Kapalbhati : Indian Weightloss Breathing Technique

by Manidipa Ray

 Kapalbhati: A simple breathing exercise with astonishingly great effects on the body including weight loss.

Honestly, we wouldn’t have known much about it until our beloved funny Yogi guru Baba Ram Dev popularised it. It is much similar to the Japanese Breathing technique if you have checked our previous post.

But Kapalbhati is a constituent of Hath Yoga.

The word Kapalbhati is originated from Sanskrit. Breaking it down, we get ‘kapal’ signifying skull and ‘bhati’, which means shining. One might wonder why it is called skull shining. Kapalbhati pranayama is one of the methods of internal purification a.k.a Shatkarmas. The special breathing technique helps in removing blockages or rather purifying the air cavities in the cranial part of the brain. It is a constituent of Hatha Yoga.

Kapalbhati pranayama has numerous health benefits to enrich our lives with. Some of them are mentioned below.

Kapalbhati

Benefits:
  1. Enhanced blood circulation:

A proper blood circulation will ensure that each of the cells in our body is receiving enough oxygen. Proper blood circulation prevents any kind of heart diseases and removes any toxin from the blood.

  1. Reduces fat around the tummy region;

Belly pooch is sometimes annoying. Regular kapalbhati practice will give you are a leaner tummy.

  1. Strengthens abdominal muscles:

The constant movement of muscles in a repeated fashion, done by working the diaphragm to push all the air out, helps in strengthening the muscles in that region.

  1. Delays aging:

More blood supply to the cells, in turn, more oxygen meant replenishment of more cells as a result, delaying aging.

  1. Aids in relieving from constipation:

It helps in proper digestion of food.

Method:

Kapalbhati is really simple to do, let us dig into the technique to be followed.

Step1: Sit in Padmasana position. That is, sitting with legs folded and crossed, with each feet resting on the opposite leg’s thigh. The backbone should be erect yet relaxed. Hands will be resting on the knees with palms facing the knees.

In simple words, just attain a meditation posture.

Step 2: Inhale normally but during exhaling, apply some force using your abdominal muscles. When you have exhaled all the air, do not rush for the next breath. Be relaxed and breath in as normally as you can.

How many times to be done?

It can be done a minimum of 50 times in a set. If you think, 50 is too easy, increase the number of sets. You can do that gradually with coming days as you practice.  The more you do the better you get at it and better will be the results.

Note:
  1. Keep a gap of at least 2 hrs with your meal for this exercise.
  2. Do not break the posture in the middle of your practice. The right kind of breathing can be attained and controlled only with the perfect posture.
  3. Pregnant women or during menstruation, kapalbhati should be avoided.
What are the Perks of doing it?

Kapal Bhati is so easy that it can also be tried out by aged people or people who cannot indulge in a lot of physical activities due to certain health issues.

It does not require a lot of space or any kind of props or even time.

The only thing which may disappoint you…..

If you are looking for a fast method to lose weight, then this might not be the one you are looking for. Kapalbhati can be incorporated in your daily routine if you have long-term weight loss goals. Make it a habit, and it won’t seem like a workout.

Lastly, consistency is what will fetch you the results.

More Asanas?
  1. Vajrasana And Its Benefits
  2. Bhujangasana { Cobra Pose }
  3. VRIKSHASANA: THE TREE ASANA
  4. Sukhasana – All You Need to Know!
  5. Halasana Benefits – All You Need to Know!
  6. Yoga for Hips !!
  7. Try These Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain
  8. Combat Stress with these 5 Easy-Peasy Yoga Poses!!

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4 comments

Apoorwa Verma August 8, 2018 - 11:42 PM

Beautifully penned article manidipa ❤️❤️?? loved it and will definitely do it from today … because it has got all the benefits I want ?

Reply
Sreeparna Ganguly August 9, 2018 - 11:34 AM

Superb article???
Very informative yet to the point…

Reply
Prachi singh August 9, 2018 - 2:50 PM

it truly works like magic.. i do this for 5 mins everyday… loved the article

Reply
Manidipa August 9, 2018 - 5:35 PM

Thanks, guys! one more thing I forgot to mention. If anybody is having delayed menstruation, Kapalbhati will help bring it back to its usual time. Kapalbhati is truly amazing

Reply

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