Published on
Updated
Reading 2 mins.
Before setting the table for the New Year’s Eve, why not give your body a little detox? Yoga offers a breathing method called Kapalabhati. To be performed in the morning on an empty stomach to get the day off to a good start, “fire breathing” helps you eliminate toxins in the stomach.
In the middle of winter, it is good to boost your body and yoga can help you do this. A breathing technique called Kapalabhati or “breathing fire” helps to “cleanse and eliminate toxins from the intestine and stomach”, explains on her Instagram account the coach “Mathilde YogiFit”. A breath that can have different uses as the professional specifies. “It’s a cleansing technique that stimulates the mind.”
Detox: discover the breath of fire
This breathing method comes from the Sanskrit language, a region of South Asia. The “kapāla” means “skull” and “bhâti” refers to “brilliant, illuminating”. The breath of fire is one of the six “Kriyas”, namely the actions of purification of the body in the practice of Yoga.
Kapalabhati forces the yogi to use his abdominal muscles. This lifts the diaphragm and pushes the air out, at a high rate. The ideal posture is therefore to hold your back straight, with your diaphragm clear.
It can be performed standing, sitting or kneeling. However, the sustained rhythm of this breathing can lead to dizziness and cause an imbalance. Most of the breathing happens at the level of the nose. To clear the nostrils, it is possible to inhale one or two drops of peppermint essential oil or to use a saline solution.
Whether you do this breathing sitting, standing or kneeling, make sure your back is straight. You can put one of your hands on your stomach to help you. Take an inhale with your nose, naturally inflating your belly, then exhale quickly through your nose, pulling your belly inwards. Repeat the exercise for 30 seconds and then start again.
For beginners, the ideal is to start with sessions of 2 to 3 minutes, if possible accompanied by a professional. However, this method of breathing is not recommended for pregnant women, during their cycle or for people suffering from hypertension.