Bhastrika Breathwork: Bellows Breath For Energy

Ten minutes of Bhastrika, the bellows breath. It's a strong, rhythmic practice where you breathe in and out forcefully through the nose to wake up the body and clear a foggy mind. I'll guide you through five rounds, with pauses in between to rest and notice what's moving. The breath sound runs during each round so you can lock into the rhythm and follow along. Good for mornings, before training, or any time you feel flat and want to come back online. Please skip this practice if you're pregnant, or if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, epilepsy, or a recent injury or surgery. If you get dizzy, slow down or stop and breathe normally. Music: "Third Eye Pulsing Pan Drums" by Tim Kulig

Transcript

Welcome. Today's practice is Bhastrika, The bellows breath. It's one of the most energizing practices in pranayama. Both the inhale and the exhale are strong and active, Like a blacksmith's bellow pumping air in and out. We'll do three rounds of fast breathing, Each followed by a short, Comfortable breath hold, And then some recovery. Safety first, So please skip this practice if you're pregnant, If you've high blood pressure, A heart condition, Epilepsy, Glaucoma or if you've had recent abdominal surgery. Never do it on or near water. Or while driving. It's normal to experience light tingling or lightheadedness. If that does get strong, Just stop and breathe normally. And wait for me to catch you at the next round. To begin, Let's sit tall on a chair or on the floor. Spine upright, The chest open, Hands on your thighs. We're going to be breathing in through the nose with the mouth closed. We'll be breathing in forcefully and breathing out forcefully, Equal effort on both parts. The belly and chest are going to be moving with it. So think of it like a pump, Not a strain. We want to keep the face soft and the shoulders down. And if you do start to feel tense, Just slow it down. The rhythm beats speed. So let's take two slow, Full breaths to prepare. In through the nose. Letting go. And again, And out. I'll pace this first round with you about one breath per second. Let's begin. In, Out. In, Out. In, Out. In, Out. Keep going. Now take a big full breath in and hold. Relax the shoulders and the face when you hold. Only hold as long as comfortable, Somewhere between 10 and 20 seconds is plenty, Nothing to prove here. When you're ready, Let it go slowly through the nose. Breathe normally now and just let your body do whatever it wants. And now we're going to come into our second round, 25 breaths or so, Same rhythm. I'm going to count you through it in fives, Let you hold the pace yourself. So let's begin. Bye. 15 in the face up 20. Big breath in. And hold. Notice the stillness after all that movement, Holding. Let the breath go slowly. Breathe naturally. Let's come into a third round. We're going to take about 30 breaths this time. Find your own rhythm and count for yourself. I'll come back to you at the end. Let's begin. You Bye. You you you Let's take a full breath in and hold. Feel the energy moving in the body. The hands, The face, The chest. Hold. Release slowly and with control. Just breathing naturally, Settling. We're going to do two more rounds. Second last round, We'll do about 45 breaths. Again, Finding your own rhythm, Counting for yourself. I'll come back to you at the end of the round. And let's begin. Thank you. You Thank you. Staying with the last couple of seconds here. Full breath in. And hold. Again, Feel the energy moving in the body. Release slowly and with control. Let the breath be completely natural. Settling. We're going to do one final round, Again about 45 seconds. Again, Working at your own rhythm, Counting for yourself. I'll come back to you at the end of this final round. Let's begin. Three, Two, One. Bye! Take a gentle breath in. And hold. Soft face, Soft jaw, Relaxed shoulders. Feeling the energy in the body. Releasing slowly and with control. And just let the breath again be completely natural now, No technique. Just sitting and feeling. You might notice warmth or tingling, Maybe a buzz behind the eyes. Although that's normal and will settle in a minute or two. Allowing the breath to be comfortable. Now starting to bring a little movement back into the fingers and toes. This is a strong practice, So use it with intent. It's best in the morning. Maybe before training when you want to switch on. Avoid it in the evening, It'll keep you up. Slowly, Whenever you feel ready, I encourage you to gently open your eyes.