The Tug of War: Prana and Apana
In the beginning, the breath is governed by a subtle tug of war:
- Prana moves upward, initiating inhalation.
- Apana moves downward, initiating exhalation.
Normally, when Prana is stronger than Apana, there’s a net upward movement that pulls the breath in. But if both are equally strong and opposite, like in a tug of war, the rope doesn’t move. No inhalation or exhalation occurs — this is the subtle groundwork of Keval Kumbhak, the state of breathless stillness.
😴 What Is Keval Kumbhak?
Keval Kumbhak is a spontaneous cessation of breath:
- No inhalation.
- No exhalation.
- No deliberate breath-holding.
- Yet total comfort and stillness prevail.
It only arises when Prana and Apana have fully merged, dissolving their duality. We can call both opposite teams in tug of war joined hand or merged when net movement of rope is nil, because that means they are friends and not fighting, similarly prana and apana are called merged when there’s no breath movement. When apana pulled up through mool bandha and prana pushed down with jalandhar bandh and both joined at heart chakra, it suspends breathing for longer period because prana and apana are merged. Similarly breath suspension means prana and apana merged along the spine.
⛳️ The Role of Sadhana Before Keval Kumbhak
Before Keval Kumbhak becomes a living experience, practices like:
- Kriya breathing,
- Pranayama,
- Bandhas and Mudras,
- Chakra visualizations,
- Spinal breathing,
are necessary to:
- Purify the nadis,
- Balance energy flows,
- Harmonize mind and breath,
- Prepare the system to taste natural stillness.
Sadhana is the boat that helps you cross the river.
🌿 After Keval Kumbhak: Should Sadhana Stop?
No. But it transforms.
When Keval Kumbhak starts happening on its own:
- The earlier effort-based practices drop naturally.
- There’s no longer a feeling of “doing to achieve.”
- Awareness enters a phase of effortless being.
But this does not mean abandoning Kriya, Pranayama, or Yogasana. Instead:
- They now serve to tune the inner instrument.
- Sadhana becomes a celebration, not a climb.
- It’s like playing music you already know, to enter its mood again.
🌬️ Spinal Breathing: The Magnetic Vacuum
Advanced yogis discover that spinal breathing (gently tracing breath or energy up and down the spine):
- Opens and clears the Sushumna Nadi,
- Balances Ida and Pingala,
- Produces a magnetic vacuum in the spine,
This vacuum pulls awareness inward. It becomes so potent that:
- Prana and Apana merge effortlessly,
- Breath stops without trying,
- Keval Kumbhak dawns again and again.
Even visualizing this movement (without physical breath) can sometimes recreate that inner suction and lead to spontaneous stillness.
⚡ How Sadhana Helps After Keval Kumbhak
Once Keval Kumbhak has occurred, gentle sadhana:
- Maintains energy purity,
- Prevents pranic stagnation,
- Keeps the system sensitive and receptive,
- Allows you to enter absorption on demand.
It transitions from effort to joyful inner tuning. You are no longer striving to arrive; you are inviting grace.
✅ Conclusion: Effort Transforms, Not Ends
After Keval Kumbhak, don’t stop sadhana — let it evolve. Let go of strain. Continue with energy-aware joy. Your practice is no longer a ladder — it’s a resonance.
Spinal breathing becomes the silent flute. Kriya becomes the tuning fork. Pranayama becomes a prayer without words.
And Keval Kumbhak becomes the still, living temple where all this silence meets.
Demystifying Kundalini 