If you feel sluggish in the morning, perform a set of
Bhastrika breaths and you will feel the clouds clear from
your body and mind. You can also perform a couple min-
utes of Bhastrika during the day if you are feeling drowsy
or lethargic. If you are trying to lose weight, performing
Bhastrika several times per day will increase your digestive
power and help your metabolism burn more intensely. It is
generally not recommended that you perform Bhastrika
pranayama close to bedtime as you may have difficulty
falling asleep. Although Bhastrika clears the mind, it
enlivens energy.
KAPALABHATI—SHININGBREATH
A variation of the bellows breath is Kapalabhati, which
involves forceful exhalations followed by passive inhala-
tions. Sitting comfortably with your spine in an upright
posture, forcefully expel all the air from your lungs, then
allow them to fill passively. The primary movement is
from your diaphragm. Perform this movement ten times,
then allow your breathing to return to normal and
observe the sensations in your body. Repeat these cycles of
ten movements three to four times. Like Bhastrika,
Kapalabhati is a cleansing and invigorating pranayama.
DIRGHA—COMPLETEBREATH
Dirghapranayama is a cleansing and balancing breathing
exercise that shows prompt benefits. It involves con-
sciously filling three different areas of your lungs. You
start in the lower chambers, move up through the middle
thoracic regions, and finish with the upper spaces. This
breathing technique is a simple expression of the Law of
Moving Energy 107