Greetings!
How’s your energy level today?
If you’re feeling tired, sluggish or dull in any way, even after a good night of sleep, there’s one thing you might want to try to shake it off.
What am I talking about? It’s not more coffee!
It’s an ancient yogic breathing ritual called Kapalabhati Pranayama (or breathing). It’s also called “skull-shining breathing”.
The word Kapalabhati comes from two Sanskrit words: Kapala which means “skull and bhati which means light. It’s pronounced as kah-pah-lah-bah-tee.
Kapalabhati breathing is a technique that clears and energizes the mind and body. Centuries ago across the Indian subcontinent, kapalabhati breathing was done with people visualizing the skull filling and brimming with bright light.
This cleansing breathing technique has many health benefits. Not only does it release stress and toxins from the mind and body, it releases negative emotions, brain fog and sluggishness. Kapalabhati breathing also clears the lungs, improves the flow of oxygen throughout the body, boosts blood flow, and improves digestion.
For all of these incredible health benefits, the best part is that this breathing technique takes under 10 minutes to complete. And anyone can do it.
To begin, after you wake up, sit on a chair with your feet firmly on the ground. With your hands raised to shoulder level, palms facing out, you’re essentially going to make a fist reaching above your head to grab a fistful of air with each inhale. Then your hands lower with each exhale. Breathing through your nose, every inhale is deep and each exhale is blunt and forceful, coming from the diaphragm.
Check out this 3-minute video to learn exactly how to do it.
In this video, Tony Robbins, world-renowned life coach does a version of kapalabhati breathing that he calls “priming” every single morning. Add in some simple gratitude and goal setting, Tony Robbins style, and you have yourself a very powerful morning routine.
This ancient breathing technique is definitely here to stay. In fact, millions of people swear it works to kickstart energy levels each day.
So, find 10 minutes to try kapalabhati breathing.
Do 3 sets of 10 breaths each, and take a short break to sit in silence between each set. See how your mind and body feel. Find three things your grateful for today, and set a goal for the day around something you want to accomplish.
Curious about learning more about kapalabhati breathing and other powerful breathwork techniques? Book a free discovery call with me here.
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