Kumbhaka is the retention of the breath in the yoga practice of pranayama. It has two types, accompanied (by breathing) whether after inhalation or after exhalation, and, the ultimate aim, unaccompanied. That state is kevala kumbhaka, the complete suspension of the breath for as long as the practitioner wishes.
Kumbhaka terminology of breath retention in pranayama[1]
The name kumbhaka is from Sanskrit कुम्भ kumbha, a pot, comparing the torso to a vessel full of air.[2]
Kumbhaka is the retention of the breath in pranayama, either after inhalation, the inner or Antara Kumbhaka, or after exhalation, the outer or Bahya Kumbhaka (also called Bahir Kumbhaka[3]).[1][4][3] According to B.K.S. Iyengar in Light on Yoga, kumbhaka is the "retention or holding the breath, a state where there is no inhalation or exhalation".[1][2]
Sahit or Sahaja Kumbhaka is an intermediate state, when breath retention becomes natural, at the stage of withdrawal of the senses, Pratyahara, the fifth of the eight limbs of yoga.[5]
Kevala Kumbhaka, when inhalation and exhalation can be suspended at will, is the extreme stage of Kumbhaka "parallel with the state of Samadhi",[3] or union with the divine, the last of the eight limbs of yoga, attained only by continuous long term pranayama and kumbhaka exercises. The 18th century Joga Pradipika states that the highest breath control, which it defines as inhaling to a count (mātrā) of 8, holding to a count of 19, and exhaling to a count of 9, confers liberation and Samadhi.[6][7]
The Yoga Institute recommends sitting in a meditative posture such as Sukhasana for Kumbhaka practice. After a full inhalation for 5 seconds, it suggests retaining the air for 10 seconds, exhaling smoothly, and then taking several ordinary breaths. It recommends five such rounds per pranayama session, increasing the time of retention as far as is comfortable by one second each week of practice.[4]
Historical purposeedit
1. Puraka (inhalation) 2. Kumbhaka (retention) 3. Rechaka (exhalation). Lithograph "'breath-control' or Prânayâma" by Day & Son from artwork by Sophie Charlotte Belnos in The Sundhya or the Daily Prayers of the Brahmins, 1851[8]
The yoga scholar Andrea Jain states that while pranayama in modern yoga as exercise consists of synchronising the breath with movements (between asanas), in ancient texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, pranayama meant "complete cessation of breathing", for which she cites Bronkhorst 2007.[9][10] The Yoga Sutras state:
[D]istractions ... act as barriers to stillness. ... One can subdue these distractions by ... pausing after breath flows in or out.
— Yoga Sutras, 1:30-34, translated by Chip Hartranft[11]
With effort relaxing, the flow of inhalation and exhalation can be brought to a standstill; this is called breath regulation.
— Yoga Sutras, 2:49, translated by Chip Hartranft[12]
According to the scholar-practitioner of yoga Theos Bernard, the ultimate aim of pranayama is the suspension of breathing, "causing the mind to swoon".[13]Swami Yogananda writes, "The real meaning of Pranayama, according to Patanjali, the founder of Yoga philosophy, is the gradual cessation of breathing, the discontinuance of inhalation and exhalation".[14]
The yoga scholars James Mallinson and Mark Singleton write that "pure breath-retention"[15] (without inhalation or exhalation) is the ultimate pranayama practice in later hatha yoga texts. They give as an example the account in the c. 13th century Dattātreyayogaśāstra of kevala kumbhaka (breath retention unaccompanied by breathing). They note that this is "the only advanced technique"[15] of breath-control in that text, stating that in it the breath can be held "for as long as one wishes".[15] The Dattātreyayogaśāstra states that kevala kumbhaka gives magical powers, allowing the practitioner to do anything:[15]
Once unaccompanied [kevala] breath-retention, free from exhalation and inhalation, is mastered, there is nothing in the three worlds that is unattainable.
