KapalbhatiPranayamawww.pranamay.co.uk&www.avani-yoga.co.uk

DebbieAvani

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Index

KapalbhatiPranayama…………………………………………………………………………………………3

TheShatkarmas(6cleansingactions)…………………………………………………………………..3

Pranayama………………………………………………...........................................................................4

Mental&Physicalbenefits………………………………………………..............................................4

Kapalbhati&thefrontallobeofthebrain…………………………………………………………….5

Contra-indications………………..………………………………………………………………………………5

TheTechnique………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

DailyPractice……………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

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KapalbhatiPranayama

Kapal=cranium/foreheadBhati=lightorsplendor

Kapalbhatipranayamameansskull-shiningbreath–sothispracticeactuallyhelpstoclearourhead,bringingasenseoffocusandclarity

Itsactioncreatesacleansingprocessonmanylevels–bothphysicallyandmentally-purifying,rejuvenating,andinvigoratingthemindandbody.

Whenyoupracticethisbreath,visualizeyourskullfillingwithabrightlight

Thiscleansingbreathcanhelpyounotonlyreleasestressandtoxinsfromthemindandbody,itcanalsohelpreleasenegativeemotions,shakeoffsluggishness,andenergize

TheShatkarmas

Kapalbhatipranayamaisconsideredtobeoneoftheshatkarmas…

TheShatkarmaorthesixpurificationtechniquesinHathaYogaaredesignedtomakethebodystrongandhealthy.

• ‘Shat’meanssixand‘Karma’heremeansamethodortechnique.• Shatkarmasareconsideredpreparatorystepstowardshigherpracticesof

pranayamaandmeditation.

TheancientRishisrecognizedtheimportanceofahealthybodyforallactivities,whetherworldlyorspiritual.HathaYoga,asexplainedinthetext‘HathaYogaPradapika’,isaimedatmakingthebodyandmindfitforhigherpracticesofRajaYoga.

TheShatkarmasaresaidtomakethebodycleanandstrong,freeofdiseases,removetoxinsandimproveconcentration.Theycanalsoimprovetheflowofpranaintotheorgansandthepranicmeridiansornadis.

Thesixtechniquesare

• Dhauti• Basti• Neti• Trataka• Nauli• Kapalbhati

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Pranayama

ThefourthlimboftheeightfoldpathisPranayama,whichisrelatedtotheflowofprana-or‘lifeforce’-throughoutourbody.Themosteffectivewaytoinfluencethismovementofpranatobringaboutthe"ultimatequietness"(inourphysicalandmentalbodies)isthroughthebreath.

Pranamayaisoftenneatlydividedintotwowords–prana&yama

• Pranameaning'lifeforce'or'energysource'• Yamameaning'control'or'restraint’.• Inthisrespect‘pranayama’cantranslatedinto'breathcontrol'.

However,thesamewordmaybedifferentlydividedintoprana&ayama.

• WhereYamameansto'restrain'or'control',Ayamameanstheopposite-i.e.tonotdothat.

• SothismeansthatinaPranayamapractice,wearenotinfacttryingtocontroltheprana,butinsteadtofreeit.

Whatevertheinterpretation,there'snodoubtthataregularandsustainedpracticeofPranayamanotonly‘supercharges’ourentirebodybutpreparesourmindfordeepmeditation.

SomeofthementalbenefitsofKapalbhatiinclude

• Sensitizationandpurificationofthewholebodysystem

• Removesdistractionfromthemind–bringsstillnessandmentalclarity

• Energizesthemind–removinglethargy

• Givesinitialtasteofbreathlessnesswhenwereleasethebreathduetothepurifyingofthesystem

• Connectsuswithinternalenergy–sometimesfeelabuzzafterpractice

Onaphysicallevelthispracticecleansesthelungs,bronchialtubesandprettymuchallthetissuesofthebodyasthebloodiscleansedduetotheactionoftheexhale!

