Breathe with Zakim: Fire Breath | Dana-Farber Zakim Center Remote Programming

Breathe with Zakim is a video series created by the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In this series, we teach you evidence-backed breathing techniques to activate your body's natural relaxation response, which may help reduce stress, improve focus, increase energy levels and contribute to overall well-being.

Fire Breath (or Kapalabhati) is a powerful breathing technique involving rapid, forceful exhalations followed by passive inhalations. It’s designed to cleanse the respiratory system, energize the body, and clear the mind.

Here’s how to do it:
1) Sit comfortably with a straight spine, eyes closed.
2) Take a deep inhale through the nose.
3) Exhale sharply and forcefully through the nose by actively contracting your abdominal muscles. This is the active part.
4) Allow the inhalation to happen passively — don’t actively inhale; your lungs will fill naturally.
5) Repeat the exhale-inhale cycle rapidly, about 20–30 times to start.
6) After a round, take a deep breath in and exhale slowly. Rest before repeating.

Tips:
Not recommended for people with high blood pressure, heart problems, hernias, or pregnancy.
Avoid if you feel dizzy or lightheaded.
Start slow and build up gradually under guidance.

Benefits:
Detoxifies lungs and respiratory tract by clearing mucus and impurities.
Stimulates the abdominal organs and digestive track
Improves oxygen flow and circulation.
Increases energy and mental clarity.
May help reduce stress and anxiety by balancing the autonomic nervous system.

Research:
Elevates sympathetic drive during practice: Immediate HRV changes reflect parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic activation during breathing. Study of immediate neurological and autonomic changes during kapalbhati pranayama in yoga practitioners. Malhotra V, et al., doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1662_21. Epub 2022 Feb 16. PMID: 35360798; PMCID: PMC8963645.
Better attention and mood: Kapalabhati boosts performance on cognitive tasks, improves spatial/motor skills, and reduces anxiety Kapalabhati practice appears to have a beneficial role in the activation of sympathetic nervous system, enhance cognition, and improve overall metabolism. Swathi PS, Ret al., doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2020.11.008. Epub 2021 Jan 13. PMID: 33454186; PMCID: PMC8039332.

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