LESSON 9/20 · THE PRACTICES (2)

Kapalabhati, Bhramari, Sitali — one flame to wake you and two breezes to settle you

The three named practices in this lesson fall into two opposite groups that nonetheless serve each other. One wakes you up: Kapalabhati — “the shining skull” — which in a single minute clears the head and warms the body. Two temper you: Bhramari, the humming of a bee that lulls the mind down, and Sitali, a cool breath like holding mint in the mouth that cools the body from inside. As a teacher you hold one “on” switch and two “release valves” — light the fire when someone needs waking, bring the heat down when they need ease.

1KAPALABHATI — THE CLEANSING BREATH

One minute and the whole body wakes: the belly is the pump blowing smoke out of the furnace

Sitting for Kapalabhati with a hand on the belly — The power sits in the lower belly, not in the throat or the chest.

REMEMBER The out-breath is ACTIVE, the in-breath PASSIVE

Imagine puffing a speck of dust off your nose with one short, decisive puff from the belly: the belly draws in — the air is pushed out; then the belly releases — and the air flows in BY ITSELF, with no effort to breathe in. On it goes as a chain: puff, release, puff, release. All of the force comes from the lower belly; the FACE, NECK and SHOULDERS stay loose throughout, the throat easy.

GRASP THIS “The shining skull”, and slow before fast

The name joins “kapala” (skull) and “bhati” (shining) — the old practitioners described the head as clear and bright afterwards, which is why it is also called the “fire breath”. Beginners should start really unhurriedly, one out-breath a second, do fifteen to twenty rounds, then rest and breathe normally for a few breaths before another set or two. Only once that is familiar do you build up the speed — an even rhythm matters more than a fast one.

On the mat: One hand on the belly, one on the chest. Try ten short out-breaths such that only the belly hand moves and the chest hand stays almost still — then you are on the right road.

2KAPALABHATI — THE MORNING & SAFETY

A strong breath for the morning — and not everybody should practise it

Kapalabhati in the morning, taking the energy in — A breath for the morning, not for the evening.

REMEMBER This is a MORNING practice

Kapalabhati raises the heart rate, warms the body and puts you into an alert, energised state — ideal in the morning or before a session, in place of a coffee. The other way round, NEVER practise it in the evening before bed: the body is being roused, not settled, and you will struggle to sleep. If you feel spots before the eyes, light-headedness or tingling in the hands while practising, that is the signal to STOP — slow down, breathe naturally for a few breaths, and only then consider going again more slowly.

Safety notes and contraindications for Kapalabhati — With any existing condition, ask a doctor before practising this one.

REMEMBER When it should be AVOIDED

Because it raises the heart rate and blood pressure, you should AVOID Kapalabhati when: pregnant, with high blood pressure, with a heart condition, or straight after a full meal. Be careful too with anyone prone to anxiety or palpitations, or with an eye condition. With any existing condition at all, ASK A DOCTOR before starting — that is honest advice, not a formality. Always practise on an empty stomach, somewhere with fresh air.

On the mat: Before teaching Kapalabhati to a group, ask out loud: “Is anyone here pregnant, or with high blood pressure or a heart condition?” — and always have a settling practice ready as the alternative for anyone in that group.

3BHRAMARI — THE BEE BREATH

A humming “mmm” that lulls the mind down

Bhramari mudra: thumbs closing the ears, the other fingers over the eyes, humming on the out-breath — Close the ears lightly and cover the eyes so the hum resonates inwards and the outside signals are cut back.

REMEMBER Hum “mmm” softly and evenly, out-breath twice as long

Breathe in normally through the nose. Breathing out, close the mouth and make an even “mmm” like a bee, holding it to the end of the breath. The thumbs rest lightly on the ear flaps (never pressing hard), the remaining fingers loosely covering the eyes. The secret is to let the out-breath run longer than the in-breath — in for three or four counts, humming out for six to eight. Don't strain to hum loudly; it is the small, even bee that brings the practitioner to ease. Five to eight rounds is enough.

GRASP THIS Why the “bee” brings sleep — and the safety of closing the ears

A monotonous hum plus a long out-breath plus the outside senses dimmed leaves the mind doing less “talking” and slipping more easily towards sleep — you might suggest a student who sleeps badly try a few rounds in bed as an evening habit, describing it as “helps you feel comfortable, helps you let go”, and absolutely never promising to “cure insomnia”. Bhramari is generally very benign, but DO NOT close the ears for anyone with an ear infection, earache or recent ear surgery — have them rest their hands on their thighs and only hum. Anyone troubled by ringing in the ears stops immediately.

