How to decongest your nose
Kapaalabhaati: Skull-Shining
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Salutations to all the teachers.
If your nose has ever been congested, you have directly experienced how nasal congestion makes us feel tired, distracted, and irritable. For many of us, however, the nose is congested so often that we do not even remember what it is like to breathe freely.
Research shows that people who experience chronic nasal congestion are likely to also experience mental effects such as fatigue, mood changes, anxiety, lack of attention, depression, and even suicidal ideation. Additionally, sleep is also adversely affected, further exacerbating these effects.
It should come as no surprise, then, that for the Yogi, solving nasal congestion is a critical part of the journey. Otherwise, the mind will be continuously distracted by the inability to breathe fully, the attention needed for meditation will be weakened, and the feelings of fatigue will hinder the Yogi from progressing. After all, the path of Yoga takes a tremendous amount of mental energy and willpower.
Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing the shatkarmas - six cleansing techniques that are helpful prior to the practice of Praanaayaam (the fourth limb of Yoga). The shatkarmas deal with disorders in the Praana (the life function such as breathing, digestion, etc.), easing these issues so that they are no longer a distraction, thus allowing the Yogi to move further inwards.
The shatkarmas do not appear in the Yoga Sutras, and are considered a part of Hatha Yoga (“The Yoga of force”), the practice of which increases the chances of success in Raja Yoga - the path of meditation which we are currently discussing.
As a reminder, the shatkarmas are:
Kapaalbhaati: “Skull shining”
Traataka: Concentrated gazing
Last week, we discussed nauli, or abdominal massaging, and briefly went over two of the bandhas, or “locks” that will be key for later techniques.
This week, we will go over kapaalbhaati, as well as an additional technique for decongesting the nose. Do note, that in addition to these techniques, naadi shodhana is also highly effective in decongesting the nose if done patiently and regularly.
With these techniques, as with all the shatkarmas, make sure to follow any warnings. Additionally, pick and choose only what works for you, and practice it regularly - with the four keys to practice - in order to see any results.
Kapaalbhaati: Shining Skull
Kapaalbhaati (pronounced kuh-paahl-uh-bhaa-tee) literally means “shining skull”, and is also known as bhalabhaati. There are three different types of kapaalbhaati:
Vatakrama: Cleansing with air
Vyutkrama: Cleansing by expelling
Sheetkrama: Cleansing while cooling
Vatakrama Kapaalbhaati
भस्त्रावल्लोहकारस्य रेचपूरौ ससम्भ्रमौ ।कपालभातिर्विख्याता कफदोषविशोषणी ॥Bhastraavallohakaarasya rechaPoorau sasambhramauKapaalabhaatirvikhyaataa kaphaDoshaVishoshaneeLike a blacksmith’s bellows, exhale and inhale rapidly. This is called Kapaalabhaati, and it destroys all disorders of the mucous.
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.35
Normally, when we breathe, inhalations are slightly more active or intentional than exhalations. This technique reverses this - the exhalation is made active, and the inhalation just happens passively.
Like the bellows of a blacksmith, this technique involves breathing forcefully and rapidly, using the expansion and contraction of the diaphragm as the driving force behind the breath.
As the blacksmith’s bellows expand, air goes in, and when they are contracted, the air is forced out. Similarly, as the diaphragm is expanded, air should automatically come in, and as it is contracted, the air should be pushed out through the nostrils.
For those who are familiar with these techniques, you will notice that it is quite similar to bhastrikaa (bellow-breathing). There is, however, a subtle difference, in that in bhastrikaa, inhalation and exhalation are equally forceful. Here, the inhalation is completely passive, and the exhalation is forced. Additionally, in bhastrikaa, the focus is on the middle section of the torso, while in kapaalbhaati, the focus is on the lower section of the abdomen.
Warning: Do not practice this technique if you have high or low blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy, hernia, gastric ulcers, a detached retina, if you are pregnant or menstruating, or if you have a history of nosebleeds or strokes. Additionally, if you feel breathless or dizzy make sure to take a break - do not exert the body to the point of causing harm.
A quick recap of some key concepts before diving into the technique:
Jaalandhar bandha: Elongate your neck, elevate your breastbone, push the tongue up on the palate of the mouth, and lower your head to touch the chest.
