| Recently, a conversation arose about the dangers of | | | | advanced practitioners, of these two forms of |
| prolonged and forceful Pranayama (Yogic breathing | | | | Pranayama. |
| techniques). A friend, and colleague, was discussing | | | | For healthy beginners, it is better to break up their |
| pushing the limits of Bhastrika and Kapalbhati to the | | | | Bhastrika and Kapalbhati practice into one or two |
| point of neuron damage, within the brain. | | | | minute segments - with the understanding that 10 |
| It is true that some Yoga teachers and students are | | | | minutes total is the absolute limit. |
| unaware of the dangers of prolonged Bhastrika and | | | | However, some Yoga teachers will tell healthy |
| Kapalbhati. These two Pranayama techniques are | | | | beginners to stop at five minutes; just to be sure they |
| classified as hyper-ventilation. If this means nothing, the | | | | are not tempted to push their natural limits. If a student |
| short example below will open your awareness to the | | | | begins to feel light headed, he, or she, should take a |
| potential hazards. | | | | rest. This is not a contest. |
| When I was a child growing up in the United States, | | | | For most beginners, we start at one minute, and no |
| my family moved around the country quite a bit. It was | | | | more. Later, we gradually build up the time to 3 or 4 |
| not uncommon for children to play fainting or "passing | | | | minute segments. It is safer to add one minute |
| out" games by practicing hyper-ventilation for | | | | segments, with a rest in between the segments. For |
| prolonged periods of time, until they fainted, which is | | | | seniors, in good health, we start at 30 seconds and no |
| proven to result in neuron damage within the brain. | | | | more. Later, we gradually build up to one minute, only. |
| Children do foolish things. Luckily, we tired of those | | | | Apparently, the ancient Yogis made a few mistakes |
| games and moved on to less dangerous games. | | | | along the way, and lost a few practitioners, as a result |
| Bhastrika and Kapalbhati are therapeutic when | | | | of overdoing it. I personally love Bhastrika and |
| performed in moderation; however, there is a "dark | | | | Kapalbhati, but much like the ocean, these two forms |
| side" of forcing these intense methods beyond the | | | | of Pranayama deserve respect. |
| maximum limits. | | | | To make it crystal clear: The path of moderation, |
| The dark side is to get brain damage from overdoing | | | | which is also known as the "Middle Way," is the safest |
| something that appears harmless. So, what are the | | | | of all the paths. In Yoga, and in life, there should never |
| limits of Bhastrika and Kapalbhati? In the case of | | | | be extremes, even when our egos are tempted to |
| Bhastrika and Kapalbhati, there is a 10 minute | | | | push the maximum limits. |
| maximum time limit, per day, and per technique, for | | | | |