The 18th century Gheranda Samhita states that death is impossible when the breath is held in the body.[18]
Mallinson and Singleton note that sahita kumbhaka, the intermediate state which is still accompanied (the meaning of sahita) by breathing, was described in detail. They write that the Goraksha Sataka describes four sahita kumbhakas, and that the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes another four. They point out, however, that these supposed kumbhakas differ in their styles of breathing, giving the example of the buzzing noise made while breathing in bhramari.[15]
^Mathur, Vaibhav (2 August 2018). "Remarkable 1851 documentation of Brahmin rituals by Mrs. S. C. Belnos". Curious India. from the original on 4 July 2019. In April, 1851, Sophie Charlotte Belnos, originally an amateur artist, later a lithographer, published a catalogue containing thoroughly researched and finely executed lithographs with accompanying texts documenting the daily rituals of Brahmins. Wife of the French miniature artist Jean-Jacques Belnos, who introduced lithographic printing in India in 1822, Belnos set up her studio in 1847 in Calcutta.
^Bronkhorst, Johannes (2007). Greater Maghada: Studies in the Culture of Early India. Brill. pp. 26–27.
^Cope, Stephen (2006). The wisdom of yoga : a seeker's guide to extraordinary living. New York: Bantam Books. p. 284. ISBN978-0553380545. OCLC 64098584.
^Cope, Stephen (2006). The wisdom of yoga : a seeker's guide to extraordinary living. New York: Bantam Books. p. 284. ISBN978-0553380545. OCLC 64098584.
kumbhaka, retention, breath, yoga, practice, pranayama, types, accompanied, breathing, whether, after, inhalation, after, exhalation, ultimate, unaccompanied, that, state, kevala, kumbhaka, complete, suspension, breath, long, practitioner, wishes, terminology,. Kumbhaka is the retention of the breath in the yoga practice of pranayama It has two types accompanied by breathing whether after inhalation or after exhalation and the ultimate aim unaccompanied That state is kevala kumbhaka the complete suspension of the breath for as long as the practitioner wishes Kumbhaka terminology of breath retention in pranayama 1 Contents 1 Breath retention 2 Historical purpose 3 See also 4 References 5 SourcesBreath retention editSee also Yoga Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Pranayama The name kumbhaka is from Sanskrit क म भ kumbha a pot comparing the torso to a vessel full of air 2 Kumbhaka is the retention of the breath in pranayama either after inhalation the inner or Antara Kumbhaka or after exhalation the outer or Bahya Kumbhaka also called Bahir Kumbhaka 3 1 4 3 According to B K S Iyengar in Light on Yoga kumbhaka is the retention or holding the breath a state where there is no inhalation or exhalation 1 2 Sahit or Sahaja Kumbhaka is an intermediate state when breath retention becomes natural at the stage of withdrawal of the senses Pratyahara the fifth of the eight limbs of yoga 5 Kevala Kumbhaka when inhalation and exhalation can be suspended at will is the extreme stage of Kumbhaka parallel with the state of Samadhi 3 or union with the divine the last of the eight limbs of yoga attained only by continuous long term pranayama and kumbhaka exercises The 18th century Joga Pradipika states that the highest breath control which it defines as inhaling to a count matra of 8 holding to a count of 19 and exhaling to a count of 9 confers liberation and Samadhi 6 7 The Yoga Institute recommends sitting in a meditative posture such as Sukhasana for Kumbhaka practice After a full inhalation for 5 seconds it suggests retaining the air for 10 seconds exhaling smoothly and then taking several ordinary breaths It recommends five such rounds per pranayama session increasing the time of retention as far as is comfortable by one second each week of practice 4 Historical purpose edit nbsp 1 Puraka inhalation 2 Kumbhaka retention 3 Rechaka exhalation Lithograph breath control or Pranayama by Day amp Son from artwork by Sophie Charlotte Belnos in The Sundhya or the Daily Prayers of the Brahmins 1851 8 The yoga scholar Andrea Jain states that while pranayama in modern yoga as exercise consists of synchronising the breath with movements between asanas in ancient texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali pranayama meant complete cessation of breathing for which she cites Bronkhorst 2007 9 10 The