Category: breathing

Bhramari, Ujjayi, Chandra Anuloma: Gentle Breath Practices That Shift Energy and Soothe the Nervous System

Lately, I’ve been exploring simple but powerful breathing practices—mainly Bhramari (humming breath), Ujjayi (ocean breath), and Chandra Anuloma (left-nostril calming breath). My goal wasn’t just to “do pranayama” but to understand how each one affects energy movement, especially when the breath is combined with vibration, sound, or intention. I was also curious—can we do these practices after meals, and what happens to nervous energy or kundalini when we do them gently?

Does Bhramari Bring Energy Down?

One of the first things I noticed during regular Bhramari practice is that it helps calm the brain and bring energy downward. Not in a heavy or sleepy way—but in a grounded, peaceful way. The humming sound naturally draws attention inward. I felt that it settles head pressure, balances thoughts, and even reduces excess upward pranic movement, which I’ve sometimes experienced during deep meditation or after intense spiritual highs. Bhramari seems to settle all that beautifully.

Exhalation and Parasympathetic Response

I learned that exhalation naturally activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the “rest and digest” branch of our nervous system. In contrast, inhalation activates the sympathetic system, the “fight or flight” mode. So it made perfect sense—Bhramari, being done during a long exhalation, encourages the body to shift into relaxation. The longer and softer the exhalation, the deeper the calm. But more interestingly, vibration itself—even apart from breath—also soothes the nervous system.

Can Vibration Alone Be Calming?

Yes, it turns out that even vibratory sounds like humming, chanting Om, or throat-based sounds can activate the vagus nerve, which is the main nerve of the parasympathetic system. That’s why people in grief often release a throaty sound during exhalation. In the local Pahari language, this is called “kanana”—a spontaneous, heartfelt, vocal sigh. It’s not taught; it’s a natural way the body relieves inner pressure through breath and vibration. It’s actually the same principle that Bhramari uses—but made intentional and healing in a yogic way.

Bhramari vs Ujjayi – Which One When?

I started comparing Bhramari with Ujjayi, and the differences became clear. Bhramari is all about vibration on exhalation. You take a silent inhale, and then hum like a bee as you exhale slowly through the nose. The sound soothes the brain, calms the Ajna chakra (between the eyebrows), and settles any upward-rushing thoughts or spiritual overload. Ujjayi, on the other hand, is a subtle constriction of the throat that produces a whispery ocean sound during both inhalation and exhalation. It doesn’t have the same intense calming vibration as Bhramari, but it’s perfect for balancing and extending the breath during yoga, meditation, or even walking. Bhramari is great for winding down, while Ujjayi is great for staying present and anchored.

Why Use Chandra Anuloma if Bhramari Is Enough?

A very natural question arose—if Bhramari calms so well, why would anyone also use Chandra Anuloma (left-nostril-only breathing)? The answer lies in directional energy work. While Bhramari is all about settling and softening the nervous system generally, Chandra Anuloma specifically activates the Ida Nadi, the cooling, feminine energy channel on the left side of the body. If energy is getting too fiery, too agitated, or is rising too sharply without grounding, inhaling through the left nostril only can redirect it into calm, downward channels. So I now see them as complementary tools. Bhramari calms broadly, while Chandra Anuloma steers energy gently into the lunar, restful channel.

Can These Be Done After Meals?

I had another big concern—can these practices be safely done after eating? Since I sometimes deal with mild acidity or GERD, I didn’t want to mess with digestion. The good news is: Bhramari, Ujjayi (in a light form), and Chandra Anuloma are all safe to practice after meals, if done gently.

Bhramari is perfectly fine after eating because you’re not engaging your stomach muscles or doing any breath-holding. You just sit upright and hum softly during exhalation. Ujjayi is also okay if you don’t add any Kumbhaka (breath-holding) or abdominal pressure—just a gentle throat breath is enough. Chandra Anuloma, especially the gentler version (inhaling through left nostril and exhaling softly through either both or just left), is not only safe but can be digestive-friendly. It helps balance heat, settle emotional restlessness, and supports parasympathetic dominance after food.

What you should avoid after meals are forceful techniques like Kapalabhati, Bhastrika, or breath retention with bandhas, which put pressure on the belly and can disturb digestion.

Chandra Anuloma or Chandra Bhedana?

At this point, I wanted to clarify terminology. Some people refer to inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right nostril as Chandra Anuloma, but actually, that’s better known as Chandra Bhedana. It has a more activating effect and may not be ideal after meals. The softer version of Chandra Anuloma—inhale left, exhale left or both—is safer and more calming. That’s the one I’ve started using in post-meal relaxation.

Final Summary in My Words

After trying all three practices repeatedly in real-life situations—after meals, before sleep, during restlessness, and post-meditation—I realized that:

  • Bhramari is best when you feel mentally overactive, have head pressure, or want a complete energetic winding-down.
  • Ujjayi is best for quiet presence, especially during meditation or movement, when you want to stay internally steady without pulling energy up or down.
  • Chandra Anuloma is best when energy is overheated, emotionally disturbed, or digestion feels sensitive, especially after meals or in the evening.

