19/06/2025
The yogic tradition has long taught, and science is now affirming, that how we breathe shapes the brain and mind. A 2025 systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating Kapalbhati, a breath practice of sharp, rhythmic exhalations, caught our attention.
This review doesn’t just report outcomes like improved pulmonary function, reduced anxiety, and enhanced attentional control. It also proposes a plausible neurophysiological model for how these benefits may arise. At Minded, we’re endlessly fascinated by how yoga changes the brain, so this felt especially relevant.
So here’s the skinny.
According to the authors, Kapalbhati activates pulmonary stretch receptors that are distinct from those engaged during slower breathing. These rapidly adapting receptors respond to quick changes in lung pressure and send signals to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), a brainstem region that processes bodily input and regulates autonomic function.
From the NTS, information travels to other brainstem centres involved in releasing oxytocin and norepinephrine. Oxytocin, often called the “cuddle hormone,” promotes internal safety and emotional regulation. Norepinephrine sharpens attention and enhances cognitive readiness. Together, they support a state of regulated arousal, a condition in which the system is activated but remains coherent, energised yet grounded.
For individuals with persistent sympathetic dominance, this intensity may be too activating at first. That’s why Kapalbhati should be taught carefully, alongside calming practices that help anchor the system. At Minded, we’ve long taught what we call the Kapalbhati Sandwich: a calming breath, followed by Kapalbhati, and then another calming breath. This method promotes nervous system flexibility and builds capacity to later practise Kapalbhati on its own, potentially accessing the lucid clarity it’s known for.
And finally, the name says it all. Kapalbhati translates as “Skull Shining Breath.” Once purely poetic, the name now feels neurologically precise. This breath quite literally brightens the mind.
