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Kapal Bhati (often spelt Kapalbhati) a word of Sanskrit origin stands for cleansing breath. It is a power breathing technique that can help manage blues, stress, anxiety, negativity and depression. I always feel a dramatic change after a five or ten minute session of Kapalbhati. It is an ancient Yogic exercise used for centuries for mind detoxification. In fact it is the only technique used for mind purification among all yogic exercises. The results are astonishing.
Modern scientists suggest laughing for health, laughter being the best medicine. In fact laughter and Kapal Bhati work in similar fashion. The effect is an increased supply of oxygen in the blood and balanced bio-chemicals including changes in hormone levels. Seems unbelievable? Yes…
Kapalbhati is a remarkable de-stressing tool. It helps clear the mind of all negative emotions. If literally translated from Sanskrit the word “Kapal” means the skull and “Bhati” means shining. Thus “Kapalbhati” stands for a head that is sparkling clean and devoid of all toxins.
Who should avoid doing Kapalbhati?
Anyone suffering from hernia, severe heart issues, obstructed nasal passage, abdominal ulcers and some other issues which are beyond the scope of this post should avoid Kapalbhati. It is never to be done by women during pregnancy and menstruation. It is advisable to consult a Yoga exert before starting anything as powerful as Kapalbhati.
How to do Kapal Bhati
It is a simple exercise but for full benefits it should be practiced properly. It is traditionally done sitting cross-legged with the spine erect. If you find sitting cross-legged difficult, do it sitting in a chair but never standing up. Once you sit down the hands are placed on the knees in Gyan mudra with palms facing up. For Gyan Mudra simply make a circle with your index finger and the thumb, tips touching. It is good to start with two to three minutes of simple deep breathing with eyes closed and concentrating on every breath. Then to begin Kapal Bhati, simply breath in, with the mouth closed quickly forcing the air out through the nostrils producing a puffing sound. Repeat this about 50 to 60 times a minute, but shoot for exactly 60 times. Continue for 4 to 5 minutes. Rest a while, and do it again for 4 to 5 minutes. Initially one round should be enough. As you increase the number of rounds you could add simple deep breathing during the rest period between rounds. Make sure not to overdo it and if you have any discomfort, stop, don’t push yourself. If you have abdominal pain the next day stop until the pain goes away.
A gentler option could be to start with just 10 to 15 strokes in the beginning. Increase it by one stroke a day till you reach 60 strokes. Then gradually increase to about 5 minutes or 300 strokes. Continue at that level for some time before further increasing the number of rounds. How much you do and how you increase, would depend on your fitness, physical condition and body type. When I started I did 10 minutes the first day and increased it to 5 rounds of 5 minutes in one week, without any discomfort. However, I have seen people in my class who need to be very careful and increase very gradually. Listen to your body.
Now understand this. When you breathe normally it is around 10 to 12 times a minute of shallow breathing. During Kapalbhati you breathe 5 to 6 times more every minute drawing in more oxygen every time. Simple math tells us that 10 minutes of Kapalbhati is worth about one hour of breathing, not accounting for two to three times more air drawn in every time. Air called “Prana” in Sanskrit, is the most essential element for the human body to function. It is believed in Yoga and Ayurveda that by increasing the supply of “Prana” to the body you can cure many diseased. Many of our modern day diseases are in fact, one way or another related to less physical work and in turn reduced oxygen supply to every cells.
It is easy to see how Kapal Bhati works at the physical level. However, it is difficult to give a scientific explanation of how it works on the mind, but it does. It is a great distressing exercise as all forms of physical activity are, but the good news about Kapal Bhati is that if someone is really blue and doesn’t feel like going out it can be started in the bedroom itself. For best results it is advisable to do it in the morning and in the open. A word of caution, always do it at least 5 hours after a meal or a snack. With Kapal Bhati you can expect all the benefits of any aerobic workout, only more.
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