In this post and a few of the upcoming posts, I will be describing pranayama techniques which involve breath retention (kumbhaka). Some of these techniques also involve application of the three bandhas, as appropriate.
Samavritti Pranayama
The word "sama" means equal or same number and "vritti" means rotation or simply action. If you recall, in a previous post, we talked about four phases of a breathing cycle:
- Puraka – inhalation
- Rechaka – exhalation
- Antar-kumbhaka – breath retention after inhalation
- Bahya-kumbhaka – breath retention after exhalation
In samavritti, we make all these four components of the breathing cycle equal in duration. For most people, the duration of breath retention after exhalation is the shortest of the four. So, the effort in this pranayama would be to make all four the same duration as the duration of retention after exhalation.
Step-by-step
- Sit in any comfortable cross-legged sitting posture with the spine upright, arms and shoulders relaxed.
- Start with simple deep, ujjayi breathing, without any retention, keeping the durations of inhalation and exhalation equal. Take four to five deep breaths.
- Introduce retention of breath after inhalation only, none after exhalation. Over a period of four to five deep breaths, gradually increasing the duration of retention after inhalation, make the three components – inhalation, retention and exhalation – of equal duration.
- Now introduce retention after exhalation also. Over a period of four to five deep breaths, gradually increasing the duration of retention after exhalation, make all the four components – inhalation, retention, exhalation and retention – of equal duration.
- Continue with Samavritti practice for 8 to 10 breaths.
- End the practice with relaxed, regular breathing pattern.
Viloma Pranayama (Interrupted Breathing)
This is another controlled breathing pattern where we interrupt the breathing cycle every two seconds for a duration of two seconds. During the breathing cycle, no strain should be felt.
Step-by-step
- Sit in any comfortable cross-legged sitting posture with the spine upright, arms and shoulders relaxed.
- Start with simple deep, ujjayi breathing, without any retention. Take four to five deep breaths.
- For the next 3 to 4 deep breaths, interrupt the inhalation every two seconds for a duration of two seconds. Make sure there is no strain while breathing. At the end of inhalation, the lungs should be filled to capacity.
- Exhale with a natural deep breath with no interruption.
- For the next 3 to 4 breaths, take a natural deep inhalation (no interruptions) followed by deep exhalation which is interrupted every two seconds for two seconds.
- Now you can introduce interruption of breath, every two seconds for a duration of two seconds, both during inhalation and exhalation.
- At the end of interrupted inhalation, try to hold the breath for five to ten seconds. The duration of retention should be such that the quality and depth of the following exhalation is not impacted. If you are able to hold the breath for more than five seconds, then apply Jalandhara Bandha (chin lock) during retention.
- Continue the interrupted breathing cycles for about five to seven breaths.
- End the practice with relaxed, regular breathing pattern.
Benefits
Both Samavritti and Viloma pranayama involve total concentration on the breathing pattern in order to maintain the appropriate durations of breath and retention. As such, these techniques help us stay in the present moment, not letting the mind drift away. Moreover, they are helpful techniques as preparation for meditation as they provide a form of pratyahara (sense withdrawal) and dharana (concentration).
What deferrals are there for kumbhak?Can you explain why?
Based on what I have read in some texts, kumbhaka should be avoided in the following cases: high blood pressure which is uncontrolled despite medication, pregnancy, severe menstrual bleeding, recent heart problems, ulcers, recent surgery of any kind. These texts don’t provide any detailed physiological reasoning for these precautions.
hello Sir i am doing Closing right nostril and inhaling do khumbaka and jalandar banda and it will be same another nostril also whether am doing right or no
Hello Harneet, after inhaling through the left, do kumbhada and Jalandhar Bndha, exhale through right and inhale through right. At this point do kumbhaka and the bandha and then exhale through the left and do the same sequence again. Hope this helps.
dear subhash thanks for ur interest in kevali khumbhka u are in peace nothing will disturb u u get bliss
i am doing pernayama since 6-7 years now i do get kevali kumbhka for 3-4 hrs what are benifits of kevali khumbhka
Hello Mahendra, I do not have personal experience with kevali kumbhaka. Since you have been practicing it for such a long time, please write a few words about your practice and let us know how it has helped you.
