AYURVEDIC HERB SUPPLEMENTS

Breath Of Fire / Shining Skull (kapalbhati Pranayama)

A vigorous breathing exercise designed to stimulate energy, break up stagnation, and improve focus.

How Does This Ayurvedic Home Remedy Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Breathing exercises can help restore energy and vitality (prana). They clear the respiratory tract, oxygenate the blood, strengthen metabolism, invigorate circulation, and cleanse the lymphatic system. Gentle breathing techniques relax the mind. There are many types of breathing exercises. Some breathing techniques are gentle with few negative side effects, such as belly breathing. Others, such as breath retention, have potential to harm.

Read About Breathing Exercises

How to do Shining Skull Breath (Kapalbhati Pranayama)

Level: Vigorous This vigorous breathing exercise is contraindicated in these instances: high/low BP, pregnancy, heart disease, vertigo, hernia, gastric ulcer, epilepsy, detached retina, recent abdominal surgery, risk of stroke.
  • Inhale through your nostrils normally until your lungs are full. Keep your inhalation slow but unforced. First, feel the diaphragm move down, allowing the lungs to expand and forcing the abdomen out; then feel your chest expand with your collar bones rising last.
  • Exhale through both nostrils forcefully. This places the emphasis of the breath on the exhale rather than the (natural) inhale. Assist your exhalation by pulling in your stomach muscles to expel air. Exhaling should take much less time than it took to inhale. "Forced" exhalation means that the contraction of your stomach muscles helps push the air out of your body. It does not mean that the exhalation should be uncomfortable for you in any way.
  • Practice 3 rounds of 25. Rest in between each round.


Aka: Kapala bhati

SUGGESTED USE

Please follow label or as directed by your practitioner.

Metabolic Nature of Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama)

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

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CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

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LIQUEFIED

ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs.

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DOSHAS
Dosha Help

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.

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PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Pitta aggravating Vata aggravating
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Moves Energy:
Outward

OUTWARD

Outward-moving substances stimulate circulation, push heat towards the skin, or are stimulating.

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Upward

UPWARD

Upward-moving substances (Urdvha Gati Marga) include anything stimulating or activating, or that move upward in the body.

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Affinity:
Anti Aging

ANTI-AGING

Geriatric conditions typically involve low agni / metabolism, poor circulation, weakness & debility, muscle weakening, poor digestion, a drop in sex hormones, and connective tissue degradation in bones & skin.

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, Bowel Poop Elimination, Cleanse And Detox, Digestion,
Energy Vitality

ENERGY-VITALITY

Includes vitality improving foods, herbs, and exercises by dosha.

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, Heart Circulation Blood, Respiratory Health
HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama)
Help
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Digestive

DIGESTIVE

Herbs that encourage healthy digestion.

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General Laxative

GENERAL-LAXATIVE

Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives.

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Internal Detoxicant

INTERNAL-DETOXICANT

Liquefies, dissolves, decongests or dislodges internal stagnant toxins. Decongests the lymphatic system.

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Stimulates Crown

STIMULATES-CROWN

Creates a feeling of awareness or tension in the area at the top of the head.

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Stimulates Front Of Brain

STIMULATES-FRONT-OF-BRAIN

Creates a feeling of awareness or tension in the area in the forehead. Activates the frontal lobe - the area responsible for motor function, emotional expression, thinking, and decision making.

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,
Wakes You Up

WAKES-YOU-UP

Invigorates the body and nervous system, increases energy.

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Antidepressant

ANTIDEPRESSANT

Herbs that lift feelings of depression, benefit the mind and improve mental function.

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,
Anxiolytic

ANXIOLYTIC

Herbs that help people suffering from anxiety or panic. They promote a state of calm and often improve sleep. Most anxiolytic herbs are also nervines.

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Nerve Stimulant

NERVE-STIMULANT

Provide short lived stimulation of the nervous system.

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,
Nervine

NERVINE

Balances the nervous system. They can help with stress, memory, early alzheimer's, and even chronic pain. Often they are aromatic in nature.

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Builds Stamina

BUILDS-STAMINA

Promotes strength, endurance and resistance in the body. Rebuilds weak tissues after a time of depletion.

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,
Refreshing

REFRESHING

Stimulates and wakes up the body, leaving it feeling cool, fresh, and energized.

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,
Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

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Adrenal Tonic

ADRENAL-TONIC

Strengthens, supports, or increases output of adrenals.

