Kapalbhati Pranayama is a Sanskrit word that is made up of two words Kapal + Bhati. Kapal means “frontal” and Bhati means “radiance” or “light”. Therefore, with the regular practice of Kapalbhati, there is a glow on the face.
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Kaplabhati is a respiratory yogic kriya in which rapid contraction and expansion of the stomach are done by exhaling breath through the nose. The verbs of Shatkarma are:
Neti – for the purification of the nasal cavities
Nauli – For purification of digestive organs
Tratak – To strengthen the eyes
Basti – For cleansing the large intestine
Kapalbhati – for the purification of the head area
In this article, we have mentioned the method, benefits, precautions, and important things of doing Kapalbhati Pranayama (Kapalbhati) yoga.
Benefits of doing Kapalbhati
- It is very beneficial in reducing weight fast. Because Kapalbhati improves blood circulation and digestion to a great extent.
- Kapalbhati Pranayama relaxes the eyes, thereby helping to remove dark circles and premature signs of aging.
- Regular practice of Kapalbhati brings a glow to the face.
- Kapalbhati Pranayama calms your mind, which removes stress and anxiety from the mind.
- This pranayama increases the capacity of the lungs and makes them strong.
- Helps in getting rid of sinus and asthma diseases.
- Eliminates problems related to acidity and gas.
- Improves memory power and concentration.
- The action stimulates the internal organs, especially the abdominal ones.
- Kapalbhati activates the chakras in the body.
Pranayama to be done before Kapalbhati –
- Bhastrika Pranayama
- Agnisar Pranayama
How to do Kapalbhati –
- To do Kapalbhati Pranayama, sit in Vajrasana or Sukhasana. Keep your spine straight, keep your shoulders and neck relaxed.
- Keep both hands in Dhyana Mudra or Gyan Mudra.
- When both the nostrils are open, take a deep breath and start exhaling with force while squeezing the stomach.
- Your entire focus should be on exhaling only forcefully. The breath itself goes in in small intervals.
- Now, from both the nostrils of the costar nose, keep on exhaling the breath with force only while squeezing it in the stomach.
- Try to do this process 40 to 50 times in 1 minute.
- If you feel tired after a few strokes, you can relax and start again by taking a long deep breath.
- And by practicing slowly, the number of strokes can be increased to 100 in 1 minute.
Types of Kapalbhati Pranayama-
Vatakrama Kapalbhati: This is the type we mentioned above, where the exhalation is active, and the inhalation is passive.
Vyutkrama Kapalbhati: In this process, you sniff in the water through your nostrils, let it flow through your mouth, and finally exhale it through your lips.
Sheetkrama Kapalbhati: This is the opposite of inverse Kapalbhati. In this process, you have to take water from your mouth and take it out through your nostrils.
Precautions and Contraindications in doing Kapalbhati –
- Patients with heart, asthma and high blood pressure should do slow breathing with exhalation.
- Pregnant women should not do Kapalbhati Pranayama during menstruation.
- Patients with ulcers and hernias should also not do Kapalbhati Kriya.
- The excessive practice of Kapalbhati Pranayama can cause dizziness and headache.
