KAPALABHATI (yog meditation) (webpressnet.com)

KAPALABHATI

PRACTICAL LESSONS
IN
YOGA
By
SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

[caption id="attachment_1104" align="alignnone" width="300"] KAPALABHATI[/caption]

Kapala means a skull and Bhati means to shine. Because this exercise makes your skull
shine, it is called Kapalabhati. It is a wonderful exercise to cleanse the skull nicely. This exercise
also does not come under the category of Pranayama, but as it is a breathing exercise, it deserves a
place of honour.
Sitting on your usual meditative-pose, do Puraka and Rechaka so vigorously that you
perspire profusely. There is no Kumbhaka in this exercise. But Rechaka plays a prominent part.
Puraka is mild, slow and long and is best done by releasing the abdominal muscles, while Rechaka
is forceful and quick and is done by contracting the abdominal muscle with a backward push. The
important point to remember while doing this exercise is to keep the body, head and neck erect, and
not to bend even a bit. In the beginning you can have one round only consisting of 10 expulsions in
the morning. That will suffice. In the second week you can do the same in the evening also. In the
third week have two rounds in the morning and two in the evening. In this manner you can
cautiously and slowly increase 10 expulsions to each round till you get 120 expulsions per round.
The benefits of this exercise are even more alluring. The respiratory system and the nasal
passages are thoroughly cleansed, the spasm in the bronchial tubes is removed, asthma is cured, the
apices of the lungs are nicely oxygenized, consumption is cured and the impurities of the blood are
eliminated. The circulatory and the respiratory systems are toned up beautifully, and the
practitioner enjoys blooming health and vigour.
IX
SURYABHEDA
Sitting on your favourite meditative pose again and closing the eyes, inhale through the
right nostril, retain the breath by forming Jalandhara Bandha till perspiration flows from the tips of
the nails and the hairs of the body stand on end, and then exhale through the left nostril slowly. Of
course in this exercise you cannot reach the point of perspiration at the very outset; but gradually
increasing the period of Kumbhaka you will by all means attain it. By the constant practice of this
Kumbhaka, cephalalgia is relieved, coryza is cured, and the worms in the frontal sinuses are
expelled.
X
UJJAYI
The practice of this Kumbhaka enhances the personal beauty of the practitioner. Assuming
again your favourite pose, inhale through both the nostrils in a smooth, methodical and uniform
manner till the inspired breath fills the space between the throat and the stomach with a noise.
Retain the breath as long as you can comfortably do and then exhale slowly through the left nostril.
The striking feature of this exercise is that a mild, uniform, continuous and peculiar sound is heard
due to the partial closure of the glottis.
48
PRANAYAMA
This Kumbhaka is also practiced while standing or walking. Then instead of exhaling
through the left nostril only, you can exhale through both the nostrils. In any case, start with three
rounds and add one round every week gradually.
The practitioner of this Kumbhaka gets rid of pulmonary, cardiac and dropsical diseases.
All diseases dependent upon deficient inhalation of oxygen are cured.
XI
SITKARI
Folding the tongue in such a manner that the tip of the tongue touches the upper palate, draw
the air through the mouth producing a sound of c. c. c., retain the breath as long as you can without
the feeling of suffocation and then exhale through both the nostrils. These three processes constitute
one round. Start with three rounds and add one round every week.
This Kumbhaka increases the beauty and vigour of the body, removes hunger and thirst,
indolence and sleep and makes the whole body cool. Many diseases of the blood are cured.
XII
SITALI
Contract the lips and throw out the tongue. Fold the tongue like a tube and draw in the air
through it making a hissing sound. Fill the lungs and stomach slowly with the air drawn in, and
retain the same as long as you can do with comfort. Then exhale through both the nostrils. Practise
this 10 to 20 times daily, morning and evening.
The practitioner acquires great tenacity of life and the power to repair the effects of injury.
He is freed from all fevers, splenitis and several other organic diseases. Like crabs, lobsters,
serpents and frogs, he becomes proof against all kinds of inflammations. He acquires the power to
cast off his skin and endure the privation of air, food and drink. Poisons of all sorts in the blood are
thrown out and the blood is purified. Scorpion-stings and serpent-bites cannot injure him in any
way. Whenever you feel thirsty, do this Pranayama a few times. At once your thirst will be
