pranayama for general health

                                                      

using bhastrika for better health

So we have looked at pranayama for spirituality, but there are other ways to use pranayama, too. And because we have been seeing how bhastrika works for the internal fire, today we will look at it for health.

Bhastrika means "bellows". Bellows are a gadget which one moves to pump air into a fire, to fan the fire. To recap, bhastrika done with the emphasis around the navel region, will do exactly that. It will fan the inner fire, especially when it is done consistently. However, we can also use bhastrika to emphasise lung action, instead.

In a class, I will often have one or more selected poses to "force" air into particular areas of the lungs, such as a cross-legged spinal twist: often at the end of a class, we will do:

• ten - twenty bhastrikas whilst we are twisted to the right 
• then the same to the left
• finishing with one -two rounds of ten to twenty breaths per round, facing forwards. 

In this way, we have forced air predominantly into one side of the lungs with the twist. Sometimes I will do the final bhastrikas (facing forwards) emphasing the navel, but more often than not, I get people to visualise a square outline in front of the chest area, hold that image as you do the final bhastrikas, not the twists. This makes it more of a lung action, it's less of an abdominal pumping action, and is very effective. It sets up that bellows action in the lungs. I learnt this visualisation off Dr Swami Gitananda, over forty years ago, he was an expert on pranayama. I find that it reduces mild lung inflammation.

Yoga teachers beware: do not teach pranayama to some who has chronic lung inflammation! When we have this condition, we are having great difficulty breathing, and to add pranayama is a great stressor. Sleep, rest and sun are more effective here.

Swami Gitananda said to only ever do one hundred and twenty bhastrikas, or the same number of kapalabhatis, or one hundred and twenty of each of each, in one sitting. I feel that, for health purposes especially, to work up to these counts is not only doable, but also maintainable. Of course, you can also do less in a sitting. Twenty is nice and easy to maintain on a daily basis.

                                                                                         
using bhastrika to warm up and wake up the body

I also do some bhastrikas: five, ten or twenty, in a few poses at the start of a vigorous class, to get the energy going: 

• tadasana up on toes with arms overhead. You can go up & down three - five times first, and hold the last time whilst you do the bhastrikas, or just go up once and hold with bhastrika. Balance, one-pointedness and energy all at once. Priceless
• another is the chair pose. Again, either do a few repetitions and hold. Or do once and hold. Do the bhastrikas in this pose

                                         

Only teach what you know, and remember that it just doesn't work if you do bhastrikas willy-nilly in a class. Too much is silly.

Be consistent with how you teach. If you are doing repetitions then holding, then keep doing this throughout the class; if you are just holding poses, then keep doing that.

bhastrika for those who dislike pranayama

For a class where people are not used to doing pranayama, and also some of your students will not like doing pranayama, bhastrika can be very nicely done like this: do six left nostril, six right nostril, six both nostrils together. Do three only rounds. This is really nice.

bhastrika to clear the nostrils

For those who are prone to nose mucous, and sinus problems, teach students to do this each morning first thing, as a maintenance programme for these conditions: six right nostril; six left; six both; do three rounds. So it's the same as the above method, but starting with the right nostril, not the left one.

This is very effective and experience has taught me that it works. In this case, there is no need to add extra bhastrika. Adding more when there is this sort of tendency is not always productive.

Bhastrika stimulates and cleans. For health, using it higher, in the chest, it clears the lungs and stimulates better breathing. For spiritually, pumping to create an internal fire, this also stimulates brain activity. Our thoughts start to come to the surface, and this can be overwhelming. Therefore it is essential to follow bhastrika with a balancing, calming pranayama.