KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA

Method

Kapala means 'brain, forehead', and bhati means 'glow, radiance, lustre, luminosity, etc.' The pranayama which gives glow, radiance, lustre to the brain or forehead is called kapalabhati.

1) The procedure of this pranayama is a bit different from bhastrika. In recaka and puraka in the bhastrika pranayama, equal pressure is exerted on inhalation and exhalation, while in kapalbhati the whole attention is on recaka, i.e. exhaling vigorously. No effort is made to breathe in, the air that is breathed in naturally is allowed to be inhaled; the whole emphasis is on throwing the air outside. While doing this there is naturally contraction and expansion of abdomen and special force is exerted on muladhara (pelvic plexus), svadhisthana (hypogastric plexus) and manipura cakra (solar plexus).

2) The noble resolution (Siva sankalpa) during kapalbhati.

3) While doing kapalabhati pranayama one should resolve in mind that with the air exhaled by him all the diseases and disorders of the body are being thrown out, being eradicated. The recaka (exhalation) procedure should be performed with the feeling that he is expelling all the physical diseases and disorders as well as the mental flaws and distortions like lust, anger, greed, delusion, envy, attachment, aversion, etc. With this resolution of eradication of diseases and disorders while exhaling, one gets a lot of benefit.

Duration

If done non-stop kapalabhati pranayama is done 60 times in one minute or 300 times in 5 minutes. Very sick and weak persons get tired in 2-3 minutes in the beginning, but in 10-15 days every person becomes capable of doing kapalabhati non- stop for 5 minutes.

Kapalabhati must be done for 5 minutes in one sitting. One cannot get full benefit if it is done for a lesser time. With the increase in capacity after a long practice as well as with the maturity of experience one can do kapalabhati pranayama up to 15 minutes. A healthy and even slightly sick person should do kapalabhati for 15 minutes.

In three rounds in 15 minutes kapalabhati is done 900 times. Persons suffering from incurable diseases like cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, leucoderma, vitiligo, psoriasis, excessive obesity, infertility, cysts/ nodules in uterus, ovary, breast or any where in the body, MS and SLE should do kapalabhati for half an hour.

Benefits

It increases glow, radiance, lustre and beauty of the face and brain.

All kapha disorders like asthma, respiratory diseases, allergy,sinusitis etc are cured.

All the diseases of heart, lungs and brain are cured.

Obesity, diabetes, flatulence, constipation, acidity and kidney and prostate diseases are definitely cured.

With the regular practice of this pranayama for about 5 minutes daily, an obstinate disease like constipation is cured. Diabetes can be regulated without any medicine and the weight due to abdominal fat can be reduced by 4-6 kgs in one month. Blockages in the arteries of heart are removed.