LESSON 16/20 · THE PRACTICES (4)

The waking & heating group: the bellows breath and right-nostril breathing — strong, effective, and not for everyone

Some practices rouse energy, warm the body and bring on alertness very fast — and they are also the group that demands the most care. They change the volume of air and the pressures inside the body sharply, which for some people makes them simply unsuitable. A good teacher is not the one who can teach the strongest practice, but the one who knows who must not practise and when to stop. This lesson introduces the two representative practices of the group — Bhastrika (the bellows breath) and Surya Bhedana (right-nostril breathing) — together with the safety fence you must know by heart before leading anybody through them.

1WHY THIS GROUP NEEDS A SAFETY FENCE

Strong, fast breathing changes the body fast — a knife with two edges

A steady seat for the strong breathing group — The waking–heating group needs a very solid base: an upright seat, a steady upper body, and a clear head to keep watch on yourself.

REMEMBER Fast and forceful breathing changes the blood gases & the body's pressures — so there are people who must avoid it.

Practices such as the bellows breath and the cleansing breath (Kapalabhati, Lesson 9) drive the air in and out fast and forcefully, changing the concentration of gases in the blood quickly; right-nostril breathing tilts the body towards more heat and more stimulation. In a healthy person, that is a source of energy and alertness. But in someone with an existing condition, that very speed of change can be dangerous. So, unlike the settling group, this one must come with an asking-and-excluding step before anyone practises.

REMEMBER Three base rules: practise on an EMPTY STOMACH · FEW ROUNDS · STOP at once if dizzy.

Before we go into each practice, hold three rules that apply to the whole group: (1) practise only on an empty stomach (some hours after a meal) — forceful breathing on a full stomach easily brings nausea and discomfort; (2) few rounds, increased very gradually over many sessions, with no competing; (3) stop at once at any dizziness, spots before the eyes, tingling in the hands or feet, or a racing heart — that is not “pushing past a limit”, it is the body telling you to stop. A teacher must say these three rules before every session that includes a strong practice.

On the mat: Open any session with a strong practice with a clear question to the whole room: “Is anyone here pregnant, with high blood pressure, a heart condition, an eye condition, or who has just eaten?” Anyone in that group is invited to sit and breathe gently and watch — never pressed.

2THE BELLOWS BREATH (BHASTRIKA)

In and out both forceful, like bellows blowing a fire — rousing the energy of the whole body

Bhastrika, the bellows breath, like bellows blowing a fire — Bhastrika takes its name from a blacksmith's bellows: both the in-breath and the out-breath active, strong and even — the belly pumping like bellows driving air.

REMEMBER Bhastrika = IN and OUT both forceful, active in both directions (unlike Kapalabhati, where only the out-breath is forceful).

Bhastrika (“bellows”) appears in the old Hatha Yoga Pradipika as one of the eight held breaths. The key difference from the cleansing breath, Kapalabhati (Lesson 9): in Kapalabhati only the out-breath is forceful and active and the in-breath is passive; in Bhastrika both the in-breath and the out-breath are forceful and equal — the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm pump strongly in both directions like bellows. The rhythm is moderately fast, the sound distinct. After a set there is usually one deep in-breath and a short hold. This practice warms you, rouses energy and brings alertness very quickly.

REMEMBER Beginners: one short set of eight to ten rounds only, unhurried. DO NOT pile up sets.

How to bring it in safely: have the student sit really steadily, do one short set of eight to ten rounds at a moderate, controlled rate (not fast and ragged), then stop, take one deep breath, return to breathing naturally and watch. Only once that is comfortable, after a few sessions, add a second set. Shoulders released, face loose, the force coming from the belly rather than from pulling the head down or gripping the chest. If dizziness appears — which happens very readily when people go too fast or do too much — that is the signal to cut it back immediately.

On the mat: Demonstrate one slow set of Bhastrika so the room sees “forceful but controlled”, and stress that it is not a race. Put Bhastrika at the top of a session (when you want to wake the energy up), never just before bed.

3RIGHT-NOSTRIL BREATHING (SURYA BHEDANA)

In through the right, out through the left — the “sun” breath, warming and waking

Surya Bhedana, right-nostril breathing — Surya Bhedana: always in through the right nostril, out through the left — tilting towards more heat and alertness.

REMEMBER Surya Bhedana = IN the RIGHT nostril, OUT the LEFT — the reverse of Chandra Bhedana in Lesson 15.

Surya Bhedana (“sun-piercing”) is the symmetrical partner of the left-nostril breathing from the last lesson: using the nostril-closing mudra, always breathe in on the right, close the right, breathe out on the left, and repeat. The old Hatha Yoga Pradipika counts it among the eight held breaths. Science of Yoga records the observation that breathing weighted towards the right nostril is associated with an alert, activated state (leaning towards the sympathetic system) and warms the body. It suits a moment when you want to wake the energy in the morning and counter sluggishness — not for the evening.

