Overview & Traditional Lineage
Bellows Breath (Bhastrika) is a classical pranayama rooted in Hatha Yoga Pradipika; bhastrika. Forceful breathing in and out through the nose at speed. Strongly heating and strongly rousing. The most contraindicated practice in the library.
Primary Goals: Energy. Themes: Cold, Lethargy, Morning.
Full Guided Practice Script & Cue Timeline
| Timestamp | Spoken Cue / Instruction | Pause |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | Read the cautions before starting this one. It is not for everyone and not for every day. | 20s |
| 0:31 | Sit upright, spine straight, hands on the knees. | 15s |
| 0:51 | Take two ordinary breaths first. | 15s |
| 1:09 | Now breathe in forcefully through the nose and out forcefully through the nose, at about one per second. | 25s |
| 1:45 | Both directions are active. The belly moves like a bellows. | 20s |
| 2:12 | Ten of those. Then stop and breathe normally. | 45s |
| 3:02 | Notice what happened. Heat, alertness, possibly a little light-headedness. If it is more than a little, stop here. | 40s |
| 3:53 | A second round of ten, if the first was comfortable. | 45s |
| 4:44 | Now stop entirely and let the breath find its own rhythm. Do not chase another round. | 60s |
| 5:54 | Sit still for a minute. The stillness after is as much the practice as the breathing. | 45s |
Contraindications & Guidance
- Do not practise in pregnancy.
- Do not practise with high blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, hernia, ulcer, or during menstruation.
- Not within two hours of eating.
- Stop immediately at any dizziness.
- Also avoid with detached retina. If you are new to it, do ten breaths, not thirty.
