Bhastrika Pranayama is an excellent breathing exercise. It keeps the body healthy and mind happy. Heart and brain patients must practice to get miraculous results. Depression, migraine, parkinson’s disease, paralysis are completely cured, which is impossible by medicines.
‘Bhastrika’ is a Sanskrit word, which means ‘bellows’. In short, Bhastrika is ‘inhale’ and ‘exhale’ deeply and forcefully. Therefore is also known as ‘deep breath exercise’.
How to do Bhastrika?
Sit in comfortable asana like Padmasana, Siddhasana or Sukhasana. Spinal cord must be straight. Bhastrika is similar to the working of ‘bellows’. ‘Breathe in’ and ‘breathe out’ forcefully. Take the breath inside as deep as possible to fill the lungs and then exhale out completely to evacuate lungs. Breath in and breath out with equal force.
The breath should be filled in lungs up to the diaphragm, not in stomach. Do not stop the breath during this process. This is one cycle completed. Repeat this process several times. Do not try to over practice, stop immediately when you feel tired.
Depending upon the capacity and health of the practitioner, it can be done in three variable speeds viz. slow, moderate and at high.
Bhastrika Pranayama Video by Swami Ramdev ji Maharaj
Important Vow while doing Bhastrika
While ‘inhaling’ make a vow and focus in your mind as if all the divine powers, purity, peace and joy, all that is good in the universe around you is entering inside your body and that you are getting filled with the divine powers, the mind is becoming pure and pious. Keep both the eyes closed and mentally chant the mantra “OM”
Pranayama done with this kind of vow in mind imparts a special benefit.
Bhastrika Duration
It should be practiced ‘2-minuts’ minimum and ‘5-minuts maximum’ everyday. If one should feel tired during practice, must stop immediately and resume after some relax. In the countries where normal temperature is high in summers, should NOT be practiced over 2-minuts.
Effects of Bhastrika in the body (Scientific explanations)
According to “Pascal’s law the pressure” inside a closed vessel equally distributed in all direction. So when the lungs filled with air, it imparts pressure on the diaphragm and cavity of lungs.
The organs try to maintain its position of equilibrium, hence a reaction force established at the organs, glands and heart. So secretions from individual glands activated.
Also the fine arteries and veins can able to carry oxygenated blood with circulation on every cycle of the Pranayam. The out going air from lungs able to carry impurities responsible for imbalance of the organs.
Bhastrika Benefits
Bhastrika is excellent for physical body as well as spirituality of an individual. It makes the mind peaceful and calm so as to help in Kundalini Awakening.
Bhastrika Pranayama Cures
- This is the best breathing exercise for lungs. It makes the lungs healthy and improves strength. It directly affects all respiratory system of body and cures all lungs related problems.
- Cold, flu, sinus, asthma are completely cured.
- Thyroid, tonsils and all throat problems are completely cured.
- It is very helpful to cure all heart diseases like angina, arteries blockages, etc .
- Highly recommended for Brain diseases like Depression, Migraine, Parkinson’s Disease, Paralysis, etc.
- Helps to remove impurities of blood. Vata (wind/spirit/air), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm) are balanced so as to make body healthy.
- Good for concentration of mind that helps for kundalini jagran.
Precautions
- People suffering from high blood pressure or any chronic heart disease should avoid this Pranayama or must be done under an experienced yoga teacher.
- While breathing in the abdominal area should not blow up. You have to fill the air in the chest area, i.e. up to diaphragm, so that the part of the chest with its ribs swells.
- In summer season, reduce the practice of Bhastrika to 2-minuts maximum.
- Incase both the nostrils do not open because of ailments like severe cough or sinus etc, the practitioner should first close the right nostril and do respiration (exhalation and inhalation) through the left nostril. Then the left nostril should be closed and respiration should be done by the right nostril. This method of alternate breathing should be continued at the desired speed viz. slow, moderate or fast, till both the nostrils open simultaneously.