Bhastrika🔗

Bhastrika means bellows. This breathing is like the movement of bellows feeding the digestive fire, the jatar agni. Bhastrika with kumbhaka should specifically be practised to awaken kundalini (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 3:122). It quickly arouses kundalini (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:66).

Slowly draw in air through the nostrils expanding the stomach. Then throw it out quickly ( the wind making sound like bellows).After doing this 20 times, do the kumbhaka 3 times. He will never suffer from disease and will be always healthy (Gheranda Samhita 5:75-77).

Keep the breath moving with awareness and body steadiness. When the body is tired, then inhale through the right nostril. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:64)

The best time to practice is early in the morning before breakfast. The abdomen is actively involved in this breath, for both the inhale and exhale.

Benefits

• It quickly arouses kundalini (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:66)

Improves function of the lungs. Good for asthma, pleurisy, and bronchitis.

• Clears excess mucus and good for chronic sinusitis.
• Improves the digestion and appetite and metabolism as the abdominal organs get a good massage
• Strengthened immune system and nervous system .
• Charges the whole body with pranic energy and vitality.
• Creates a strong feeling of restful awareness.

● Purifies the blood and improves the complexion. You may get skin eruptions in the initial practice as the body detoxes.

It breaks the spiritual knots - chest (brahma granthi), throat (Vishnu granthi), between eyebrows (rudra granthi)

Contraindications

Should not be practiced if you have -

• heart conditions
• high blood pressure
• hernia
• vertigo
• recent surgery
• retina and eye problems

Precautions

• Stop at once if you feel dizzy and, nauseous. Rest and continue to breathe less forcefully with a slower rhythm.
• Do not practice on a full stomach. Wait 4 hours after meals.
• Do bhastrika after asana and nadi shodhana but before sheetali and seetkari.

Instructions

• Best done in padmasana, hands in chin mudra keeping the body steady and stable.
• Close the mouth and breathe through the nose only.

● Breathing is done consciously in a relaxed way. The breath has to be sucked in the nose and pushed out with a little force.

Breathe in and out rapidly using only the abdominal muscles, imitating the movement of bellows.

Inhale - suck in air through nose as abdomen pushes out. Inhale should not be so forceful that nostrils get sucked in.

Exhale - through the nose with a little force as abdomen pulls in.

Sound of breath is from the nose and not the throat. It should not be a heavy sound.

• Breathing is rhythmical.

Length of the inhalation and exhalation must be equal

• Chest and shoulder movement is minimal.

● Do 12 breaths (One inhale and one exhale is one breath), one breath in a second. Once you are familiar, increase the speed of the breath, yet keeping a rhythm.

At the end, inhale a deep breath and exhale slowly. Relax for a few moments. Repeat another round of 12 breaths. Start with just 3 rounds.

Increase gradually to 100 breaths a round.

When you can do up to 50 breaths in a round, take a deep slow inhale, hold breath and do jalandhara and moola bandha as long as you comfortably can.

Release the bandhas before you exhale. Take a deep inhale and exhale a few times, then repeat bhastrika for the second round. .

• Keep your awareness on the breathing and abdominal movements.

Sheetali -the cooling breath

The wise inhale air through the tongue and practice kumbhaka as described, then exhale the air through the nostrils. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:57). This breath will calm and cool down not only the physical body but the mind also. Avoid this in cool weather like winter time.

Benefits

• Cures an enlarged stomach or spleen and other related diseases, fever, excess bile, hunger and thirst, and counteracts poisons. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:58)
• Will reduce body temperature. Do after asana or after a pranayama which generates a lot of heat.
• Very good for relaxing the body and mind. Effective in stress management and high blood pressure disorder.

Instructions

• Sit in padmasana or vajrasana, eyes closed, hands in chin mudra
• Stick the tongue out a comfortable distance, roll up the sides of your tongue to form a hollow channel, like a straw.
• Inhale slowly and deeply through the channel made by the tongue.
• Focus on the cooling sensation of the breath.
• At the end of the inhalation, bring tongue back into mouth, close the lips and exhale through the nose slowly and deeply
• Repeat for 12 breaths (One inhale and one exhale = 1 breath).

You can gradually lengthen the practice up to 10 minutes if you are feeling very hot.

At later stage, practice breath retention and jalandhara and moola bandhas after a full inhale. Mental counting is done with the ratio of inhale, retention, exhale 1:1:1 progressing to 1:2:2.