Bhastrika

Bhastrika

"bellows"

This pranayama is a rapid sequence of intense inhalations and exhalations, which is its characteristic feature. The inhalations and exhalations in this pranayama should be the same active and intense as if a blacksmith quickly inflated his bellows.

Execution technique

Take a comfortable position, close your mouth. Take quick breaths in and out. Constantly expand and narrow your chest while breathing, making a noisy sound. After dynamic in-and-out breaths, take a deep breath and hold it as long as possible. Then exhale slowly. This constitutes one cycle of bhastrika.

Begin with 10 breaths, gradually increasing to 20 or 25 per cycle. The kumbhaka period should also increase gradually and cautiously. Don't forget to take breaks between cycles. For beginners, three cycles at a time will be enough. After a long practice, you can proceed to perform 20 cycles in the morning and 20 in the evening. Unlike kapalabhati, breathing in bhastrika is performed with the full volume of the lungs, and not at the expense of the abdominal muscles. For bhastrika, the speed of inhalation and exhalation is about one second, in kapalabhati, breathing can be faster.

Serious practitioners do this pranayama by partially closing the glottis, due to which there is no strong noise. They can perform pranayama even standing up.

It is favorable to do bhastrika-pranayama after asanas, nadi-shodhana, before sitkari, shitali and ujjayi pranayamas.

Effect

Pranayama helps to balance all the doshas in the body, removes recycled air from the lungs, heals asthma, pleurisy and abdominal problems, and treats all throat diseases. Bhastrika-pranayama increases gastric fire, eliminates phlegm, pulmonary tuberculosis and other diseases that result from an imbalance of doshas. It gives clarity of mind, strengthens the nervous system. This is a very good practice for purifying nadi, it promotes the passage of prana through three granthas and activates kundalini energy. This practice is most favorable to engage in winter.

If fatigue occurs in the body when performing bhastrika-pranayama, then you need to exhale through the right nostril, which will strengthen the fire of the body.

Contraindications

This pranayama is not recommended for people with high blood pressure, glaucoma, heart disease, brain tumors, suffering from dizziness, stomach or intestinal ulcers. The occurrence of dizziness during practice is a sign of improper performance.