The Three-Part Heat-Building Breath Sequence
Kapalabhati, Bastrika and Agnisar to build respiratory strength
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 78%
This is the heat-building phase of Werner's athletic breath practice, three escalating drills done back to back. Kapalabhati ('skull-shining breath') is an active forced exhale with a passive inhale, moving a bit more air than normal to warm up. Bastrika ('bellows breath') adds a forced inhale to the forced exhale — the same action turned up, like moving from jogging to sprinting — building respiratory strength and control. Agnisar ('fire-essence breath') is an exhale-hold: empty the lungs, pull the navel in and up toward the spine against the held breath, then relax, creating a pumping action that strengthens the diaphragm under resistance while lowering oxygen and building CO2 tolerance. Each runs about 20 seconds to start, extendable to five or ten minutes, and is meant to sit inside a larger sequence rather than stand alone.
Origin
Extracted from Modern Wisdom episode with Dylan Werner; these are classical pranayama practices reframed with modern physiology in The Illuminated Breath.
Core principles
- 01Each breath drill is a tool with a specific purpose
- 02Force applied to breathing strengthens the muscles that drive it
- 03Escalating intensity (like jog to sprint) increases the effect
- 04Exhale-holds after fast breathing lower oxygen and raise CO2 tolerance
- 05Knowing why you do a practice is what makes it worth doing
How to run it
- 1
Set up on an empty stomach
Sit comfortably, ideally on an empty stomach. Clear the nose first so the passive inhales flow freely.
Pro tip Sitting down makes the forced-exhale drills easier than standing.
Watch out Avoid if you have just eaten, drunk a lot of water, or need the bathroom.
- 2
Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath)
Do an active, forced exhale through the nose with a passive inhale, flipping the normal pattern. Move roughly 700-1000 ml per breath. Run for about 20 seconds.
Pro tip Start slow to build accuracy, then increase speed; the inhale should be audible and passive.
- 3
Bastrika (bellows breath)
Now force both the inhale and the exhale, moving more air (roughly 1200-2000+ ml). This is the same drill turned up in intensity. Run for about 20 seconds.
Pro tip Keep the shoulders still — the movement comes from the belly and ribs, not lifting the chest.
- 4
Agnisar (fire-essence breath) with exhale-hold
Exhale completely, then pull the navel in and up toward the spine as if gluing it to the upper spine, holding the breath out. Release and fully relax, creating a pumping action, then repeat. Run for about 20 seconds.
Pro tip The extra resistance from pulling the navel in strengthens the diaphragm harder than free breathing.
Watch out You cannot speak during this; the exhale-hold lowers oxygen quickly.
- 5
Build duration and embed the sequence
Extend each drill toward five to ten minutes as capacity grows, working at your own pace. Use the sequence as the heat-building portion of a fuller breath practice, not a standalone.
Pro tip You will feel an immediate energized, sympathetic lift afterward — useful between sets or before a run.
In the wild
Werner runs the full sequence live: 20 seconds of kapalabhati, 20 seconds of bastrika, then 20 seconds of agnisar exhale-holds. He notes the whole round took about one minute and that a good working dose is five to ten minutes. Immediately afterward he points out the energized feeling as the sympathetic nervous system engages — handy as a pre-run or between-sets primer.
→ A quick, portable respiratory-strength primer with an instant energy lift.
Common mistakes
Practicing on a full stomach
The navel-lock and exhale-holds are uncomfortable and less effective if you have just eaten or drunk a lot of water.
Doing the drills without knowing why
Traditional practice hands you breath drills in a box; without understanding the purpose you cannot adapt or benefit fully from them.
Lifting the shoulders during force breathing
The power should come from the belly and ribs; raising the shoulders makes the drill inefficient and defeats the strengthening effect.
Is it for you?
Best for
Practitioners wanting to strengthen respiratory muscles and raise CO2 tolerance as part of a performance practice.
Not ideal for
Beginners who have just eaten, drunk a lot of water, or need the bathroom; do it on an empty stomach.
From the transcript
“first practice kabal bhati and second practice bastarika... second practice is called bastrika which is billow's breath”
“this whole practice is about increasing respiratory strength that's the purpose of this”
From the episode
How To Breathe Like A Yogi - Dylan Werner - #282
Dylan Werner