Bhastrika Pranayama For Healthier Heart, Lungs, Mind and Metabolism

Bhastrika is the first among seven recommended pranayamas. Bhastrika translates to “bellows breath” as this pranayama involves deep and forceful inhalataion and exhalation that mimics the forceful air intake and exhaust of bellows.

Benefits of Bhastrika:

Bhastrika invigorates the mind instantly. 2 minutes on Bhastrika would take away all your gloom and revitalize you.

Regular practice of Bhastrika makes heart, lungs and mind healthier and improves the overall metabolism. Bhastrika works wonders for all mental afflictions like depression, Parkinson’s disease and Paralysis etc and is also beneficial for migraine.

Precautions:

Pranayama should be done on empty stomach. Having a gap of 5 hours after a full meal is advised. For this reason, Best time for pranayam is early morning after freshening up.

Those suffering from heart disease or high blood pressure should do Bhastrika at an easy and slow pace. Bhastrika, done close to bedtime might rejuvenate your mind enough to keep you awake for some time.

How much of Bhastrika:

Recommended duration for Bhastrika is 2 minutes to 5 minutes. However, beginners should do only as much as possible and build strength gradually. To start with, 30 seconds of Bhastrika followed with one small break and another 30 seconds of Bhastrika is considered optimal.

Increase these times gradually to reach total of 2-5 Minutes of Bhastrika. Never exceed your limitations and take a break as soon as you feel tired or light-headed.

How To Do Bhastrika:

• Sit comfortably but erect; either in Sukhasana or Padmasana. If either of these is not possible; you might use a chair with straight back. Either way, keep your back straight and eyes closed.

• Breathe in through nose forcefully – You’ll feel your diaphragm expand and move down thus forcing abdomen out, this will be followed by your chest expanding, followed by uprise of collar bone. At this time, there is no more space for air and your lungs are fully expanded.

• Hold your breath for a fraction of second and breathe out through your nostrils forcefully, but uniformly. Collar bone will drop first, followed by chest deflating and abdomen getting pulled in with deflation of diaphragm.

• Repeat the process.
• Continue for as long as you comfortably can, while remaining within suggested time limits of 2-5 minutes. Here is a visual demonstration of Bhastrika by Swami Ramdev.