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Decongestant

DECONGESTANT

An herb that reduces mucus production often by restricting blood flow to mucus membranes.

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Expectorant

EXPECTORANT

Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.

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Lung Tonic

LUNG-TONIC

Strengthens the lungs. Lung tonics include antifibrotic, vessel tonic, or nourishing herbs with an affinity for the lungs. They aid recovery in acute or chronic lung conditions.

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Adaptogen

ADAPTOGEN

Herbs that promote stabilization of physiological processes and homeostasis. Adaptogens increase the body's ability to resist the damaging effects of stress and promote or restore normal physiological functioning.

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Cardiac Stimulant

CARDIAC-STIMULANT

Herbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area.

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Alterative

ALTERATIVE

Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.

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Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

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Cardiac Tonic

CARDIAC-TONIC

Strengthens and tones the heart (heart-tonic). Cardiac tonics are used to treat a wide range of heart issues from arrhythmia, to cardiac insufficiency.

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Lowers Blood Sugar

LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR

An herb that lowers blood sugar.

SEE ALL 'LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR' FOODS / HERBS

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Raises Thyroid

RAISES-THYROID

An herb that increases thyroid function.

SEE ALL 'RAISES-THYROID' FOODS / HERBS

Promotes Virility

PROMOTES-VIRILITY

Encourages virility and potency.

SEE ALL 'PROMOTES-VIRILITY' FOODS / HERBS

Muscle Relaxant

MUSCLE-RELAXANT

Herbs that relax muscles. Helpful for chronic pain or tension as well as healing from physical trauma.

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Antispasmodic

ANTISPASMODIC

Herbs that reduce or inhibit muscle spasms or cramping, such as in asthma, menstruation, hear palpitations, migraine, or IBS.

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Foods with a Similar Nature to Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama)

Mustard

Mustard has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Digestive, Muscle-relaxant, Stimulates-front-of-brain, Cardiac-tonic, Expectorant, Promotes-virility, Wakes-you-up, Antispasmodic, Decongestant, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy

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Mustard Powder

Mustard Powder has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Digestive, Muscle-relaxant, Stimulates-front-of-brain, Cardiac-tonic, Expectorant, Promotes-virility, Wakes-you-up, Antispasmodic

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Mustard Seed

Mustard Seed has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-tonic, Expectorant, Promotes-virility, Wakes-you-up, Antispasmodic, Decongestant, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Digestive, Muscle-relaxant, Stimulates-front-of-brain

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Mint

Mint has these Actions in Common

Anxiolytic, Nervine, Stimulates-energy, Antidepressant, Digestive, Refreshing, Stimulates-front-of-brain, Antispasmodic, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-crown, Wakes-you-up

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Allspice

Allspice has these Actions in Common

Antidepressant, Decongestant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Stimulates-energy, Antispasmodic, Digestive, Muscle-relaxant, Stimulates-front-of-brain, Cardiac-stimulant, Internal-detoxicant, Nervine

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Ginger (Fresh)

Ginger (Fresh) has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing, Adrenal-tonic, Decongestant, Lung-tonic, Stimulates-energy, Antispasmodic, Digestive, Nervine, Wakes-you-up

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Rosemary

Rosemary has these Actions in Common

Antispasmodic, Decongestant, Muscle-relaxant, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Digestive, Nerve-stimulant, Antidepressant, Cardiac-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Nervine

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Basil

Basil has these Actions in Common

Anxiolytic, Digestive, Nerve-stimulant, Antidepressant, Cardiac-stimulant, Internal-detoxicant, Nervine, Antispasmodic, Decongestant, Lung-tonic

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Fennel Seeds

Fennel Seeds has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Expectorant, Nervine, Decongestant, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Antispasmodic, Digestive, Lung-tonic

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Thyme (fresh)

Thyme (fresh) has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Adaptogen, Digestive, Lung-tonic, Antispasmodic, Expectorant, Nervine

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Daikon Radish

Daikon Radish has these Actions in Common

Decongestant, General-laxative, Stimulates-crown, Digestive, Lung-tonic, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Expectorant, Refreshing

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Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama)

Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama)

Bellows Breath (Bhastrika Pranayama) has these Actions in Common

Antidepressant, Digestive, Nervine, Antispasmodic, Expectorant, Promotes-virility, Anxiolytic, General-laxative, Raises-thyroid, Blood-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Refreshing, Builds-stamina, Lowers-blood-sugar, Stimulates-crown, Adaptogen, Cardiac-stimulant, Lung-tonic, Stimulates-energy, Adrenal-tonic, Cardiac-tonic, Muscle-relaxant, Stimulates-front-of-brain, Alterative, Decongestant, Nerve-stimulant, Wakes-you-up

