भस्त्रिका
Bhastrika — the Bellows Breath
bhastrikā = the blacksmith's bellows
Equal, vigorous in-and-out strokes that stoke the inner fire — the strongest breath we teach.
In the simplest words
Breathe in AND out fast and strong through your nose, like a puppy panting but through the nose, ten times — then sit very still and feel the buzzing quiet. This one is for grown-ups who learned it from a teacher.
What it is
Where kapalbhati snaps only the exhale, bhastrika pumps both directions — breath drawn in and driven out with equal vigour, like a smith's bellows feeding a forge. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika ranks it among the great kumbhakas and credits it with rousing the body's deepest energies quickly, which is exactly why it is treated with respect: heat, energy and light-headedness arrive faster than in any other practice on this site. Ten to twenty strokes make a round; between rounds the practitioner sits in the ringing stillness the bellows leaves behind — which many say is the real point of it.
Where it comes from: Classical hatha yoga — one of the eight kumbhakas of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (II.59–67); taught in person across lineages.
Before you practise — health first
Do NOT practise bhastrika with high blood pressure, heart disease, hernia, epilepsy, glaucoma, vertigo, ulcers, in pregnancy, or soon after surgery. Stop instantly if dizzy. It heats the system — reduce or skip in hot weather and during fever. A live teacher outranks this page, always.
How to practise
Learn bhastrika from a teacher before practising alone — this page is your revision notes, not your first lesson.
Sit rock-steady in vajrasana or sukhasana, spine tall, hands on knees.
Breathe in and out through the nose with equal, vigorous strokes — the belly pumping, the face calm.
Ten strokes make a beginner's round. Then breathe normally and rest in the stillness for at least as long as the round took.
Two or three rounds are plenty. Any dizziness, heat or discomfort means stop at once and breathe softly.
Practise now
Practice timer
Finished sessions are added to your sadhana log — stored only on this device.
When & how long
Morning, empty stomach, cool room. Winter loves it; hot summer afternoons do not. Always end sitting quietly — the stillness after is the harvest.
What it is kept for
Practitioners take it up for sluggish mornings, pre-practice ignition and the deep quiet that follows the storm — never for casual energy boosts.