Most people think they need to hold their breath for silence. But in the deeper stages of inner practice, a strange thing happens—the breath stops on its own, and you don’t even try.
No effort.
No strain.
Just stillness.
And breath? Gone.
But you? More alive than ever.
This is Keval Kumbhak—the natural, effortless pause of breath that comes when the mind, energy, and awareness fall into one single point.
❖ My Own Realisation: It Doesn’t Come Without Yoga
At first, I thought I could get this state anytime—just by focus or desire. But no, I clearly realised:
“Keval Kumbhak is very difficult to get without Yoga. And to sustain it is almost impossible without some Yogic base.”
Why?
Because without Yoga:
- The mind keeps wandering
- The breath stays restless
- The prana keeps moving out or down
Even if breath stops for a second, it comes back quickly, because there’s no inner support system to hold the silence.
❖ What Exactly Is Keval Kumbhak?
It means “pure breath-hold”, but not the kind you do.
It’s the kind that happens to you, when nothing else remains to move.
- No thoughts.
- No desires.
- No emotional waves.
- Not even any attention to the breath.
And suddenly…
Breath just halts. And you remain.
It feels like:
- No air is moving
- But you’re not suffocating
- In fact, you’re more awake than ever
❖ The Breath Always Follows the Mind
One major thing I saw was:
“Even if you only visualise prana going up and apana going down alternately, the breath slows… and finally just stops.”
Why?
Because:
- Thoughts create movement.
- Movement needs breath.
- But when the mind becomes still, breath doesn’t need to move anymore.
So even mental visualisation of prana flows can calm the breath enough to bring about Keval Kumbhak—especially when you’re alert, not sleepy.
That’s also why:
“Keval kumbhak works best when I’m fresh and awake—not when I’m tired or sleepy.”
Sleepiness brings tamas (dullness). It may pause breath, but not in the aware way. Real Keval Kumbhak is crystal-clear silence.
❖ The Secret Role of Energy Balance
Inside us, two major forces work all day:
- Prana goes upward, taking awareness higher
- Apana goes downward, anchoring us in the body
Usually, they pull in opposite directions—causing inner tension.
But during deep inner focus or Dhyana, if you can mentally or subtly guide prana upward and apana downward into balance, something magical happens:
“It feels like prana moving up and apana moving down cancel each other. And breath becomes still. Totally. Not just outer breath—but even the inner sense of movement stops.”
That’s full Keval Kumbhak. Nothing needs to breathe. Awareness alone shines.
❖ This Stillness Is Not Forced. It’s Allowed.
Here’s the biggest misunderstanding people have:
“They try to ‘do’ Keval Kumbhak—by holding the breath.”
But that’s not it.
Real Keval Kumbhak comes only when you don’t try.
- You become deeply calm.
- You rest in pure witnessing.
- And then the breath stops on its own.
It’s not something to achieve.
It’s something that happens when achievement disappears.
❖ How Bells, Conchs, Mantras Help
I also noticed:
“Bells, conch sounds, incense, mantra chanting during rituals—these things lift the energy. They prevent sleep and dullness. That’s why real yogis benefit from such environments.”
These elements increase Sattva—a peaceful, light, alert energy. And sattva helps you stay awake inside, so that the mind doesn’t slip into sleep when silence begins.
This way, Keval Kumbhak comes naturally, not by pressure, but by grace supported by the right vibrations.
❖ Final Realisation: Keval Kumbhak Is the Shadow of True Inner Stillness
When:
- Breath pauses,
- Thoughts are gone,
- Prana and apana are balanced,
- And awareness shines by itself…
Then Keval Kumbhak arises like a shadow—a beautiful, silent shadow that proves you’ve entered the deeper cave of your being.
It is not sleep,
not imagination,
not effort—
but a witnessing without wind.
✨ In Short — For Anyone Seeking Keval Kumbhak:
- Don’t try to do it—let it happen
- Don’t chase breath—observe silence
- Don’t force energy—feel it balancing
- Don’t fight sleep—lift sattva through sacred sound, posture, and devotion
- And most importantly, don’t try when tired. Do it when fresh, clear, alive.
Then even a little visualisation of prana going up and apana going down may be enough.
Suddenly, inner and outer breath vanish.
And you’re just there, without inhaling or exhaling—
blissful, complete, aware.
That… is Keval Kumbhak.
Excellent. Here is your original detailed explanation, lightly polished for clarity but fully preserved in spirit, flow, and depth. I’ve made it smoother and more readable without losing a single essence of what you conveyed.
🧘♂️ Understanding the Real Trick of Prana and Apana Balance in Keval Kumbhak
Prana and Apana balance means both are equal and opposite at the same time, resulting in a net zero effect, even though both are still flowing. Imagine a simple balance scale: if both pans are suspended at the same level, the scale is balanced. If one side goes up and the other goes down, the balance is disturbed. The same applies to the inner energies.
In normal breathing:
- When Prana (the upward force) is stronger and Apana is weaker, there’s a net upward movement, which supports inhalation.
- When Apana (the downward force) is stronger and Prana is weaker, there’s a net downward movement, which supports exhalation.
But when the upward pull of Prana equals the downward pull of Apana, both in-breath and out-breath become equal and cancel each other out. As a result:
- There’s no need to breathe
- Yet both pranas are still subtly active
- Like the two suspended pans of a balance: engaged, but not moving
This is the secret trick of prana: breath and energy can seem completely still, yet life continues, because both opposing forces cancel each other.
If this balance was due to complete absence of prana, the body would be dead. But in Keval Kumbhak, it’s a paradox:
“The body becomes like dead and alive at the same time.”
A deep silence, without breath—but not unconscious. Fully awake, alive, still.
Also, nonduality (advaita) plays a vital role in this. Duality causes the prana to keep moving up and down, just like the unbalanced pans of a scale. Nonduality removes this conflict, making inner balance possible.
That’s why Pranayama and Yogabhyasa (yogic practices) are so important. They help us gradually train and refine prana, not through intellect, but through habit and inner conditioning—until it becomes a natural reflex.
Demystifying Kundalini 