Bhastrika This pranayama draws air forcibly in and out of the lungs, fanning the flame of the gastric fire and burning the apana (accumulated waste matter) in the large intestines of the lower abdomen.
1 Blow your nose or practice Saline Nasal Irrigation (page 346) before you begin. Then sit in any comfortable position where your back is erect. Press the sitting bones down a little to allow your spine to float upward. Let the back of the neck lengthen.
2 In a quick burst, inhale sharply through the nostrils, then tighten the abdomen to exhale rapidly. This is one complete round of Bellows Breath.
3 The breath will be heard passing through the nostrils and will be similar to the sound of pumping up a bicycle tire with a hand pump. Complete ten to twenty rounds of inhalation and exhalation, expanding and contracting the abdominal muscles quickly and rhythmically on the inhalation and exhalation.
4 When you have finished, take a comfortably full inhalation. Apply Chin Lock (page 340) and Root Lock (page 340), which will contain the prana within, and retain the breath for thirty seconds. Then release the bandhas and exhale. Take several natural, easy recovery breaths. Repeat two more cycles of ten to twenty breaths. Once you are finished, lie down and rest in Corpse Pose (page 310).
5 A gentler form of Bellows Breath is Skull Shining Breath (Kaphabla bhati). It is considered a kriya, one of the cleansing techniques of Hatha yoga. The exhalation is rapid, just as in Bellows Breath. Once the lungs have been forcibly emptied, a vacuum is created, which means fresh air will naturally flow into the lungs. The inhalation of Skull Shining Breath is slow and unforced. Practice ten to thirty breaths per round and rest in between as with Bellows Breath. Over time, build up to fifty pumping exhalations.
When practicing Bellows Breath as a beginner, care should be taken. Start with just a few rounds and gradually build up over weeks and months. If you experience any dizziness, resume regular breathing until the breath returns to normal. Stop the practice if you experience nose bleeds. Do not practice this pranayama if you are pregnant or menstruating. Do not practice if you have problems with pressure in the ears or eyes.