How to do Kalabhati, or Skull Shining Breath

Skull Shining Breath is an Ancient Yogic Technique used to increase heat, focus and clarity of body and mind. It will tone and create connection with the lower abdominal/pelvic muscles.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A steady, harmonious seated posture.

1. Find your sweet, steady seated position. Try Hero's pose, sitting on your feet with knees bent in front of you and heels beside buttocks with hips supported. Or maybe find Sukhasana, an easy cross legged position with your hips elevated on a blanket and knees supported if they're not on the ground.

2. Find your transverse abdominus by making a diamond between thumbs and forefingers and placing your joined thumbs at your navel. The area under your diamond is the transverse abdominus and this is the area you want to draw in and up quickly, compressing your diaphragm and creating your exhalation. Inhalation will occur passively as you relax this muscle.

3. Draw a full, deep, relaxed breath and then pump the transverse abdominus at the rate of twice per second, feeling short bursts of exhalation in your nostrils (mouth is closed) - remember the inhale is passive. Start with three rounds of ten, increasing numbers within sets as you find ease and comfort. Allow your breath to normalize in between sets and enjoy the sense of clarity and vitality this pranayam brings.

Tips & Warnings

• Always maintain a sense of quiet awareness and release any pose or effort that brings a sense of restriction, shock or pain.
• Stop if you feel dizzy or nauseous or out of breath.
• Be sure you are focusing on exhalation, allowing the breath to enter passively between short bursts of diaphragmatic contraction from low in the belly.
• Use a gentler pranayam if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure or a history of strokes.
• Use a cooling breath if you are in a hot climate or have otherwise heated the body.
• Try restorative yoga if you are experiencing menstrual cramps.

Resources

• yogaguide's yoga blog

[MidniteWriter]

on 1/6/2008 I had not heard of this pose yet, so I was glad to find your article here. Thank you!

[bmi57]

on 10/29/2007 Thank you for the step by step article.