How I Caught My Breath: Discovering Kapalabhati Pranayama! 🌬️

Important notice: This post contains a discussion on medical and food allergy anxiety. Please be advised that if you have any health concerns, it is recommended to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new breathwork techniques. I am not a medical professional, and the content of this post should not be considered medical advice.

Hello everyone! I’m very excited to share my first Soluna Vita blog post with you, and I think it’s only fitting that it’s about pranayama. For many years, my breathing was a major trigger of my anxiety. Reflecting on this, I realize it’s likely because I’ve had several serious food allergies since birth, including a life-threatening peanut allergy. Anxiety can be a real result of dealing with life-threatening health conditions or medical trauma, and I hope that by shedding light on this, I can help someone feel a little less alone.

Growing Up with Allergies

My parents did an amazing job managing my allergies while I was growing up, and I’ve continued to be very on top of them as an adult. Around middle school, as I became more aware of the seriousness of the situation, I started to develop anxiety about my allergies. Often, when I went out to eat, I would worry about having an allergic reaction. I would start thinking about my throat closing, which could happen if I ate something I wasn’t supposed to, and then psychosomatically my chest would start to feel tight, and I would get short of breath. This began a very interesting relationship with my breath. Our breath is supposed to bring us peace and calmness. That was not the case for me for a long time.

The Battle with Anxiety

It took me a while to realize that what I was experiencing was anxiety and panic attacks. Various situations beyond my food allergies perpetuated this pattern. For me, anxiety, panic, and my breath were all intertwined in a messy tangle. I learned many tools from therapy and my research to combat what I was experiencing. Sometimes, they would work, and I would feel I had beaten anxiety, only to be disappointed when it would rear its ugly head once more. I know many people have had this same experience, and it can be very discouraging — please know I see you, and you are not alone.

A Challenging Year and a Turning Point

2023 was a particularly challenging year for me with my anxiety journey. My body just did not feel like a safe place. But it was also the year that I realized that anxiety isn’t something you put away or just get over. It’s something you need to embrace and move through! It was in the fall that things finally started to turn around, plus I was embarking on my yoga teacher training with The Space Between. One of our learning modules was about immersing ourselves in different types of meditation and breathwork styles. I was nervous about some of the breathwork as I was afraid that it would put my nervous system into a revved-up state. But two of the amazing, supportive teachers leading the program assured me that I would be OK and that everything I learned so far would help me regulate, plus, I could take it at my own pace. This meant I would need to be very present in my body and listen to what I needed.

Discovering Kapalabhati Pranayama

What happened next truly helped heal my relationship with my breath! Enter Kapalabhati pranayama, also known as Skull Shining Breath.

What is Pranayama?

Pranayama is a Sanskrit term. “Prana” means “life force” or “vital energy,” and “yama” means “extension” or “control.” In yoga, pranayama is the practice of regulating your breath. This practice helps move energy through your body and bring you back into a state of balance. There are many different types of pranayama practices, ranging from slow and steady breathing to more specific patterns and rhythms. Some are designed to help calm and restore your nervous system, while others are meant to activate your nervous system. Now, the latter may seem confusing… why would we want to activate our nervous systems? Aren’t we all activated enough in our day-to-day — LOL?

The Power of Kapalabhati Pranayama

Good question! Practicing pranayama breathwork that activates our nervous system also allows us to practice how to safely bring ourselves down from a more elevated state. This builds resilience! It blew my mind the first time I learned about this concept in yoga teacher training. Through just the power of our breath, we can build a strong foundation that allows us to handle similar situations in our day-to-day with more ease.

Kapalabhati pranayama is one of these types of breathwork. This breathwork allowed me to feel safe in my body and trust my breath again. By continuing to return to the practice, I have built up my resilience and tolerance for stressful situations. Now, I know that my breath can safely guide me through situations to the other side.

My First Kapalabhati Experience

I first practiced Kapalabhati to the song “Sat Nam” by Sabo. It has the best earthy beat, which also makes it really easy to breathe to the rhythm. “Sat Nam” means “I am truth” in Sanskrit — how beautiful is that? I just love the sentiment of the phrase because we are all amazing and perfect just the way we are. It has such a special and love-filled meaning.

How to Practice Skull Shining Breath: For Beginners

How to Practice Skull Shining Breath

1. Start Slowly: If you are new to this practice, begin with around 1-2 minutes. You can increase it to around 3-5 minutes as you become more comfortable. It’s nice to find a song with a strong beat to use as a guide for your breath, but you can also practice without music. The key is to maintain a quick pace.
   

2. Listen to Your Body: If you feel dizzy or short of breath at any time, return to a more even, slow pace until you feel balanced once more. Pushing ourselves into an uncomfortable place has nothing to gain.

   
   

3. Get Comfortable: Find a comfortable seat and sit tall. I recommend Sukhasana (Easy Pose). Bring your hands to rest in your lap or at your sides. You can place your palms up to receive energy or down to ground.

   
   

4. Begin with Cleansing Breaths: Take a few cleansing breaths to start. The pattern of breath is a forceful exhale (from your diaphragm) followed by a passive inhale. You don’t have to actively inhale; it will come naturally. Take one practice round.

   
   

5. Start the Pattern: One forceful exhale. The exhale comes from your diaphragm. Think about drawing the front of your abdomen to the back of your spine. One passive inhale. It follows the exhale naturally. Repeat for your intended duration.

   
   

6. Finish Strong: Once you finish your last round of breath, inhale and raise your hands over your head. Hold your breath at the top for a few moments to retain the energy you just generated. Slowly exhale as you lower your hands back down.

   
   

7. Savor the Moment: Savor the energy as your breath returns to normal. Take a moment to thank yourself for showing up!

I genuinely feel like Kapalabhati breath changed my life and I’m so grateful I learned the practice! Remember, you are capable of doing hard things. Sometimes, it can be scary, but I promise that you have the strength and can cultivate safety in yourself to carry you through. This breathwork practice is a fabulous place to start.

Much love 💖,

Alexandra