Swamiji TV

Other links



Video details

Hatha Yoga and Kapalabathi

Haṭha Yoga is a discipline of immediate action and purification. It connects one with inner determination and the effort to achieve well-being. The practice begins now, not later, to overcome laziness. Its core techniques cleanse the body: netī, dhautī, bastī, naulī, and kapālabhāti. Kapālabhāti specifically purifies the head region through forceful exhalation. This practice must be approached gradually and under guidance, especially if health conditions exist. It brings a pleasant sensation and regulates the heartbeat. Haṭha Yoga is distinct from āsana practice; it prepares the body for health. All yoga techniques are valuable, but daily practice is essential, just as daily nourishment is required. Currently, avoid forceful prāṇāyāma like kapālabhāti in group settings due to health precautions.

"‘Ata’ means just now—not tomorrow, not in an hour, but immediately."

"Kapālabhāti is a very powerful prāṇāyāma technique. That is why it is called Haṭha Yoga—because we must do it with some power."

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

Good evening, my dear brothers, sisters, practitioners of Yoga in Daily Life, all other yoga practitioners, and everyone. I send you all my blessings. It is wonderful to see that today, many people are beginning to practice again—at home, in offices, or in centers where possible. They are mostly practicing Sarvahitāsana. Thank you, and I am very happy that you are all present from every country. People from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Europe, India, the Middle East—everywhere—are embracing Yoga in Daily Life. They have taken it to heart and are practicing for good health, peace, harmony, understanding, and to live in a divine way. It does not matter which religion or non-religion; we are here for yoga in life, for our own good, for our bodies, and for our families. I am so happy to see you all. Bless you. Now, let us speak again about Haṭha Yoga. I am very happy and grateful to my Gurudev, my Gurus, and our paramparā Gurus. I am happy that he gave me this knowledge, and I am simply spreading it to you. You are greater; I am not so great, but I am teaching and working, my dears. Feel that you are the human you wish to be: healthy, wealthy, and happy. For that, there is Haṭha Yoga. Haṭha Yoga is a very beautiful technique among the many yogas. There are many yoga techniques, and people learn this or that. One need not learn all, but yoga itself is very important. In Haṭha Yoga, as I have explained before, the word "hatha" has many meanings. It means we must get more in touch with our feelings, with our "I want to do." For example, in the morning when we get up, we still feel a bit in bed for a minute. We stretch the body left and right, open our eyes and mouth to take in air, and gather energy to rise. Then we slowly go to the bathroom. This is also a form of "hath." Everything we try to attain for ourselves, from ourselves, is a "hath." There are different kinds of "hath," which I have told you already. Bāl Haṭh is very interesting—this refers to children who work and want this or that from their parents. "Hatha" means we connect more with our feelings and the determination to achieve what we want. It requires effort. For instance, a child may want to cut his hair in a certain way against his parents' wishes, insisting, "No, I want to cut my hair like this." But when we come to yoga, we must embrace discipline. Therefore, yoga is said to be Anuśāsanam. Haṭha Yoga is Anuśāsanam. The first step is to begin practice immediately. "Ata" means just now—not tomorrow, not in an hour, but immediately. Otherwise, laziness sets in, and we keep postponing. We should act now. Similarly, if something is negative, give it up now, not later. This understanding of "now or late" is important. That is Haṭha Yoga. In Haṭha Yoga, we have been practicing netī, dhautī, bastī, naulī, and saṅkhaprakṣālana. The final one among these is kapālabhāti. These are the five principles: netī, dhautī, bastī, naulī, and kapālabhāti. Saṅkhaprakṣālana is for intense internal cleansing. Now, let us discuss kapālabhāti. "Kapāla" means the forehead or the head—this entire part where our left and right hemispheres reside. From here, all our thinking arises. We need to cleanse the impurities from this area, particularly the forehead. We have spoken about prāṇāyāma, which is inhalation and exhalation. We inhale clean, good air and exhale used air. This process is constant, day and night, whether we are sleeping, running, working, dancing, or Skyping. We can dive underwater but cannot last more than a minute or two before our body forces us to surface for oxygen. Two vital things sustain our life: the inhalation and exhalation of oxygen, and the heartbeat. No matter what we are doing, even driving, the heartbeat is always present. Both are crucial for life. First, we must keep our heart very healthy. How do we get oxygen? Through our breathing—inhalation and exhalation—which balance both hemispheres, left and right. Yoga is the science of humans. To purify ourselves, we work through both nostrils. You know we speak of the three principal nāḍīs in the body: Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumnā. Oxygen enters through them and also through our skin. In kapālabhāti, "kapāl" refers to this head region. We practice to cleanse it. It involves inhalation and exhalation, but in kapālabhāti, exhalation is forceful through the nostrils, while