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Breathing Exercises

Breathing Exercises has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Stimulates-energy, Builds-stamina, Lowers-blood-sugar, Wakes-you-up, Cardiac-stimulant, Lung-tonic, Adaptogen, Cardiac-tonic, Muscle-relaxant, Adrenal-tonic, Decongestant, Nervine, Alterative, Digestive, Promotes-virility, Antispasmodic, Expectorant, Raises-thyroid, Anxiolytic, General-laxative, Refreshing

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Belly breathing

Belly breathing has these Actions in Common

Adrenal-tonic, Decongestant, Nervine, Alterative, Digestive, Promotes-virility, Antispasmodic, Expectorant, Raises-thyroid, Anxiolytic, General-laxative, Stimulates-energy, Blood-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Builds-stamina, Lowers-blood-sugar, Cardiac-stimulant, Lung-tonic, Adaptogen, Cardiac-tonic, Muscle-relaxant

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Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi) has these Actions in Common

Blood-tonic, Refreshing, Cardiac-stimulant, Stimulates-crown, Decongestant, Stimulates-energy, Adaptogen, Expectorant, Stimulates-front-of-brain, Adrenal-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Antidepressant, Lung-tonic, Antispasmodic, Muscle-relaxant, Anxiolytic, Nervine

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Eleuthero Ginseng

Eleuthero Ginseng has these Actions in Common

Anxiolytic, Nerve-stimulant, Blood-tonic, Nervine, Builds-stamina, Stimulates-energy, Digestive, Wakes-you-up, Adaptogen, Expectorant, Adrenal-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Antidepressant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Antispasmodic, Muscle-relaxant

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External Breath (Bahya Pranayama)

External Breath (Bahya Pranayama) has these Actions in Common

Adrenal-tonic, Promotes-virility, Alterative, Refreshing, Anxiolytic, Stimulates-crown, Builds-stamina, Stimulates-energy, Digestive, Stimulates-front-of-brain, General-laxative, Wakes-you-up, Internal-detoxicant, Adaptogen, Nervine

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Punarnava

Punarnava has these Actions in Common

Builds-stamina, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-stimulant, Stimulates-front-of-brain, Cardiac-tonic, Digestive, Internal-detoxicant, Alterative, Lowers-blood-sugar, Antispasmodic, Lung-tonic, Blood-tonic, Promotes-virility

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Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam

Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Cardiac-tonic, Digestive, Expectorant, Adaptogen, General-laxative, Adrenal-tonic, Internal-detoxicant, Alterative, Promotes-virility, Blood-tonic, Stimulates-energy

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Amalaki

Amalaki has these Actions in Common

Adaptogen, Promotes-virility, Alterative, Refreshing, Blood-tonic, Stimulates-energy, Cardiac-tonic, Wakes-you-up, Digestive, General-laxative, Internal-detoxicant, Lowers-blood-sugar

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Shilajit Tonic

Shilajit Tonic has these Actions in Common

Cardiac-stimulant, Wakes-you-up, Internal-detoxicant, Lowers-blood-sugar, Nerve-stimulant, Promotes-virility, Raises-thyroid, Alterative, Refreshing, Builds-stamina, Stimulates-energy

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Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS

Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama) may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any herb supplement for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.

CONTRAINDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS

Breath of Fire / Shining Skull (Kapalbhati Pranayama) may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms. Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.

HERB DRUG INTERACTION RISK

Here are some potential herb drug interactions. Please see your health care provider for more information.
  • Alterative: Anything that strengthens or cleanses the liver can clear drugs mroe quickly, requiring a higher dose.
  • Antidepressant: Do not combine with antihistamines.
  • Cardiac-tonic: Caution when taking alongside cardiac pharmaceuticals. Inotropic herbs (that affect heart contractile strength) may interact with digoxin.
  • Decongestant: For decongestants whose mechanism is vasoconstriction, could potentially increase blood pressure.
  • Muscle-relaxant: Do not combine muscle relaxants with antihistamines.
  • Nerve-stimulant: Avoid combining with sedatives such as alcohol, etc.
  • Raises-thyroid: May magnify the effect of other thyroid medication.

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