Pranayama, or breath work, can change your life by improving digestion and sleep, and reducing anxiety and blood pressure. And a central tenet of traditional pranayama is Kumbhaka (pronounced khoom-BAH-kah), or breath retention.
Lucky for us, our human bodies developed autonomic stress responses to dangerous situations, like a charging lion, so that our ancestors could escape physical imperilment. But because, in the grand scheme of time, our lifestyles have evolved much more quickly than our physiological evolution, our bodies react to today’s stressors (emails, car horns, etc…) as if they were lions endangering our lives. The average person experiences 25 of these stress-responses PER DAY.
That adds up to a lot of anxiety build-up. And what happens to our breathing when we’re anxious? It becomes shallow and rapid. And when you’re unable to breathe deeply, it compounds the negative effects of stress on our bodies, and makes it more difficult to recover.
When we breathe slowly, consciously, and deeply, utilizing our diaphragm (primary breathing muscle), it sends a message to the body to de-activate the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight response), and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest-and-digest response).
According to Patanjali, the ultimate goal of pranayama is to suspend the breath, to gradually cease inhalation and exhalation. His is an interesting take on life and living, but feel free to take it or leave it—for many people, pranayama is the goal itself because of the incredible health benefits.
What is Kumbhaka Pranayama?
It is a general breathing method wherein you simply retain or hold your breath for a short or long amount of time. You can employ this useful technique any time you need focus or calm. It consists of two types of breath retention:
- antara—(pronounced ahn-TAH-rah) meaning ‘interior’; it is breath retention after an inhale utilizing the throat lock, called Jalandhara Bandha. This type of breath retention increases oxygen levels, which has a stimulating effect, boosting energy and mood.
- bahya—(pronounced BAH-yah) meaning ‘outer’; it is breath retention after an exhale utilizing the abdominal lock, called Uddiyana Bandha. This type of breath retention increases carbon dioxide levels, which has a calming, sedative effect.
And depending on your preference, this practice can include breath retention on the inhale, the exhale, or both. Feel free to try out different combinations as you get more comfortable.
How to do Kumbhaka Pranayama
It is common to begin practicing Kumbhaka Pranayama in a 1-1-2 ratio (inhale, retain for the same amount of time, and then exhale for double, no exhale retention). Or you can try the 4-7-8 breathing ratio. When you feel more comfortable, you can add in a bahya cycle of breath retention after the exhale, but feel free to start however feels right.
For example, see below for a how-to with a simple 1-1-1-1 ratio:
- Find a comfortable seat—easy pose (Sukhasana), hero pose (Virasana), lotus pose (Padmasana), maybe sit in a chair, or you can even lie down if that’s more comfortable.
- Be sure to sit up tall, back straight, with your head and neck in line with your heart and hips.
- Place your hands on your knees, palms up or down—whichever feels right. Or if you’d like, you can place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. It can help to close your eyes.
- At first just observe your natural breathing through your nose.
- When you feel ready, take a deep breath through your nose counting in your mind “inhale, two, three, four”
- With your lungs full with fresh air, tuck your chin into your chest to activate the Jalandhara Bandha, and retain “hold, two, three, four”
- Lift your chin back to neutral, and exhale through your nose “exhale, two, three, four”
- With your lungs empty, employ the Uddiyana Bandha to retain “hold, two, three, four”
- Repeat the cycle for two minutes at first, working to extend it with time.
Benefits of breath retention
There are myriad benefits of Kumbhaka Pranayama, but here are just a few:
- Strengthens your diaphragm—it is a muscle after all—allowing you to utilize the full potential of your lungs
- Increases your lung capacity over time
- Decreases blood pressure and general circulatory strain by sending signals to your nervous system to calm down
- Reduces production of cortisol, which is a stress hormone associated with weight gain, mood swings, and high blood pressure
- Helps reduce anxiety and relieve stress, which can improve sleep and digestion, and even enhance your memory
In addition to all the above benefits, simply focusing on your breath can place you in the here and now, similar to meditation. After performing pranayama, you may notice a feeling of lightness or rejuvenation.
That’s the gift.
It’s a present for being in the present.
Let us know in the comments your favorite pranayama practice, and don’t forget to schedule a Zen or Awaken class that often includes Kumbhaka breathing.
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