SIR,CAN UPLS LET ME KNOW WHAT IS ACHIEVED IN ANTAR`/BAHYA KUMBAKA
Hi Satish, not sure what you are looking for. Could you be more specific?
I want show show something you but it is in pdf form how can I post here
You will probably have to send me an email with the pdf attachment. I don’t think you can attach it on the blog.
In ujayyi pranayam all bandhas are performed
In jalandhar bhand all bandhas are performed
why uddiyan band h is not perform while holding breath in.
It is not natural.
Sir How bandhas are performed in antarik mahabandh and bahya mahabandh. and next question in samavritti pranayam where I
hold my breath for 6sec so it is necessary to perfom energy locks with it.
The only guideline I can give is that after inhalation you can effectively perform Mula bandha and Jalandhar bandha. After exhalation you can practice all three (mahabandha).
Sir How bandhas are performed in antarik mahabandh and bahya mahabandh. and next question in samavritti pranayam where I
hold my breath for 5 seconds so it is necessary to perform bandhas with it.
Hi Alok,
During samavritti, since the duration is short, bandhas may not be very effective. You can try and see if it feels good and effective. Very individual.
Hi Alok,
Yes, you can practice bandhas in nadi shodhana pranayama. Remember that after inhalation, you practice only mula bandha and jalandhara bandha whereas after exhalation you can apply all three. The sequence of the bandhas is not well defined in the texts that I am familiar with. In my own practice, I tend to apply the jalandhara first, then the other two almost simultaneously. The same guidelines apply to ujjayi pranayama as well. Hope this answers your question.
What do you mean by it? and my next question is in ujayyi pranayam all bandhas are performed if yes then in which order my order is jalandhar mool uddiyan is it right and exhalation is just vice versa
Sir I am holding my breath for 5 seconds in nadi shodhan pranayam so it is necessary to perform bandhas with it. if
yes then in which order. if not then when
I am an advance practioner of pranayam. now I want to know in what order bhandhas in antarik kumbhak perform
Hello Alok, please let me know your complete pranayama routine; then I may be able to answer your question. Thanks.
hello sir,
I have been doing anulom vilom for 7 months w/o much effect perhaps because i have been careless about 1:2 of inhalation n exhalation.
Should i practice with kumbhaka taking care of the ratios to benefit more?
Also, I just started practicing Suryabhedi 4 days ago. Should I already start with Kumbhaka n bandhas with it?
I am on medicines for OCD n Bipolar. Lithium, Bupropione n Aripaprazole.
Hi sir
Why we hold the breath after inhalation for 5-10 seconds I in khumkha pranayam?
What is benefit of holding breath and then do the exhalation?
Hi Ratnesh,
My understanding is that during kumbhaka, the five pranas – prana, apana, vyana, udana and samana, get more time to balance out their functions and re-energize any of the dis-functioning vayus. Moreover, availability of CO2 during kumbhaka is supposed to be good for the brain. Kumbhaka also represents transcendence of duality represented by inhalation and exhalation. Multiple reasons ….
I met a yogi in India who practiced breath-retention for hours and hours. He died before I could avail myself of his knowledge of breath-retention. Can you tell me if you can retain your breath for six hours or more?
Unfortunately no, I do not have any such “siddhis”.
Hellow Sir,
I do jogging and sprint running along with weight training in the gym, all these workouts need deep and intense breathing, if I perform Kumbhaka pranayam also which slows down breathing will this impact health in any manner, is it ok to perform both also please can you tell me how to reverse aging and prevent aging
Hello Shreyas,
There is no conflict between yoga and aerobic exercises. You can continue to do both. The only suggestion I would have is to practice yoga before gym. I haven’t figured out a means to prevent or reverse aging. Sorry, can’t help you in that area.
Dear Sir,
How to regulate the breath after inhalation and retention during exhalation . I have not able to control the same.All the inhalation done comes out during exhalation wothout any control.
Regards RAGHAVAN
Dear Raghavan,
In small steps … Start with short breaths and work your way up very gradually.
What is the correct way to for Anulom vilom ..in normal way, Inhaling with one nostril and exhaling with another, Im doing this since more than one year but, Im not able to see subtle changes ..