inhalation is passive through the mouth. For example, consider an old railway engine that burned coal, creating pollution. Now, with electric engines, there is no such pollution. When the engine exhales slowly, it runs. When climbing a hill, it takes in more prāṇa, more "coal," and when going down, it eases. Similarly, kapālabhāti involves only forceful exhalation through the nostrils. Practice for just one or two minutes, and you will feel very pleasant in your head. Start with half a minute one day, then relax, and again half a minute the next day. Gradually, over five days, work up to one minute at a time, with relaxation in between. Over one or two months, you will find a rhythm. It purifies and cleanses the entire kapālabhāti region. However, please practice under a yoga master who knows the training. We must give what is in our heart, so we must take care of our heart. If you have a heart problem, do not do it quickly; adopt a slow rhythm. If you have practiced netī in the morning with warm salt water, kapālabhāti helps expel all water from the nostrils. Kapālabhāti is a very powerful prāṇāyāma technique. That is why it is called Haṭha Yoga—because we must do it with some power. It is excellent for our eyes and heart, provided they are healthy. If there is any condition like hypertension, please consult a doctor and a yogī first. After practicing kapālabhāti for a minute or two and then relaxing while sitting, you will feel a wonderful sensation throughout your head, and your heartbeat will become very regular. Therefore, Haṭha Yoga is very good, my dears. I know many of you are listening and will practice or are already practicing. There are many other aspects of "hath." There is a small story: A yogī with long hair was walking in a forest with a strong wind at his back. His hair kept blowing into his face. He would put it back, but it would blow forward again. The yogī said, "I tell you, do not always go to the front," but of course, the wind persisted. So the yogī decided, "Okay, I will go only the other way. I will go in the direction I want." Similarly, we must practice not with haste, but slowly and under the guidance of masters and yoga teachers. Nowadays, many people in Western countries and everywhere else, when they want to practice yoga, call a yoga center and ask, "Are you teaching hatha yoga?" I say yes. Then I explain the five techniques: netī, dhautī, bastī, naulī, and tratāk. They say, "No, no, I don’t want this. I want Hatha Yoga." My dear, Haṭha Yoga is this. They reply, "No, I want to do āsanas." Āsanas are different, and Haṭha Yoga is different. All over the world, people only say "yoga, hatha yoga, hatha yoga." If someone learns properly, they will understand that Haṭha Yoga first purifies the entire body—our intestines, kidneys, heart, etc.—bringing everything into good health. So please, tell those you know what Haṭha Yoga is and what āsanas are. Āsanas are not only this; they are different techniques. Āsana, prāṇāyāma—these are among the other techniques. They can be difficult but also very good when practiced well. Every technique of yoga is very good. But decide which way you want to practice by asking your yoga teacher, and not only focus on āsana and prāṇāyāma. There are many different yogas. You know the holy book, the Bhagavad Gītā. In it, there are eighteen different kinds of yoga. The eighteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā describes Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, Rāja Yoga, etc. Rāja Yoga also includes various techniques. So, my dear, first go through Haṭha Yoga and practice. Practice not only one day or three days a week. Would you eat only three times in one week because you have no time? No, you eat three times every day. So why can you not practice at least once every day? When you practice hatha, you will have beautiful techniques and become very healthy and peaceful. So, Haṭha Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga—there are many, many techniques. I wish you all the best today and tomorrow. I will bring a different chapter next time. I wish you all the best, and understand again that Kapālabhāti is very, very good. But my dear ones, I must warn you: if there are two or three people practicing together, we should not do Kapālabhāti now because of the coronavirus. We should not practice Bhastrika Prāṇāyāma either. Even other prāṇāyāmas like nāḍī śodhana should not be done excessively now, as we are inhaling air, and we do not know if the virus is present. So please, all my dears, my disciples, tell others around the whole world: do not practice Bhastrika Prāṇāyāma or Kapālabhāti now. Leave it until next year. I wish you all the best, a very good and healthy life, peace, harmony, and understanding for yourselves and respect for all. See you tomorrow again. I will speak one hour earlier tomorrow. Keep watching Swamiji Television, as people from other countries are now tuning in. I teach often, and you can follow. As we say, we ask Gurudev for blessings: May the whole world be peaceful. May all people be happy and healthy. May all waters and everything be pure. May all vegetation be healthy. May all creatures be healthy, and may we also be healthy. Peace, peace, peace.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

Email Notifications

You are welcome to subscribe to the Swamiji.tv Live Webcast announcements.

Contact Us

If you have any comments or technical problems with swamiji.tv website, please send us an email.

Download App

YouTube Channel