Traditional yoga considers cleanliness an important aspect of one’s emotional and spiritual development. A key factor in how good you feel in your body is determined by how your body processes waste and eliminates it. That, in turn, determines how you handle stress and contribute positively to society and the evolution of human consciousness.
A whole section of yogic practices is devoted to the cleaning of one’s digestive system, lungs and mucous membranes. This requirement for cleanliness is also extended to one’s thoughts, actions and surroundings. Negativity and anger only facilitate unhealthy thought patterns and stress.
Dirt, messy spaces and unwanted things not only contribute to an unhealthy physical environment, but are also counterproductive to happiness.
Clutter is a mirror of one’s torrid emotional state and waning health. All in all, your vital energy (prana) gets dispensed into unnecessary areas when it can be channelled into positive and creative areas of work, relationships and good health.
The good news is that one can kick-start this journey of cleanliness from the inside out. Kapalbathi is one such practice from a section of yoga called kriyas. This practice helps clear out mucus from the lungs and promotes fat burning and abdominal toning due to its cardiovascular nature.
Simplified Kapalbathi (Frontal Brain Cleansing Breath)
Caution: Pregnant women and those with hernia, heart conditions and high blood pressure should avoid this practice. This should be done only on an empty stomach. Slight dizziness is normal.
Sit comfortably either on a chair or on the ground with your legs folded.
Place each hand in the chin mudra, where the tip of the thumb of each hand is touching the tip of its respective index finger.
Close your eyes and relax your whole body.
Inhale deeply through both nostrils as you expand your abdominal muscles like a balloon.
Exhale forcefully as you contract your abdominal muscles. Do not strain.
Allow the next inhalation to happen passively, like a spontaneous recoil that involves no effort.
Start with doing 10 rounds of this and work your way up to four sets of 50 rounds.
It is normal for your back muscles to ache a bit, so don’t let this stop you from pursuing this practice.