Some people says, need to maintain a ration of 1:4:2 while doing Anulom vilom ,
Please guide me with the correct way.
Hello Neeraj,
The basic guideline while practicing Anuloma Viloma is that you try to maintain a ratio of 1:2 between inhale:exhale duration. How long you hold the breath after inhalation will depend upon your lung capacity and your practice. You should never strain your breathing while trying to hold the breath. The ration of 1:4:2 is a recommended goal according to many yoga experts. But they also caution you not to force yourself into these ratios.
As for subtle changes, because these changes are slow and subtle, you probably will not become aware of them. I would say just enjoy the practice without giving any thought to expected benefits.
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Hello,
I am looking for Kevala Kumbhaka pranayam and how to pratice this pranayam. please can you help me?
Thanks, for your time.
Regards
Dhiraj
Hello Dhiraj,
To the best of my knowledge, kevala kumbhaka is not something that we can practice. It happens automatically when we are a deep state of meditation. In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika it is mentioned that kevala kumbhaka happens spontaneously in deep meditation, without conscious effort.
I am sorry, I did not tell you that the time of retention is also 30 seconds. Thank you,
Alejandra
Dear Alejandra,
Yes, indeed, you may continue the practice as long as no strain is felt. I cannot comment on whether or not samadhi can be experienced by the practice of kumbhaka. If we follow Patanjali, samadhi can be attained only after following the path of the eight limbs of yoga.
Thank you very much for your answer dear Mr. Subhash,
Alejandra
Dear Mr. Subhash,
I am practicing retention of breath for a few months. The ratio of my practice is 15 seconds inhalation and 30 seconds exhalation at this point. I was told that the retention leads us to experience the void, which eventually bring us to samadhi experiences. Please tell me if the information is right and if it is ok that I keep gradually, without strain, increasing the time of retention to attain that goal.
Thank you very much,
Alejandra
Respected Sir ,
i read in shivasahmita that to perform kumbhak one should sit in any relax posture and then inhale and retain breath as long as he can soberly do then exhale slowly and then inhale again and repeat likewise , one should perform this four times a day each practice should have min 20 or more kumbhaks and one should keep practicing it until he can hold it breath for as long as he wishes
so i started practicing like wise now i can perform each khumbhak of 45 t0 50seconds with jalandhar and uddyan bandha
my question is am i doing it right ?
The simple answer is if it feels right, you are doing it right. No pranayama should cause any strain on the system. It is really great that you are able to follow the guidelines from the ancient yoga texts to enhance your practice. All the best.
Dear Shantanu,
First of all, please accept my gratitude for taking the time to read my blog. I truly appreciate your candid feedback.
As you have observed, my objective for the blog is to educate and guide the readers in various yoga techniques, including asana, pranayama, meditation etc. I do my best in providing the most accurate and detailed instructions so the readers can practice them on their own safely and derive the benefits.
As you are well aware, not everyone has access to a yoga teacher. Even if they do, they may not be able to cover some of the technique that I cover on my blog.
I offer instructions about various techniques in the spirit of helping people.
You mention about harm that pranayama practice can cause if done inappropriately. To me, any practice if done inappropriately can cause harm – be it asana, pranayama or even meditation. No one can minimize the value of receiving instructions from a qualified yoga teacher. However, instructions available online or in books fill the gaps that not every teacher can provide.
As for pranayama, there are a large number of books and blogs by celebrated writers that cover all aspects of pranayama including kumbhaka and the bandhas. For example , one of the most recognized books, The Light on Pranayama by BKS Iyengar has very detailed description of these practices. Similarly, another book, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika from the Bihar School of Yoga, a highly prestigious yoga institute also provides great details on these pranayama techniques.
In most of my blog posts I try to emphasize the need for restraint in the sense that no one should use force or strain themselves while doing any of these practices.
I would love to hear what other readers have to say about these posts. From most other comments that I receive it appears to me that people are finding them helpful in their practice.
I always welcome comments and questions.
Mr. subhash
Dont you think, giving lessons on pranayams on internet without proper description can injure the aspirants?