quenched.
XIII
BHASTRIKA
Bhastrika means bellows. Quick succession of powerful expulsions of breath is the chief
characteristic of this Pranayama. Just as the village smith blows out his bellows quickly and rapidly,
so also the practitioner of this exercise blows out the bellows of his lungs in quick and rapid
succession.
Sit on Padmasana or Siddhasana with the body, neck and head erect. Close the mouth.
Inhale and exhale quickly 6 to 10 times in rapid succession like the bellows of the village-smith.
While practicing this Pranayama a hissing sound is loudly heard. If you can expel 10 times like this,
49
PRACTICAL LESSONS IN YOGA
the tenth expulsion is followed by a deepest inhalation, retained as long as it can be done with
comfort, and another deepest exhalation. This completes one round of Bhastrika. Take rest for a
while after one round is over, and do another round, and another round. In the beginning you can
have three rounds in the morning and three in the evening. You must be able to expel 120 times at a
stretch by cautious and gradual practice.
If you can do Kapalabhati and Ujjayi nicely, you will find this Pranayama quite easy. Some
do this exercise till they get quite fatigued. Then you will profusely perspire. Stop the practice even
if there is the slightest giddiness. Take a few normal breaths. Then you can resume the practice
again after the giddiness is gone.
XIV
PLAVINI
This Pranayama requires some skill on the part of the practitioner. If you can do this
perfectly, you can float on water for any length of time, even though you do not know swimming. It
enables you to live purely on air for some days. It is done as follows: Drink the air like water
through the mouth and fill your stomach with it. The stomach becomes inflated. You will hear a
tympanic sound, if you tap it with your fingers. Practise the Pranayama slowly and gradually. The
air is then expelled from the stomach by slow belching.
XV
KEVALA KUMBHAKA
Kumbhaka is of two sorts—Sahita and Kevala. The Kumbhaka that is associated with
Puraka and Rechaka is called Sahita; that which is devoid of these two is called Kevala (pure and
absolute). Kevala Kumbhaka should be practiced when the Sahita Kumbhaka has been completely
mastered. In the Vasishtha Samhita you will find: “When after giving up inhalation and exhalation,
one holds his breath with ease, it is absolute Kumbhaka (Kevala Kumbhaka).” In this Pranayama
the practitioner can retain his breath as long as he likes. He attains the stage of Raja-Yoga. Practise
this three times a day, morning, midday and evening. He is a real Yogi who knows this Kumbhaka
and Pranayama. Now there is nothing unattainable by him in all the three worlds. This Kumbhaka
cures all diseases, bestows longevity of life and awakens the Kundalini-Sakti, which passes through
the hollow Sushumna-Nadi to the crown of the head, after piercing one Chakra after another.
BENEFITS OF PRANAYAMA
Perfection in Pranayama gives you the major eight Siddhis viz., Anima, Mahima, Laghima,
Garima, Prapti, Prakamya, Vasitvam and Isitvam. Anima is the power to become as minute as you
like, whereas Mahima makes you as big as you like. By Laghima you can make your body as light
as a feather and fly in the sky thousands of miles in a minute. Garima can make your body as heavy
as a mountain. By the power of Prapti you can predict all future events, understand unknown
languages, cure any disease, hear distant sounds, see distant objects, smell mystical fragrant odours,
touch the sun and the moon with the tip of your fingers from where you stand, and understand the
language of birds and beasts. Indeed you can attain all desired objects. By Prakamya you can cast
50
PRANAYAMA
away the old skin and assume a youth-like appearance for an unusual length of time. You can also
enter the body of another person. Sri Sankaracharya had this power. He entered the body of the Raja
of Benares. Yayati, Tirumulanar and Raja Vikramaditya had also this power. Vasitvam is the power
to tame wild beasts and bring them under your control. By the exercise of this power, you can make
anybody obey your orders and wishes. You can control the elements and be a master of passions and
emotions. Isitvam is the attainment of all divine powers. You now become the Lord of the universe.
You can give life to a dead man. Kabirdas, Tulasidas, Akalkot Swami and many others had this
power. By possessing this power you can penetrate all secrets of nature, know the events of the past,
present and future and become one with the Supreme Soul.
You will also get the thirty-six other minor Siddhis such as freedom from hunger and thirst,
heat and cold, pleasure and pain; death at your will, playing with gods, power to transmute baser
metals into gold and so on.