Kapalbhati Pranayama pronounced KAH-pah-lah-BAH-tee, is also known as Shining Forehead Breathing Exercise which helps us to prevent different diseases. Here “Kapal” meaning “forehead” and “Bhati” meaning “Shining”. This pranayama is to be done in a sitting position, a very good, simple but a powerful prayanama in the entire breathing exercise.
There are three forms of Kapalbhati Pranayama:
- Vatakrama Kapalbhati – This pranayama is quite similar to Bhastrika pranayama, except that exhalation is active meanwhile the inhalation is passive, just the reverse of normal breathing.
- Vyutkrama Kapalbhati – This pranayama is quite similar to Jala Neti.
- Sheetkrama Kapalbhati – This pranayama is just the opposite of Vyutkrama Kapalbhati, in which water is taken through the mouth and expelled through the nose.
Step to practice Kapalbhati Pranayama:
- Inhale through your nostrils normally until and unless your lungs are full.
- Now keep your inhalation slow but do not force.
- At the first time, feel the diaphragm move down, allowing the lungs to expand and forcing the abdomen out, then just feel your chest expand with your collar bones rising last.
- Now this is the time to exhale through both of the nostrils forcefully. This places emphasis of the breath on the exhale rather than the natural inhale.
- Now you need to assist your exhalation by pulling your stomach muscles to expel air. Exhaling need to take much less time that it took to inhale.
- Now repeat your breaths for 15- 16 minutes at least and take rest after every 5 minutes.
Benefits of Kapalbhati Pranayama:
- Kapalbhati pranayama can be done for the benefits of relaxation or for physical benefits.
- This pranayama is also very much effective for losing weight, because it helps to reduce fat from the abdominal muscles.
- This exercise clears our respiratory systems, prevent infections, and minimize allergies in the respiratory passages, if there is any. Helps to improve the flexibility of the diaphragm. If our diaphragm improves its stamina and flexibility, we can prevent the risk of developing hernias.
- Kapalbhati pranayama improves blood circulation. It improves the flow of oxygen in the entire body.
