Q ? One of my students is East Indian and needs some advice she has a strong regular practice and is training to become a yoga teacher. She has studied with me for about 5 years. She has had some yeast problems in the past, but they have cleared up do to natural practices she chose. However, now she was doing kapalabhati 3 sets of 30 daily. she went to 3 sets of 100 over night and she now gets a constant itch in the pubic region and wanders if they are related. I have my theory, but I am unsure. Please advice
A - The Tantra lessons are helpful for all sorts of energy blocks including yeast infections as well as for those seeking deeper sadhana. Your student can also receive these if she emails me. Sounds to me that she has shifted from kapalabhati to Bhastrika. There is subtle different first that is kapalabhati should balance kapha release muscous. If done wrong increases kapha and stagnation. Kapalabhati should be kept strictly to one per second for 30 seconds and clarify intention to purify chest and mucous regions. Second will balance pitta but when done wrong increases pitta resulting in inflammation or irritations such as she describes. Similarly holding mindfulness of pitta balance, can be done faster than Bhastrika but focus on bringing pitta home to central abdomen.