Can Kapal Bhati control hyper-tension?

[Guest guest]

Check out this article in Midday.

Not for the weak-hearted

Author: Urvashi Seth 01 Feb 2008 Asian Heart Institute notes direct

connect between heart ailments and the breathing exercise in 31 cases

 

DHYAN SE SUNO: Baba Ramdev will hold a yoga shibir at BKC from Feb 4 to 6 On

January 29, a 59-year-old patient, was admitted to the Asian Heart Institute

(AHI) at BKC, complaining of severe chest pain.

 

While giving his case history, the patient said the pain began after practising

the kapalbhati asana.

 

The case validated what the doctors had unraveled in the last few years. Case

histories of 31 patients admitted to AHI, had a startling common factor.

 

Some of the patients had watched Baba Ramdev on TV, demonstrating yogasanas,

including the popular kapalbhati asana, others had attended sessions elsewhere

and practised it.

 

‘Heart patients warned not to perform certain asanas’

 

WARNING: The forceful breathing required in kapalbhati can lead to angina or

even a heart attack Some of them had high BP, while others had heart ailments.

But after kapalbhati, their health problems aggravated. Some had heart attacks,

while others had severe chest pain. “We found it always followed this pattern.

 

We have now advised our patients not to do kapalbhati,” said a trainer at the

Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre of the institute. T R Dhariwal, a patient

confirmed the advice.

 

Dr B K Goyal, chief of cardiology at Bombay Hospital, added that strenuous

activity puts unnecessary strain on the already weakened heart muscle.

 

“Kapalbhati requires the person to breathe forcefully through the nose, thus,

exerting extra pressure on the heart muscle. It can lead to angina or even a

heart attack.”

 

This advice comes at a time when Baba Ramdev will hold a shibir at BKC between

February 4 and 6.

 

However, Ravikumar Rana, spokesperson for Ramdev, said, “We make it clear at the

outset that certain aasans are not to be performed by heart patients. We can’t

be held responsible if they insist on doing it.”

 

According to sources, the hospital management has sent a message to Ramdev

making him aware of the increase in the number of heart patients coming to the

institute after doing kapalbhati.

 

However, Vijay D’Silva, MD of the institute, claimed, “No message been sent to

him.”

 

What’s kapalbhati?

 

According to Deepti Ajmani, proprietor and instructor at Power of Yoga,

kapalbhati is a excellent for toning up abdominal muscles. “It also helps in

weight loss, stress relief and increases oxygen levels in the body.

 

However, blood pressure and heart patients must strictly avoid doing it. They

can instead practice the anulom vilom, which can be done with regular

breathing,” she said.

 

 

______

 

kapal bhati is breathing more rapidly like the bellows of a blacksmith , again

according to classics.

 

Now let's look at this practisce with clear eyes. There are some practices that

create heat, energy and vacuum. Like there are herbs that create the same.

[Guest guest]

While it is true that bastika and kapala bhatti increase heat and respiration we

need to know too that all high bp is not pitta high bp.

kapha people with high cholesterol and high bp due to excess weight should not

practice sheetali which will further slow the body down and further freeze the

flow of lymph and slow the metabolism.

I am a kapha person and if I do sheetali I start to shiver and do not feel

like moving - we do not want this for people with high bp due to kapha. We want

such people to become more active.

For those who have high bp due to tension, anger and pitta personality

sheetali is ok

we need to be able to analyze the situation and choose the treatment according

to the individual.

I have found that even for vata people with high bp the rhythm of kapala

bhatti forces their anxious minds to go on track, thus calming them and reducing

the blood pressure, but I tell them only to do 60 repetitions.

The cautions put in the classics are placed there so that those with little

knowledge do not get hurt. We need to use discretion and foster deep

understanding in order to use the techniques with logic and caution. Again, I

would not advise people to experiment with yoga just as I would not advise

people to experiment with herbs.

One must consult with a trained proffesional when undertaking yoga.

To me a trained proffessional is one who has practiced for several years, read

teh classics and hs been under the guidence of an advanced teacher. We must

choose our herbalists and yoga teachers carefully as there are many crash

courses avalabe the avail people with the ability to teach with only two weks

training.

Check the background of the teacher, especially when theraputic advice is

being sought.

_______

First according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (classical) Is Kapal bhati

not a pranayam but a Shatkarma, but this is not so important. More important, is

what different practices; Asanas, Herbs etc do to our body and Mind.

[Guest guest]

Remembering other propaganda against Swami Ramdev's successes in curing all

sorts of diseases in many people - firstly I am wondering why the article

below begins with the info that Swami will hold a yoga shibir on Feb 4th and

the patient is admitted to hospital on 29th Jan - i.e. before the shibir

occurred and therefore apparently unrelated.

 

My feeling is that Swami Ramdev would give very stringent and responsible

guidelines as to who should do which asanas and pranayama exercises, and how

they should do them - I also believe that even in India - anyone who does

not wish Swami's good name to continue would be only too happy to blame

Swami Ramdev for anything they could get away with.

 

Best,

 

Jane

______________

 

Check out this article in Midday.

Not for the weak-hearted

Author: Urvashi Seth 01 Feb 2008 Asian Heart Institute notes direct

connect between heart ailments and the breathing exercise in 31 cases

 

DHYAN SE SUNO: Baba Ramdev will hold a yoga shibir at BKC from Feb 4 to 6 On

January 29, a 59-year-old patient, was admitted to the Asian Heart Institute

(AHI) at BKC, complaining of severe chest pain.

[Guest guest]

It is true I do not deny that people must be monitered when performing asanas

and pranayama to make sure they are doing them in a way suitable to themselves.

I never advocate people learning yoga from camps or from tv.

This is simply not appropriate.

I have seen many people perfomr kapala bhatti in a very exaggorated way that

would certainly push the iling heart over the edge, but they same pranayama can

be performed under supervission to make it ok.

I alwyas had students fill out a questionaire about their health before

teaching them pranayama or yoga.

that way things can be adjusted according to their speific needs.

This is not possible in a yoga camp or by following a video.

 

Vaidya Paul <vaidya.paul wrote:

Check out this article in Midday.

Not for the weak-hearted

Author: Urvashi Seth 01 Feb 2008 Asian Heart Institute notes direct

connect between heart ailments and the breathing exercise in 31 cases