Yoga Sutras state D istractions act as barriers to stillness One can subdue these distractions by pausing after breath flows in or out Yoga Sutras 1 30 34 translated by Chip Hartranft 11 With effort relaxing the flow of inhalation and exhalation can be brought to a standstill this is called breath regulation Yoga Sutras 2 49 translated by Chip Hartranft 12 According to the scholar practitioner of yoga Theos Bernard the ultimate aim of pranayama is the suspension of breathing causing the mind to swoon 13 Swami Yogananda writes The real meaning of Pranayama according to Patanjali the founder of Yoga philosophy is the gradual cessation of breathing the discontinuance of inhalation and exhalation 14 The yoga scholars James Mallinson and Mark Singleton write that pure breath retention 15 without inhalation or exhalation is the ultimate pranayama practice in later hatha yoga texts They give as an example the account in the c 13th century Dattatreyayogasastra of kevala kumbhaka breath retention unaccompanied by breathing They note that this is the only advanced technique 15 of breath control in that text stating that in it the breath can be held for as long as one wishes 15 The Dattatreyayogasastra states that kevala kumbhaka gives magical powers allowing the practitioner to do anything 15 Once unaccompanied kevala breath retention free from exhalation and inhalation is mastered there is nothing in the three worlds that is unattainable Dattatreyayogasastra 74 16 The 15th century Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that the kumbhakas force the breath into the central sushumna channel allowing kundalini to rise and cause liberation 17 The 18th century Gheranda Samhita states that death is impossible when the breath is held in the body 18 Mallinson and Singleton note that sahita kumbhaka the intermediate state which is still accompanied the meaning of sahita by breathing was described in detail They write that the Goraksha Sataka describes four sahita kumbhakas and that the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes another four They point out however that these supposed kumbhakas differ in their styles of breathing giving the example of the buzzing noise made while breathing in bhramari 15 See also editKapalabhati Tummo Practice Uddiyana bandhaReferences edit a b c Iyengar B K S 1979 Light on Yoga New York Schocken Books p 43 ISBN 978 0 8052 1031 6 a b Anon 28 August 2007 Breath Retention Yoga Journal a b c Hajirnis M 1983 Physiology of Pranayama Bihar School of Yoga a b Full breath retention Kumbhaka Pranayama The Yoga Institute Retrieved 3 August 2019 Sahaja Kumbhaka Yogapedia Retrieved 3 August 2019 Mallinson amp Singleton 2017 p 168 Joga Pradipika 409 412 Mathur Vaibhav 2 August 2018 Remarkable 1851 documentation of Brahmin rituals by Mrs S C Belnos Curious India Archived from the original on 4 July 2019 In April 1851 Sophie Charlotte Belnos originally an amateur artist later a lithographer published a catalogue containing thoroughly researched and finely executed lithographs with accompanying texts documenting the daily rituals of Brahmins Wife of the French miniature artist Jean Jacques Belnos who introduced lithographic printing in India in 1822 Belnos set up her studio in 1847 in Calcutta Bronkhorst Johannes 2007 Greater Maghada Studies in the Culture of Early India Brill pp 26 27 Jain Andrea 2015 Selling Yoga from Counterculture to Pop culture Oxford University Press p 3 ISBN 978 0199390243 OCLC 878953765 Cope Stephen 2006 The wisdom of yoga a seeker s guide to extraordinary living New York Bantam Books p 284 ISBN 978 0553380545 OCLC 64098584 Cope Stephen 2006 The wisdom of yoga a seeker s guide to extraordinary living New York Bantam Books p 284 ISBN 978 0553380545 OCLC 64098584 Bernard Theos 2007 Hatha Yoga The Report of A Personal Experience Harmony p 57 ISBN 978 0955241222 OCLC 230987898 Yogananda Paramahansa 2005 The Essence of Kriya Yoga 1st ed Alight Publications p part10 online ISBN 978 1931833189 a b c d e Mallinson amp Singleton 2017 p 131 Mallinson amp Singleton 2017 p 156 Mallinson amp Singleton 2017 pp 132 231 232 Mallinson amp Singleton 2017 pp 164 165 Sources editMallinson James Singleton Mark 2017 Roots of Yoga Penguin Books ISBN 978 0241253045 OCLC 928480104 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kumbhaka amp oldid 1111849517, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