On the mat: Demonstrate the bee VERY QUIETLY first so the room does not feel self-conscious. Remind them: “Listen to your own hum, not to anyone else's.” For anyone who finds it strange, closing the ears with the thumbs alone is plenty — covering the eyes is not compulsory.

4BHRAMARI — CHOOSING THE VALVE AND FINE-TUNING

A cluttered head calls for the bee: put it at the end of a session, and hum by releasing, not by volume

The humming compared: a gripped neck against a loose one in Bhramari — Left: straining to hum loudly, neck gripped. Right: a soft hum, face and shoulders released — this is the right one.

REMEMBER Three faults that take the value out of the “bee”

Fault 1 — effort: the louder the hum, the more the throat grips, which defeats the purpose; the right bee is soft, even and comfortable. Fault 2 — pressing hard on the ears: the thumb only closes the ear flap lightly, never poking, never pressing until it hurts. Fault 3 — humming on the last of the air: hum while there is still air to spare; at any shortness of air, shorten the hum and breathe in sooner.

GRASP THIS Put it at the end, and how to pick the right “valve”

Bhramari is a breath that “eases off the accelerator”, so its best place is at the end of a session — right before the final rest or meditation — never as a warm-up. Before teaching it, ask the room one question: “Right now, is your head CLUTTERED or is your body HOT?” Cluttered goes to Bhramari (settling the mind); hot goes to Sitali (settling the body). Pick the right valve and the effect doubles. For a beginner whose shoulders tire holding the elbows up, prop the elbows on stacked knees, or drop the hand position entirely — the heart of it is the sound and the out-breath, not what the hands do.

On the mat: Walk round and watch the necks and shoulders while they hum. Anyone with cords standing out in the neck gets a light touch on the shoulder and “softer, easier” — the quality of the bee lies in RELEASING, not in volume.

5SITALI / SITKARI — THE COOLING BREATH

Breathe in through a “cool tube” to cool the body from inside

Sitali: the tongue rolled into a tube, cool air drawn in across it — Sitali: roll the edges of the tongue into a tube and breathe in through it — the air crosses the moist tongue and arrives cool.

REMEMBER Two ways in, the same cooling principle

Sitali: roll the edges of the tongue into a narrow tube protruding just past the lips, breathe in slowly and deeply through the tongue-tube, then close the mouth and breathe out quietly through the nose. Sitkari is for anyone who cannot roll the tongue (an inherited trait): bring the teeth lightly together, part the lips, place the tip of the tongue behind the teeth and breathe in through them (a soft “sss”), then breathe out through the nose. Same principle, different way in — someone who cannot roll the tongue uses Sitkari; they are not doing it wrong. The cool feeling comes from moisture evaporating off the tongue; six to ten slow rounds is enough to feel the difference.

GRASP THIS Three moments to use it — and when to AVOID it

Use it when ① it is hot, close, sweltering; ② right after a strong sequence, to bring the heat and the breath back to normal; ③ when someone is irritated or hot-tempered, to let them step back a beat before reacting. The other way round, AVOID it in real cold or when someone is already shivering, and when they have a cold, a blocked nose, a cough or a sore throat — drawing cold air in through the mouth easily makes those worse. Anyone with low blood pressure or prone to dizziness does fewer rounds and sits steadily. Always describe it as “helps you relax, feel comfortable, cool down” — what the practitioner feels right there on the mat — never that it “cures” anything.

On the mat: Teach both ways in from the start: “If you can roll your tongue, do Sitali; if you can't, Sitkari — both are right.” Close the session with a line that hands it over: “Stuck in traffic, hum the bee; sweltering, breathe cool — you can take both home, no mat needed, nobody watching.”

Lesson 10 next: You know WHAT to breathe and WHEN. But the same practice, led by one person, feels comfortable, and led by another feels awkward — the difference is THE CALL: leading the breath with voice, evocative imagery and rhythm. Lesson 10 opens up the skill that turns a dry technique into an experience a whole room breathes along with naturally — what separates someone reciting a lesson from someone genuinely leading the breath.

Background reading for the whole set: Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha; Ann Swanson, Science of Yoga; B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Pranayama; Hatha Yoga Pradipika; together with the teaching of Vũ Trọng Tuấn Anh.

This is professional education, not a substitute for medical advice. A student with an existing condition — heart, blood pressure, respiratory or neurological — or who is pregnant should speak to a physician before practising.