement of the nerve current. Great quantities of carbon dioxide gas are eliminated. Intake of oxygen makes the blood richer and renews the body tissues. Moreover, the constant movements of the diaphragm up and down act as a stimulant to the stomach, liver and pancreas.”
TECHNIQUE:
1. After finding a comfortable seated pose, take a few deep breaths. Notice if your diaphragm is moving properly. With inhale, the belly fills and the diaphragm descends. With exhale, the diaphragm moves upward and pushes the lungs up, the belly empties and naturally draws in toward the spine. Focus attention greater on exhalation than inhalation.
2. Begin with one deep inhalation and ten or fifteen expulsions/ rapid contractions. At the end of ten expulsions, take a deep inhalation and hold the air as long as possible. Exhale fully. Between rounds, breathe normally for necessary rest.
3. Try staring with three rounds of practice (each round is one deep inhale and ten expulsions). With time increase practice to five or six rounds. After practicing kapalabhati regularly for three-four weeks, increase to twenty or twenty five expulsions.
International Sivananda Yoga School teaching: “[Kapalabhati] will add oxygen value and bring a peculiar, pleasant vibration throughout the body, as though you are bathing every tissue of the body with energy. A few days’ practice will convince you of its wonderful, stimulating sensation.”
Enjoy the many benefits of the enriching breath technique.
Tip: Blow your nose before you begin!