Uddiyana bandha: This feels like you are sucking the stomach into the bottom of the ribcage by doing a false inhale.
Moolabandha: To practice this, contract the perineum with minimal involvement from your anal and urogenital muscles. This takes some practice and can be perfected over time.
Maatras: This is the unit of measurement that you decide on so as to measure how much time each inhale or exhale is. For more on maatras, look at the article on the fundamentals of Praanaayaam here.
Ok, now that we have gone over the warnings and some key concepts, here is the technique:
Sit upright in your Aasana with your head, neck, and shoulders in alignment, and without a support for the back.
Close the eyes and take a few normal deep breaths, as you steady the body.
Now take a deep breath into the diaphragm, and perform fifty quick and forceful exhales through the nose, allowing the breath to passively re-enter the body after each exhale. Each exhale should last about half a second, and the inhale should be even shorter.
After the final exhale, breathe deeply in through the nose and expel all the air in your body through the mouth, trying to get your stomach as close to the spine as possible.
Perform jaalandhar bandha, uddiyana bandha, and moolabandha almost simultaneously, and hold the breath as long as you can, counting the duration using your maatraa.
Before you inhale, release moolabandha, then uddiyana bandha, then jaalandhar bandha.
Breathe in slowly and gently through the nose.
This is one round. Practice three such rounds, and with your eyes closed bring the mind to the space in between the eyebrows.
Do you feel a tingling sensation? This is the movement of the Praana within the space of body, referred to as antara-desh.
As you become more attuned to the movement of Praana in your body, you will be able to feel this at all times, even without this technique. What’s more, with practice, the Yogi is even able to control its movement throughout the body.
If you are not comfortable using the bandhas just yet, you can skip steps 5 and 6. Additionally, you may want to keep a handkerchief or some tissues nearby if your nose is particularly clogged.
Again, if you feel dizzy or breathless, pause the practice and breathe normally for a few minutes. Then, try the exercise by breathing with less force than before. If done correctly, you should feel as though you can continue breathing this way for several hundred breaths without feeling breathless.
A more advanced version of this technique can also be practised, where the nostrils are alternated as in naadi shodhana. It takes a little repetition to get it right but can be super helpful if one nostril is much more clogged up than the other.
Vyutkrama and Sheetkrama Kapaalbhaati
These techniques are similar to jala-neti in that warm saline water is passed through the sinuses. However, since these should not be tried without proper supervision, we will avoid details and just review them at a high level.
In vyutakrama kapaalbhaati, the Yogi inhales water through the nostrils, lets it flow down the back of the throat and into the mouth, and then spits the water from the mouth several times, pulling any mucous along with the water.
In sheetkrama kapaalbhaati, this is reversed - a mouthful of warm, salty water is pushed up through the nose and expelled through the nostrils. This has a cooling effect on the nose, even though the water itself is warm.
The effects of these techniques are said to be the same as jala-neti, which is a lot easier to practice and can be done without any supervision as long as one follows the warnings.
A bonus decongesting technique
This is another technique that can be used to decongest the nose, and does not require any sort of supervision. However, be aware that it only results in temporary relief, whereas the regular practice of kapaalbhaati can result in longer term relief as well.
Here is the technique:
Sit in your Aasana with your head, neck, and torso in alignment, and with no back support.
Exhale softly, and then pinch both nostrils shut using naasikaagra mudra (shown below).
Expand and contract the belly rapidly several times while keeping the nose and mouth shut in this way, until you feel a desperate urge to breathe again.
Release the nostrils, and very slowly and delicately breathe in through the nose.
Continue to breathe in and out delicately through the nose for about a minute.
This is one round. Repeat it five to six times.
As you practice these techniques, notice how the mind feels. Do you feel calmer, more focused, and in a better mood? How long does this feeling last?
Until next time:
Practice kapaalbhaati once per day, prior to meditation.
Take notes on how many maatraas you can hold the breath for, and how you feel after the practice. Did you feel that you went deeper in your meditation?
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, comments, or feedback either by leaving by replying to this email, by leaving a comment below, or anonymously at r/EmptyYourCup.
Next week: Traataka: Steady Gazing