Kumbhaka “Breath Retention”

Begin with a 6 count hold and build up to 10 seconds or longer, for both the inhale and exhale. The length of the hold depends on your ability to stay calm, you do not want to bring in any stress to the body.

Take your time with this as it is a slow process in training the lungs to hold a larger capacity of air, or to keep the lungs empty.

Kumbhaka, Breath retention practices come from Hatha Yoga,

Traditionally, the Bandhas would be held if you are holding Kumbhaka longer than 10 seconds, if it is shorter than that there is no need. With Kumbhaka you want to hold the breath in or out in a gentle space, you do not want to stress the body out by gripping to the experience, creating unnecessary tension. For example, elevated shoulders, tension in the thoracic spine, chest or abdomen.

The pause between the inhale and the exhale. The top of the inhale (Puraka) the hold (antara-interior) and the end of the exhale (Rechaka) the hold (bahya-exterior.)

Precautions:

The practitioner should not experience any discomfort while retaining breath.

Please avoid Antara and Bahya Kumbhaka retention if the precautions apply to you.

- When applying this method you do not want to feel any pressure around the heart area;

- Woman who are pregnant would not hold the breath, give them an easy deep breath practice;

- The breath must be released consciously and carefully as it is releasing toxic elements from the cells of the body; and

- If your student has had recent eye surgery do not have them practice kumbhaka

Benefits:

- The traditional texts teach that when you retain the breath you are sending life force or prana to every cell in your body, when it has reached the cells, it draws out any toxic elements, creating a purification;

- Many illnesses can not survive in a high oxygenated system, such as cancer:

"The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer... the cause of cancer is no longer a mystery, we know it occurs whenever any cell is denied 60% of its oxygen requirements..." Dr. Warburg statement after winning a Nobel Prize in the fight against cancer in 1931;

- Although Kumbhaka can trigger or cause anxious feelings, when practiced consistently over time it can help alleviate anxiety.