The Shining Skull

At 72, my Dad is as fit as a fiddle. Not that he was always health conscious. He used to be quite plump in his mid-forties, and I still remember the love handles of his waist, which is characteristic of middle aged people with a sedentary lifestyle and high adrenaline corporate careers.

One fine day, he decided that enough was enough and devised a strategy to get rid of the excess fat, and assiduously stuck to it till he was able to reach his target BMI (Body-Mass Index). He used a multi-pronged approach which included a change in dietary habit, water therapy and a regular physical exercise in conjunction with yogic practices. One of the yogic practices, which later received widespread acclaim through the teachings of Baba Ramdev, is a breathing exercise known as ‘Kapalbhati’.

Found in several sacred Hindu scriptures, such as Gheranda Samhita and Hathayoga Pradipika, Kapalbhati can be translated as ‘frontal brain bellowing’ or as ‘shining skull’. The benefits of Kapalbhati are numerous – it helps to improve the digestive functions, makes the mind more tranquil by removing drowsiness and blocking disturbing thoughts. It helps clean out the lungs and makes oxygenation more efficient. It also strengthens the respiratory muscles.

The technique of Kapalbhati is as follows:

Sit in a comfortable position with the back upright. Close your eyes and relax the body. Inhale by slowly allowing the abdominal muscles to expand and then exhale with forceful contraction of the muscles. This is one cycle. Repeat the inhalation/exhalation cycles at least 25 times initially. This will make one round. Try at least 10 rounds in the beginning and go on increasing the rounds every day, but not beyond your comfort level.

This exercise should preferably be done in an empty stomach, either in the morning or in the evening. People with heart ailment or respiratory problems should seek professional advice.

The practice explained above is for beginners. Advanced practices require following awareness on certain points and breath retention along with Kapalbhati. Inhalation can also be done forcefully, but then that is another practice called ‘Bhastrika Pranayam’. Normal breathing involves active contraction of the respiratory muscles while expiration occurs passively. Kapalbhati inverts this process which is the source of brain stimulation by reversing the flow of nerve impulses.

It might come as a surprise to the iPhone generation that such a simple and inexpensive practice can be so effective in reducing excess weight. I too was a sceptic till I saw this old technique make a new man out of my Dad. And the best part is that he has not regained the weight which he lost in a matter of a few months only. As they say, “Old is gold”, you can try this old practice and see for yourself the visible benefits in a few weeks’ time. So go for this practice, in all earnestness, and reap high dividends with very little investment.