Kapalbhati Pranayama is a miraculous yoga breathing exercise, invented by Indian yogis thousands years ego, for complete body fitness. It affects even those diseases which are impossible to be cured by medicines like cancer, diabetes, asthma. According to Swami Ramdev, Kapalbhati is sanjeevani (one that infuses life) on earth. Numerous patients have gained  healthy and happy life by adopting it, in their daily life.

‘Kapalbhati’ is a Sanskrit word. ‘Kapal’ means forehead and ‘Bhati’ means light. It refers that by this breathing exercise forehead becomes luminous and lustrous, which means all diseases disappears and body becomes pure, healthy and happy.

Who can practice?

Everybody can practice Kapalbhati Pranayama including children. Some important precautions are added with pregnant ladies, heart patients, high blood pressure and extremely weak patients.

Place for pranayama

As yoga and pranayama originated in India, it is described in ancient books according to Indian climatic conditions. The best place for pranayama is peaceful, holy river bank or some open area like garden with lush greenery, where atmosphere is full of natural oxygen in early mornings.

While the place can be changed as per climatic conditions in different countries and regions. Pranayama can be practiced in peaceful, neat, clean room with the arrangements of fresh and healthy oxygen.

When Kapalbhati is practiced?

The best time for pranayama is early morning along with empty stomach. Though it can also be practiced after at least ‘five hours’ of having food, as this gap is enough to digest the consumed food and the stomach gets relaxed. Some patients of chronic diseases are advised to practice pranayama twice a day, in the morning and evening, must follow these guidelines.

After pranayama, food should NOT be taken at least for 20 minutes, so as to countdown the body. Though very little amount of water can be taken if needed any time.

Preparations before Kapalbhati

At the time of practicing pranayama yoga, cloths should be loose and comfortable with the body. Kapalbhati is practiced in anyone of comfortable poses of asana like Padmasana, Siddhasana, Vajrasana or Sukhasana sitting on the floor on yoga mat. Spinal cord must be straight.

Practitioners unable to sit on the floor due to any disease can sit on the chair with straight spinal cord. Pranayama should never practiced on the bare floor or in standing position.

How to do Kapalbhati?

It is very easy to practice for everyone. The primary thing is to breathe in normally and breathe out forcefully so as to influence the organs of the abdominal area.

Kapalbhati Pranayama Technique

Sit in a comfortable asana with normal breathing. Inhale normally and exhale forcefully. Also keep the body easy and relax, don’t feel like stress. As a beginner, the force should be very low as per the body strength. Continue this practice till you can perform comfortably. Whenever feel tired take a break with normal breathing and then resume. Optimize your practice to make “one stroke per second”. The ideal frequency for the kapalbhati is once per second.

Abdominal area also makes inward and outward movements and considerable force is applied to the Manipura, Svadhisthana and Muladhara Chakra. That is very helpful for Kundalini Jagran.
In the beginning the practitioner may feel little pain in the abdomen and back because of new strain to the body, which disappears after some days.

Kapalbhati Pranayama Video by Swami Ramdev
Shiva Sankalpa (Vow) with performing Kapalbhati

At the time of forcefully ‘exhaling’, the practitioner should assume like throwing all impurities, toxins, diseases out of the body. Those who want to get rid of anger, greed, self-ego attachment etc. should develop a feeling of throwing out all the negative and injurious elements along with the air exhaled. This procedure will give you an additional advantage and quick results.

Kapalbhati Duration

A new practitioner should try for 3 – 5 minutes per day. The body gains more stamina as days passes. After 1-2 months, practitioner can perform five minutes in single stretch. Practice should be increased up to 10 – 15 minutes daily after 2-3 months.
Patients suffering from acute and chronic diseases must practice for 15 minutes at least along with  precautions.

Difference between Bhastrika and Kapalbhati

Kapalbhati is little different from Bhastrika. In Bhastrika, puraka (inhale) and rechaka (exhale) are performed with equal force, while in Kapalbhati attention is given to the forceful Rechak only.

Effects of Kapalbhati in the body (Scientific Explanation)

In Kapalbhati, ‘impulsive force’ is applied with greater magnitude while the ‘stroke time’ is very small, as we all know by law of physics:

Impulse=Force X Time

If ‘Time’ is small and ‘Force’ is greater so the change in ‘linear momentum’ create greater pressure on the near by organs and glands of the cavity of lungs. The force communicated quickly as force of contact to all parts from one to another.
So that the imbalanced secretion from different glands will be balanced. Blood circulation in different parts of the body will be faster creating action on diseased affected parts. This Pranayam is a complementary one to ‘Bhastrika Pranayam”.

Kapalbhati primarily affects stomach, pancreas, liver, spleen, intestine, prostate and kidney to function more efficientely. These are very significant parts of human body. Any disease of these organs, which can not be controlled by any medicine is surly cured by regular practice of kapalbhati.

All the chakras from ‘Muradhar’ to ‘Shasrar’ are purified and filled with pious Cosmic Energy.

Kapalbhati benefits
  • Balances three dosas of the human body. These are vata (wind/spirit/air), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm). Disorder of these three is the root cause for unhealthy body.
  • It is excellent not only for physical body but for sub-conscious mind as well. According to Swami Ramdev ji Maharaj, it is “Sanjeevani” (one that infuses life)  on earth.
  • While doing kapalbhati, if practitioner  concentrates at the ‘Mooladhar Chakra’, the ‘Kundalini’ power starts awakening.
  • Kapalbhati improves concentration power in children and adults simultaneously. It makes the face Lustrous and attractive.
Kapalbhati Pranayama cures
  • Diseases which are hard to control by medicines like asthma, respiratory troubles, allergies, sinus, etc.
  • Diseases of heart, lungs and brain are permanently cured.
  • Kapalbhati completely removes blockages in arteries and controls cholesterol.
  • Obesity, diabetes, flatulence, constipation, acidity and diseases pertaining to kidneys and prostate glands etc. are completely cured.
  • Women diseases like uterus cysts, breast cysts, cancer cysts or any type of cysts in the body  are permanently dissolved without any surgery.
  • Parkinson’s Disease, Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatitis-B is permanently cured with devoted practice.
  • It removes snoring problems and cures sinusitis completely.
  • Swami Ramdev ji maharaj claims to control ‘Cancer’ with kapalbhati and anulom-vilom. Even he has proved with some patients in his ashram in India. According to him, any disease can be cured by the combination of Pranayama practice.
  • Kapalbhati  is the best solution for weight loss without any side effects. If it is practiced 15-20 minutes daily, along with yoga diet control chart, the weight can be decreased by 4-8 Kg. per month very easily.
  • Excess ‘Hair Loss’ is controlled by including kapalbhati in daily routine.
  • Depression is cured, as mind becomes stable, happy and peaceful which removes negative thoughts automatically.
Precautions
  • Patients with severe heart problems should not do with force and they must practice under a experienced yoga teacher.
  • Blood Pressure patients should avoid doing with force in the beginning.
  • In the summer season, if the temperature is very high, it is prohibited for over five minutes.
  • In the beginning, any pranayama practice must be done under experienced yoga teacher’s training.