Simple Breathing Exercise Revitalizes And Energizes Body

I want to share with you an awsome breathing technique that you can use for easy body detox. It only takes a few minutes a day, but can really make a difference when practiced regularly.

Kapalabhati, one of six cleansing exercises used in hatha yoga practice, is a vigorous method which clears the nasal passage and provides the brain with a bath of freshly purified blood. It is a great way to naturally detox the body because when doing kapalabhati, emphasis is put on exhalation, which enhances the lung’s ability to expel wastes and toxins.

Kapalabhati takes practice to do it well. Think of it as an abdominal exhalation exercise. But unlike most pranayama techniques, you can immediately feel something happening. It is the opposite of common breathing exercises, because inhaling is passive and the focus is on exhaling.

In order to exhale completely, you have to contract the abdomen muscles, which then pushes the diaphram towards the chest cavity. The lungs will also compress as well. This is done in one short, powerful blast, in which only the abdomen moves. Do not move your chest or shoulders during this exercise. The diaphram must remain passive, meaning relaxed and supple. Practice this for awhile slowly to get a “feel” for it.

Follow These Simple Steps

To begin, find a place where you can be comfortable and sit upright for the duration of this technique. It is important to maintain a firm, stable posture throughout. Your head, neck, and trunk must be aligned in order for your lungs to expand to their full capacity. Bring your chin back, over the breastbone, and extend the neck upward slightly. Correct alignment of the head and spine allows the ab muscles to relax, which is imperative for proper inhalation. I like to sit upright and forward in a staight-backed chair, hands on knees. But if you know any yoga postures where you can breath properly and be comfortable, this is fine, too.

There are three things to keep in mind when doing kapalabhati: The duration of practice, the force applied to exhalations, and the rhythm and speed of resperation.

For the duration, you will be doing a series of rounds. Begin with 10-15 repetitions per round (a repetition is one complete exhale, followed by a passive inhale). There should be three rounds per sitting, one sitting a day to start. Do some deep breathing between rounds until equilibrium is re-established.

Strive for short, explosive exhalations, as mentioned earlier. You want them to be comfortably complete. Set a goal to eventually achieve this in one quarter of a second. Initially, your abs may be very sore the next day. This will lessen over time, then you can gradually increase the force. I would start with one exhalation per second, maintaining a steady rhythm during the round. Do not lose this rhythm. When you feel ready, increase to two per second, etc.

Some Tips

Kapalabhati is very invigorating, and combined with the cleansing effect, it is ideally done in the late afternoon following work, or before your evening meal. It is not a good exercise to do before sleeping. You can also do it twice a day, once in the morning and again later on. When physical exercise isn’t possible, it can provide some cardiovascular stimulation, along with the extra internal cleansing.

There are some very important precautions to take, however. Before beginning,it is a good idea to consult with your physician if you have high blood pressure or coronary heart disease. Also, if you experience any sharp pains, stop immediately. You may then want to see a physician who understands breathing exercises like this one.

I hope you will enjoy and find great benefits from this easy body detox method which has been passed down through the ages. I have been using it for many years and still find it very useful. Take care and BE WELL!

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 25th, 2011 at 2:41 pm and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.