Today’s Yoga – Skull Shining Breath or Kapalabhati
Skull Shining Breath or Kapalabhati
Kapalabhati pranayama or Breath of fire/Skull-shining breath is pranayama which is a set of breathing exercises within yoga. Pranayama exercises are believed to come with a lot of health benefits for our bodies as well as our minds. For us to be healthy and happy, the body and mind need to be balanced. If our breathing is for example forced or stressed it would affect us both physically and mentally, in a negative way, by practicing pranayama and becoming more aware of our breathing, we will take that next step towards achieving that important balance within.
Kapalabhati is pranayama, and the exercise consists of a rhythmic breathing technique where you actively exhale air from your lounges and passively breathe air in. Kapalabhati is said to serve as a cleansing technique, Kriya, for your whole body where you exhale all toxins and increases the oxygen level in your blood and your brain. Kind of like kicking out the old and in with new and fresh ingredients for your body to benefit from. You may experience a slight feeling of dizziness after practicing Kapalabhati, which is due to the increased level of oxygen in your body. This will soon wear off, and you will feel energized and relieved of all the stress you may have felt before.
The Skull Shining Breath or Kapalabhati is a pranayama technique that can help release toxins. It particularly cleanses the air passageways in the body. This breathing technique is one of the internal purification methods in Hatha Yoga. Nevertheless, mind detox is also possible with the regular practice of this pranayama.
Steps
- Sit with an upright spine, keep on lengthening it, and do a complete yoga breathing.
- Contract your abdomen on outward breath and squeeze the air out of your abdomen.
- Gently release the squeezing of air in your abdomen and then let your breath flow naturally.
- As much as you can, let your inhalation be 4 times longer than exhalation.
- You can increase your contractions to 30 times per minute overtime.
- Make a complete exhalation then make your inhalation naturally.
- Retain your inhalation for about 30 seconds then exhale.
- Do 6 complete yoga breaths and repeat the sequence 3 times.
Benefits
- This yogic breathing technique can help purify your lungs, increase the oxygen supply in your body, and improve digestion.
- Moreover, this is also uplifting to your mood and spirit.
- It is a wonderful way to strengthen your abdominal muscles.
- The practice of this pranayama has age-defying effects as it oxygenates the blood and renews body tissues.
Always keep in mind that this pranayama is all about a quick, strong exhalation with natural inhalation. Make an effort to have strong abdominal contractions for every exhalation and have natural, soft inhalation. Stop practicing this if you feel dizzy or whenever you experience pain.
