Although Kapalabhati is one of the six shatkarmas,i.e physical & mental purifiers(the shatkarmas being often regarded as integral to hatha yoga)and a third-eye cleanser/frontal lobes( it does translate, i think,as ‘shining skull’)for sure i would have some question marks over it as something for everyone. Hey i rarely practice it myself. I’d put into the rapid breathing category which it is.Some i think may practice it like right after jala neti as like an extra clean-out.
But it may work for you and if it does, that’s all that matters.
Please tell me whether I shall continue Kapalbharti in peptic Ulcers? or not?
Does it work?
You might be better with something that sounded like it might have a more obvious abdominal massaging effect or one that might also even improve abdominal muscle tone.There are practices like agnisara dhauti/agnisara kriya or pranayamas that involve the rise & fall of the abdomen and/or observing this phenomenon…(via the actions of the diapraghm and lungs),that can do this. However i would not advise this without other pre-requisites in place as part of a fuller practice, and further more that is having worked up to that practice.So you might look at some asana, and some can be done mindfully with ujjayii breath,and also nadi shodhana/anuloma viloma( starting off with 1:1 and building up sensibly to 1:2, can be done in incrrements or only a few second extra to begin with observing common-sense protocols or principles-never force, do within your natural easy imit etc etc ,& by starting off with relaxed full deep breathing etc )
So to summarise you would fare best with a full-scope practice set.Be sure to incorporate savasana and perhaps also resting poses like child’s pose. Also there are dietary,stress and lifestyle considerations you can factor in too.
Kapalabhati to me seems more like a cleanser principaally for the chest, lungs,sinuses, nose and frontal lobes of the brain/Third-Eye.So not sure what effect it might have on peptic ulcers…I’d imagine stress might exacerbate them as well as diet possibly.
My gut feeling here is you might do best in purifying your body using all the techniques that yoga can offer within a full-scope practice.If you’re not quite sure what effects your practices might be having on you then you might want to re-asses your routine.First rule is :do no harm.
For Kapalabhati you need decent lungs, good breath-control and reasonable nerves, and I would be inclined to put in the rapid or ‘liable-to-agitate’ category of pranayama, so it’s probably not for everyone.
Also when i started i did’nt really know what i was doing.But i guess we all start somewhere.In my case I tried to acheive too much too quickly.But then i did’nt really understand principal dynamics,some of the theory, and the importance of self-pacing. That means not charging ahead.
If our practice is not delivering reasonable steady results over long enough time-scales then it demands re-assesment.But also it can take some time depending on the effort we put in.
Are the peptic ulcers getting worse,better or hard to say? And is this a result of these yoga practices you outlined? Or are you not sure?
If you’re not sure then you might want to consider giving Kapalbhati the axe, i.e remove from set.Then continue to monitor and modify where sensible.I believe you can actually get attached to yoga practices that are not serving you ,well or at all, and this can be one of yoga’s hidden dangers or pitfalls for the unwary.
Making the judgement call as to whether your practice is serving your or not may not be very clear.You sometimes need to know what needs to be done,what’s required of you…And i would advise a complete practice usiing all the techniques but keep it simple .Also practicing a little at a time often is better than a lot not that often. Less is more.
Also remember- what imight your body be telling you or trying to tell you. I think sometimes we have to listen real deep to pick up the messages.I know i’ve had to do that.Like following gut-instincts,inner silence or inner guru.If you’re really stuck then a little prayer can help give you guidance to what you need to practice…But it could be said that all yoga practices are like little prayers… to the divine.You might also want to look at a meditation practice.I might suggest you try something like ‘Deep Meditation’ AYP style(see aypsite.org for more info.) or something similar.
I hope this might be of some help.