REMEMBER Anyone who runs hot, sleeps badly or has high blood pressure must be all the more careful with Surya Bhedana.

Because this practice adds heat and stimulation, it does not suit anyone who already runs hot, is easily irritated, sleeps badly, or has high blood pressure — for them, left-nostril breathing (Chandra Bhedana) is the right direction. This is a fine example to show students: the same technical structure (breathing through one nostril), but which side you choose depends on the aim and on the person. Understanding the right/left pair is understanding a very fine regulating principle of the breath.

On the mat: Teach Surya Bhedana and Chandra Bhedana side by side so students hold the pair: “right to wake, left to settle”. Remind them to keep the rhythm slow and quiet — the aim may be alertness, but the handling stays gentle and ungripped.

4WHO SHOULD NOT PRACTISE THIS GROUP

The exclusion list — know it by heart before you lead anyone

The contraindication list for the strong breathing group — The forceful group has a clear contraindication list — knowing and respecting it is a core part of the job.

REMEMBER AVOID forceful breathing & held breaths with: pregnancy · high blood pressure · a heart condition · glaucoma or other eye conditions · epilepsy · anxiety or panic · a hernia · recent abdominal surgery.

Science of Yoga records the group needing to avoid cleansing and forceful breathing and held breaths quite specifically: pregnant women; people with high blood pressure; heart conditions; certain eye conditions such as glaucoma; epilepsy; anyone with anxiety or a panic disorder; a hernia; and anyone who has recently had abdominal surgery. For these people, a strong practice can raise the pressure, overstimulate, and do harm. This is not a list to frighten anyone with — it is the professional boundary that lets you lead a class safely and be trusted.

GRASP THIS When in doubt, pick the gentler option — there is always a way back.

The golden principle when you are unsure: choose the gentler option. If a student describes their health vaguely and you are not certain, do not put them into a strong practice — give them the foundational breath or the settling practices, which almost anyone can do. You lose nothing by being careful, and you can lose a great deal by chancing it. And always have the closing line: anyone with an existing condition should ask a doctor before practising forceful breathing or held breaths.

On the mat: Print out (or learn by heart) the exclusion list and repeat it as a habit at every session with a strong practice. Build a culture in the room where “today I'll just sit and breathe gently” is entirely normal and encouraged — nobody under pressure to follow the strong practice.

5BRINGING THE STRONG GROUP INTO A CLASS WITHOUT DOING HARM

A small dose, raised slowly, with a way back to natural breathing always open

Awake and full of energy after the strong breaths — Done at the right dose: after the waking–heating group, students feel alert, warm and clear-headed — not short of air, not faint.

REMEMBER The safety formula: ask and exclude → demonstrate slowly → a small dose → stop & watch → back to natural breathing.

The responsible way to bring a strong practice into a class: (1) ask and exclude the contraindicated group; (2) demonstrate slowly so the room sees “forceful but controlled”; (3) give a small dose — one short set; (4) stop, take a deep breath, and watch the room's reactions with your own eyes (who has gone pale, who is breathing hard); (5) always return to natural breathing after each set. Raise the dose over many sessions, never within one. This is where an amateur teacher and a professional part company.

GRASP THIS A strong practice is not “the summit” — only a tool for the right moment.

Don't let your students (or yourself) fall into treating the strong practices as “the advanced level”. A well-led settling session is worth exactly as much as a session of the bellows breath. Which practice you choose follows the aim of the session and the state of the people in it, not how “hard” it is as a way of proving something. A mature teacher is one who dares to use the simple practice when the simple practice is right, and dares not to use a strong one when the room is not ready.

On the mat: Design a trial “morning energy session”: after the warm-up, one short set of Bhastrika → a few minutes of Surya Bhedana → back to the foundational breath. Note the room's reactions so you can adjust the dose. Always finish with a few quiet breaths to bring the nervous system back down before the room leaves.

Lesson 17 next: Before we close the set, we add a special group — the sounding & releasing breaths: the lion breath (Simha), roaring the air out to release the face, neck and throat, the Om breath (Udgeeth), whose resonance settles deeply, and the uneven ratios (Vishama Vritti — including the famous 4-7-8) for calming. These are easy to do, easy to like and fit a class very well — with a few short variants to round your toolkit off completely.

Professional sources: Hatha Yoga Pradipika (ch. 2) — Bhastrika & Surya Bhedana among the eight held breaths; DK Science of Yoga (Ann Swanson) — contraindications for forceful breathing & held breaths, single-nostril breathing; B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Pranayama. This material is educational and not a substitute for medical advice; anyone with an existing condition should ask a doctor before practising.