Bhastrika Pranayama (the natural ventilator breath)

 

Bhastrika Pranayama (the natural ventilator breath):

 

Bhastrika Pranayama or the Bellow’s Breath belongs to the heating group of the Yoga breathing practices. In Sanskrit, Bhastrika means the ‘bellows ’. Just as the blacksmith blows his bellows to create heat and increase the fire, we do the same with our abdominal muscles (creating heat, increasing our body temperature and increasing the ‘digestive fire’).

This wonderful practice energizes and activates the digestive fire and provides better ventilation to the lungs. Our lungs are always exposed to the outer environment and attacked by viruses and polluted air. When our lungs are exposed over a longer period of time to polluted air, our lungs getting blocked, cough, cold, infection and allergy. Is our respiratory system disturbed, other body systems get disturbed too.

To do Bhastrika correctly, you have to inhale and exhale forcefully with the help of your abdominal muscles. The forceful use of your abdominal muscles massages your organs (the liver, kidneys, pancreas and the intestine), and activates your digestive fire (metabolism). When your respiratory system works normally then it balances other body systems and boosts your immunity. Bhastrika keeps your lungs healthier and maintains the normal functioning of your lungs.

 

How to do?

Sit in any comfortable posture with your spine upright. If you cannot sit on the floor, you can sit on a chair or bed. Close your mouth, inhale and exhale through your nose, using your abdominal muscles forcefully. During inhalation the abdomen goes out and during exhalation the abdomen goes in. Beginners should start slowly, breathe one by one (not too fast) one breath in two seconds. Once you feel comfortable you can increase the breathing speed, like two breaths in one second. One round of Bhastrika can be 50 to 100 breaths, do 3-5 rounds. If you feel difficulties in using both nostrils at the same time, begin with one nostril. Start with your left nostril first, close the right nostril with your thumb, inhale and exhale forcefully through your left nostril with the help of your abdominal muscles. Later close the left nostril and inhale/exhale through the right nostril forcefully by using your abdominal muscles. 

 

Precaution:

Those having high blood pressure, epilepsy, hernia, asthma, heart problems and recent surgery should not do this practice or consult your yoga teacher first. Bhastrika should be practised on an empty stomach.

  Benefits:

This practice controls cough and cold, infection, obesity, mental stress, depression and protects from any viral infection and polluted air, as well as boosts immunity. The forceful breathing relaxes and contracts our perineum and activates our dormant braincells.