Kumbhaka

Yoga and pranayama are the most accepted holistic exercises for (possible) absolute health as explained by biopsychosocial model. Pranayama is the breathing exercise highly recommended for various physiological and psychological disorders. Kumbhaka forms the basis of deepest breathing exercises (Pranayama) required to regulate the activities of mind and increase the concentration.

Definition

Voluntary cessation of breath has been given higher importance than any other yogic exercises for cessation of mind and to attain samadhi in various yoga scriptures.

Importance

Respiration includes inhalation and exhalation. In between these two processes there is a very minute gap or pause (normally in milliseconds) which is usually not noticed and it recurs, i.e., inhalation-pause-exhalation-pause-inhalation.... and it continues. The maximum gap or pause is observed in the state of rest. Kumbhak enforces to increase the pause by ceasing the breath routinely and continuously by various types of pranayama and kumbhaka exercises.