Energising Breath

Kapalabhati is a classic yogic cleansing technique. You make short, sharp exhales through the nose by quickly drawing the lower belly in, and let each inhale happen on its own as the belly relaxes. The exhale is active; the inhale is passive. Start at about one exhale per second.

It's warming and wakes you up. It's also intense: if you go too fast or too long you'll feel dizzy or tingly, which is a sign to stop and breathe normally. Begin with three rounds of 20 to 30 exhales, with a minute of quiet breathing between rounds.

After a round of kapalabhati, some traditions add a relaxed breath hold. Breathe in comfortably, then out, and simply pause with empty lungs until you feel the first real urge to breathe. Then breathe in and hold for a few seconds before returning to normal breathing.

Never compete with yourself on holds. Never do them standing, in water, while driving, or anywhere you could fall. A hold is something you notice, not something you win.

Skip kapalabhati and breath holds if you're pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy, a history of panic attacks, a hernia, recent abdominal surgery, or a respiratory condition — unless your doctor says otherwise. Coherent breathing (Lesson 4) is the safe alternative, and the gentle pacer below is fine for everyone.

You now have seven techniques. Write your toolkit on one card or note: stress spike → physiological sigh; before pressure → box breathing; daily practice → coherent breathing; bedtime → 4-7-8; before meditation → alternate nostril; slump in the afternoon → kapalabhati (if it's right for you). Keep it where you'll see it.