SomeofthephysicalbenefitsofKaplabhatiinclude

• Relaxesabdominaltension

• Cleansesthelungs–goodforasthmatics,bronchitis,respiratoryproblems

• Balancesandstrengthensthenervoussystem

• Tonesdigestiveorgans

• Clearsmucusandthesinuses

• Cleansesthefrontallobeofthebrains

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Kapalbhatiandthefrontallobeofthebrain

AndreVanLysbethaBelgianYogaTeacherandauthorofmanybooksfoundthat(usehandgesturetoexplainhere)

• Duringnormalinhalation–fluidaroundthebrainiscompressed–BRAINCONTRACTS

• Duringexhalation–fluidisdecompressed–BRAINEXPANDS

• ThusKapalbhatiincreasesthismassagingeffectstimulatingthebrain3to7timesmore

Thisexplainsthemanybenefitspracticingthisamazingbreathingpracticebrings–especiallyifwefocusourawarenessofthisexpansionandcontractionattheforeheadasthenameKapalsuggests!

Thepartofthebrainatthefrontoftheskulliscalledthefrontallobe

• Thefrontallobeisthepartofthebrainthatcontrolsimportantcognitiveskillsinhumans,suchasemotionalexpression,problemsolving,memory,language,judgment,andsexualbehavior.

• Itis,inessence,the“controlpanel”ofourpersonalityandourabilitytocommunicate.

• It’salsoresponsibleforprimarymotorfunction,orourabilitytoconsciouslymoveourmuscles,andthetwokeyareasrelatedtospeech.

• Thefrontallobeislargerandmoredevelopedinhumansthaninanyotherorganism.

Asitsnameindicates,thefrontallobeisatthefrontofthebrain.Therighthemisphereofthefrontallobecontrolstheleftpartofthebody,andviceversa.

ThisfurtherexplainswhytheYogisfeltthatKapalbhatibalancedourenergeticbody

• PurifyingandbalancingIda(leftside)andPingala(rightside)• Alsobalancingallthreethedoshas(constitutions)–Kapha(mucus)–Pitta(bile)

–Vata(wind)

Contra-Indications

Kapalabhatishouldnotbepracticedbypregnantormenstruatingwomen.

Itisalsocontraindicatedforindividualswithhighorlowbloodpressure,heartdisease,hernia,gastriculcer,epilepsy,vertigo,migraineheadaches,significantnosebleeds,detachedretina,glaucoma,historyofstroke,andforanyonewhohasundergonerecentabdominalsurgery.

Ifyouexperiencevertigoduringorafterthispractice,pleasediscontinueuntilyoucanconsultwithaqualifiedyogateacher.

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Kapalbhati–thetechnique

It’sagreatpreparatorybreathingpracticethatpreparesthebodyforothermorecomplexbreathingpractices–partlyduetoitspurifyingqualitiesandalsoduetothestrengthitencouragesintheabdominalmuscles.

Thebreathingpracticeitselfreversesthenaturalactionofthebreath,whichmeansthebraincentresthatcontrolnormalbreathingfunctionbecomemoreversatile.Thishasshowntoreducetheactivityofthebrain,stillingfluctuation&bringingasenseofcalmandease….

• Innormalcircumstancestheinhalationisactiveandtheexhalationispassive(meaningithappensautomaticallyasaresultoftheinhalation)

• HoweverwithKapalbhatiweconsciouslyandactivelydrawtheabdominalmusclestowardsthespineonaforcefulexhalationwhichpushestheairoutofthelungsbyrapidlyliftingthediaphragmandthensimplyallowthediaphragmtoreleasewhichpullstheairpassivelybackintothelungs

• Thetricktokeepingthebreathsteadyistoallowaslightpauseaftereachrapidexhalesothatthediaphragmrelaxesfullyreadyforthenextexhalation

• Ifwedon’tallowforthispausethenthebreathwilleventuallyrunout

Wecanusethisreverseactiontoouradvantagewhenpracticing-wecanimaginewhenpracticingallthoughtsthatwewishtoreleasebeingexpelledalongwiththeexhalation–clearingspaceandfreedominthemind.

BreakingthePracticeofKapalbhatidownintosmallstages

Sitinacomfortablepositionwhereyoucankeepthebackuprightandtheabdomenlong–thiscanbeeitherinacrossleggedorkneelingpositiononthefloor,usinganypropsthatmightbeappropriate–orsatonastraightbackedchairwithyourfeetflatonthefloor.Whateverpositionyouchooseyoushouldbeabletomaintainitwithouteffortsoastofocusonthebreathingpractice….