It is again n again repeated in many books that yoga practices especially those that deals directly with ‘prana’ like kubhak n all, should not be practiced without the direct guidance of a competent guru. Else in long run, it may lead to various nervous troubles and even insanity!
I respect your intension but by telling these yoga practices openly to all, without knowing about their current spiritual state, You are unknowingly doing a harm to them. as far as i know, these practices requires a very trained body and mind, very disciplined life, n most of us dont have that, n those who have wont ask on internet.
Kindly think about it sometime seriously. I am sure u wont publish my comment, sure , dont do it. But please for the sake of innocent ignorant seekers,please dont cause them undeliberate injury.
Sorry if I hurt you.
regards
shantanu
Dear Shume,
The interruption works as follows:
Start deep inhalation and count your breaths as “OM 1, OM 2” which gives us a two-second period. After inhaling for two seconds, hold the breath for two seconds. Then continue the inhalation for another 2 seconds followed by another retention for 2 seconds. Continue in this manner until you can’t inhale any more. At that point give a brief pause by holding the breath for 3 to 5 seconds, and then start the exhalation process. Exhale for two seconds and then hold the breath for two seconds, exhale and hold, each two seconds and continue until you can’t exhale any more. That completes one cycle of breath. After each cycle, if you need to, you can take a short breather for a couple of breaths. Then continue with the next round. In this manner you should try 5-7 deep breaths.
Let me know if you still have doubts. Thanks.
Subhash
Sir what is the meaning of interruption?how to do it? Will u please give an explanation?
Sir,
can we reduce severity of asthma by Pranayam?
If yes pl suggest me proper sequence of Rechak- kumbhak – poorak with Kal bhed.
I have seen reports (unfortunately I can’t trace the reference) where it was mentioned that practicing Kapalabhati and Bhastrika, followed by gentle Anuloma Viloma can actually help with asthma. For practicing Kumbhaka and determining the proper timings, I suggest you consult with a local yoga teacher who can guide and monitor your practice on a regular basis.
Dear K M, I am sorry for not responding to your query earlier. As far as I know, asthma can be helped by the practice of Kapalabhati, Bhastrika and just simple deep breathing. To my knowledge, Kumbhaka may not contribute much towards asthma. Best of luck.
No, Shreyas, I don’t practice Kundalini activation. Since Kundalini work should be done under personal supervision and guidance from a qualified teacher, you would need to find someone local to your area who can guide you. Unfortunately, I don’t have any information about teachers in the Bangalore area. I wish you all the best.
Hi Sir,
Do you practise and teach kundalini yoga and activation, I am interested in it, can you guide me online as I stay in Bangalore, India.
If you dont can you suggest some good Guru who can guide me in Bangalore
Sir,
I wouldbe greatful if you could guide me on pranayams that can help in curing PCOS syndrome.
Thank You
Dear Kriti,
[I guessed your name from your email address. Please forgive me if that is not correct]
I do not have any experience in dealing with yoga students with PCOS syndrome. As such, unfortunately, i am unable to recommend anything to you. On a web search I found this link which you may find helpful – http://www.yogawiz.com/askquestion/1580/yoga-asanas-for-pcod-pcos-treatment-my-daughter-is.html
Wishing you all the best.
Hi Sir
Thanks for the info, can you tell me do I start with small duration of breath retension and gradually increase because I have heard Kumbhaka pranayam can cause heart or lung damage if not done correctly
Yes, Shreyas, you need to be careful while practicing kumbhaka. Indeed, you must start with short kumbhaka and increase only gradually over a period of time. At no time during your pranayama practice should you feed any strain of any kind. The breath following kumbhaka should be relaxed and deep.
All the best with your yoga practice!
Many thanks for the prompt response.
sir,
I want to know that ANTHE_KUMBHAK pranayam can be performed after Anulom_Vilom Pranayam.
Hello Pankaj, yes, antar-kumbhak can definitely be practiced after AV pranayama. If you have a specific sequence in mind let me know.
Sir i want to know whether three actions purak rechak and kumbhak are of same duration like 4 or 7 seconds for each action to perform correct pranayama. but it become difficult for me to control purek and rechak for exactly same duration please explain on my E-MAIL