Kapalabhati (Sanskrit:कपालभाति,romanized: kapālabhāti, "Skull-polishing") is an importantshatkarma, a purification inhatha yoga. The word kapalabhati is made up of two Sanskrit words:kapāla meaning "skull", andbhāti meaning "shining, illuminating". It is intended mainly for cleaning the sinuses but according to theGheranda Samhita has magical curative effects.^[1]

In theJivamukti Yoga of David Life andSharon Gannon, three forms of Kapalabhati are practised, derived from theGheranda Samhita 1:54:^[2][3]

• Vatakrama, a practice similar to thepranayama technique ofBhastrika or "Breath of Fire", except that exhalation is active while inhalation is passive, the opposite of normal breathing.
• Vyutkrama, a practice similar toJala neti, it involves sniffing water through the nostrils and letting it flow down into the mouth, and then spitting it out.
• Shītkrama, essentially the reverse ofVyutkrama, in which water is taken through the mouth and expelled through the nose.

• Kundalini energy
• Tummo#Practice
• Uddiyana bandha

• Kriyas
• Shatkarmas
• Pranayama

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Sanskrit-language text