Kapal Bhati - Frontal Brain Cleanse

Dopamine-sensitive neurons are found primarily in the frontal lobes. The dopamine system is associated with pleasure, long-term memory, planning and drive. Dopamine tends to limit and select sensory information arriving from the thalamus to the fore-brain. The so-called executive functions of the frontal lobes involve the ability to recognize future consequences resulting from current actions, to choose between good and bad actions (or better and best), override and suppress unacceptable social responses, and determine similarities and differences between things or events. The frontal lobes also play an important part in retaining longer term memories which are not task-based. These are often memories with associated emotions, derived from input from the brain's limbic system, and modified by the higher frontal lobe centers to generally fit socially acceptable norms (see executive functions above). The frontal lobes have rich neuronal input from both the alert centers in the brain-stem, and from the limbic regions.

Kapal Bhati

"Kapal" means skull and "Bhati" means purification or polishing. As this practice 'clears' the head, so it derives its name.

People with cardiac troubles or high blood pressure should do this practice only after taking expert advice. If you suffer from diabetes or peptic ulcers, it is advisable to avoid this.

Method

While seated, either is a chair or Siddhasana, Padmasana or Vajrasana, please make sure that your back and neck are erect and the head is upright. Let there be no slackness or slouch in the trunk. However, be seated calmly and in a relaxed position. Close your eyes genttly.

Exhale forcefully from the abdomen, while contracting the abdominal muscles and drawing them inward. There is no need to focus on inhalation, which is automatic. The focus has to be only on the exhalation. Do this exhalation and automatic inhalation 11 times in a minute, without a pause. In the beginning do it slowly and then gradually increase the pressure and tempo. After 11 cycles, exhale fully and HOLD while withdrawing you anal sphincter inside to the fullest extent possible. Hold for as long as comfortable and then inhale slowly. This is one round of Kapal Bhati. In the beginning one should do only two rounds, gradually increasing to five rounds. The cycles may gradually be increased from 11 to 30 in a minute.

While doing this cleanse, think that while exhaling you are throwing all the diseases out of your body. Individuals with mental aberrations like anger, greed, self-ego attachment etc. should develop a feeling of throwing out all the negative and injurious elements along with the air exhaled. In this way the feeling of getting rid of diseases while exhaling imparts a special benefit to the individual.

Do this cleanse, at the start, for a period of three minutes and gradually increase it to five minutes. Initially, if you feel tired in between, take rest for a while and resume. After practice of about two months, you will be able to perform this brain cleanse for five minutes at a stretch without any fatigue. This is the total duration for which it should be done. In the beginning, you may feel a little pain in the back or abdomen. But this will disappear after some practice.

Benefits

Kapal Bhati is a very important cleansing process, in which the entire nervous system is rejuvenated. Excess fat in the stomach is reduced and "cold" condition of the lungs such as phlegm is reduced. The frontal lobes of the brain are greatly oxygenated and the respiratory system is greatly strengthened.

Any questions??