Practice1–helpstogetusedtothemusclesatplay

• Simplycontracttheabdominalwallslowlyandfeelitpullallthewaybacktowardsthespine

• Slowlyreleasethemusclesuntiltheyarefullyrelaxed

Practice2–introducingthebreath

• Exhaleslowandlongthroughthenosewhilstcontractingtheabdominalmusclesasabove

• Lettheabdomenreleasewithoutactivelyinhalingandyouwillfeelthebreathbeingdrawnintothebodyasthediaphragmreleases

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Practice3–withaforcefulexhalation

• Exhaleforcefullythroughthenoseandatthesametimecontracttheabdominalmuscles

• Lettheabdomenreleasetoallowtheairbackintothelungs

Rememberwearereversingthenaturalactionofthebreathsodon’tworryifit’salittleconfusingtobeginwith;)

Practice4–steadyrhythm,Ibreathepersecond

• Nowthatyouhavethemechanicsofthepracticetake3x10breaths

• Alwayspausetoabsorbthebenefitsofthepracticeinbetweenrounds

• Rememberthetricktokeepingthebreathsteadyistoallowaslightpauseaftereachrapidexhalesothatthediaphragmrelaxesfullyreadyforthenextexhalation

Ourfocuswhenpracticingshouldbeheldatthepointbetweentheeyebrows–eachtimewetakeastrongexhalationweendeavortofeelthisbreathbeingreleasedfromdeepwithinthecentreofthehead,lettinggoofallwenolongerneed.

Theactionofthebreathcomesfromtheabdomen,whichhelpstotone&cleansethedigestiveandrespiratorysystemskeepingourenergeticcentresatthenavel(personalpower)andthechest(emotionalself)clearandbright….

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DailyKapalabhatiPractice

Theimportantthingtorememberforthisexerciseisthatyourinhaleispassiveandyourexhaleistheforceful,powerfulmovement.Startthispracticeataslowpace,andwithtimeyoucanbuildsomespeedifitfeelscomfortableforyoutodoso.

• Sitcomfortablyinanuprightpostureandrestyourhandsonyourlowerbellyorinamudra(handgesture)ofyourchoice.Ifyou’resittinginachair,makesuretoplacebothfeetontheground.

• Takeadeep,cleansingbreathbeforeyoubegin,inthroughyournoseandoutthroughyourmouth.

• Inhaledeeplythroughyournose,fillingyourbellywithairabout¾wayfull.

• Inaquickmotion,forcefullyexpelalltheairfromyourlungsthroughyournosewhiledrawingyournavelintowardyourspine.Theprimarymovementisfromyourdiaphragm.

• Allowyourlungstofillupnaturally,withnoeffortasyourbellyexpands.

• Performthiscycle10times,thenallowyourbreathingtoreturntonormalandobservethesensationsinyourbody.

• Repeatthesecyclesof10movements,3times.

WhentoUseKapalabhati

NOTE-alwayspracticewithanemptystomachsonotrecommendeddirectlyafterfood!

• Inthemorning:SincetheKapalabhatibreathissoenergizing,tryitfirstthinginthemorningforaninvigoratingwake-upcall.

• Mid-afternoon:Ifyou’refeelingacaseofthemid-dayslumpcomeon,tryafewroundsofKapalabhatitoenergizeyourmindandbodytopoweryouthroughtherestoftheday.

• Anytimewhenyouneedtoclearyoumindandfocusyourattention

Howlongshouldourpracticebe?

Alwaysbeginyourpracticeslowly–rememberKapalbhatiwillcleansethesystemonalllevels,soifyouarenotusedtothepracticethecleansingprocessmayhappentooquicklyleavingyoufeelingoffcentre!

• Adailypracticecouldbe3x10breathstobeginwith

• Slowlyincreasethebreathsifpracticingregularlyuntilthereisnoneedtocountatallandyousimplypracticeforperiodoftimethatsuitsyoursystem…

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AnyQuestions?

Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutyourpracticepleasedonothesitatetocontactmyinthecommentsboxonthewebsitebelowthetutorialoremailme-debbie@avani-yoga.co.uk

YoursinYoga–DebbieAvani

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