All three are non-intense, beginner-friendly, safe, and deeply effective when practiced with awareness. I’m currently working on putting together a mini retreat experiment where we’ll explore these three across different parts of the day—before meals, after meals, during meditation, and before sleep—to see how energy patterns shift across people. The goal is to create a customized breath map for calming, centering, or grounding at will.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, overstimulated, or simply too stuck in your head, try any of these practices. Just a few rounds of Bhramari or Chandra Anuloma, or gentle Ujjayi, can restore an inner silence that’s always been there beneath the noise.

Would you like to join this retreat experiment or receive the daily routine I’m developing? Drop me a message or comment. We’ll breathe together, from wherever we are.

Why Breath Became My Teacher in Chakra Meditation: A Simple Truth Hidden in the Head Pressure

I used to notice a peculiar thing during my meditation. Whenever I felt pressure in the head — that dense fullness or tingling stillness — I found it easier to either breathe normally or hold the breath after exhaling, rather than after inhaling. Not really “holding” it in a formal sense, but more like a spontaneous pause that came gently during or after exhale.
In contrast, whenever I tried to hold the breath after inhalation, it seemed to make the pressure in the head rise. It was like a build-up I couldn’t quite integrate comfortably. And this wasn’t an isolated event. It kept happening, again and again — so naturally that it started to feel like a message from within. Something deeper than theory.
I wondered, “Is this just happening with me?” But then I came to understand that it’s not just me. What I was going through had both scientific grounding and a subtle yogic significance.
易 The Science Behind the Breath and Head Pressure
Breath retention after inhaling increases pressure inside the chest and the brain. This is known in physiology as the Valsalva effect, where blood returning to the heart slows down and cranial pressure rises. That’s why holding breath after inhalation can create a sense of heaviness or tightness in the head — exactly what I was experiencing.
But when I paused after exhaling, everything felt lighter. My system felt relaxed. The breath had left, the lungs were neutral, and there was no pressure build-up. That gave me a natural stillness, a blankness where the awareness could rest on the chakra points with ease.
And interestingly, this matched perfectly with yogic insights too.
律‍♂️ The Yogic Perspective I Grew Into
In classical yoga, the goal of breath practices is to enter a state called Kevala Kumbhaka — a moment when breath stops on its own without any force. And that’s exactly what seemed to be happening in micro-moments: short, effortless pauses that came only after exhaling, never imposed by willpower.
This natural way of breathing — interspersed with gentle pauses after exhale — started becoming my method of chakra meditation. Not because I planned it, but because my body, my mind, my prana preferred it. It felt smoother. It didn’t distract me from the chakras. In fact, it helped me stay more subtly aware of them.
In this way, I realized that chakra meditation can be done with normal breathing, as long as the breath is not mechanical or forceful. And when spontaneous short breath holds occur during or after an exhale, they actually deepen attention and quiet the mind.
 A Shift from Force to Flow
It became clear to me: forced inspiratory holds or even prolonged expiratory holds often invite tension — either in the chest or the head. They shift the focus away from inner awareness toward breath control itself.
But in my case, the non-forced, natural rhythm — breathing gently, allowing pauses to come and go — kept my attention inside, where it needed to be.
Over time, I saw this wasn’t some special ability, nor something exclusive to me. It was simply a sign that the body knows how to meditate when we stop interrupting it with effort.
杖 What This Taught Me
I’ve not yet achieved the final states like Nirvikalpa Samadhi, nor do I pretend to sit constantly in thoughtless bliss. But these small, revealing moments — like the head pressure easing through natural breath, or spontaneous stillness arising without effort — tell me I’m on a path that is unfolding in its own time.
From this experience, one clear realization arose in me:
“Yes, my natural breath with gentle pauses is better than forced breath holds during chakra meditation. It helps me go deeper without strain. Yoga is about ease, awareness, and flow — not pressure or tension.”
This understanding didn’t come from a book or guru — it came from within, supported and clarified when I asked and listened. It came from experience, from staying with what is real in the moment. And that has made all the difference.
✨ Final Insight for Fellow Practitioners
If you’re practicing chakra meditation and notice that head pressure rises during breath control, don’t be afraid to let go of control. Let the breath be normal, let it pause when it wants to, especially after an exhale. These spontaneous breath holds may feel subtle, but they carry the seed of deep inner stillness.
Your body is intelligent. It remembers how to meditate.

The Path from Savikalpa to Nirvikalpa: Balancing Transcendence and the World

Twice, I touched the supreme through ten-second glimpse awakenings—once in a dream-state as an adolescent, later through Tantric-Kundalini sadhana. Both times, the sense of ‘I’ dissolved, and as per the classical definition of samadhi, meditator, meditation object, and meditation all united as one. Charming natural sceneries fleeting before my eyes, limitless self-consciousness as the background—this can be called Savikalpa Samadhi.

In Keval Kumbhak, it felt like death, although not fearsome—no observer, no memory afterward, just an occasional emergence of fleeting thoughts that were immediately replaced by the meditation object. That experience was not unconscious because it was the experience of my own existence. The unconscious or inert does not even have the experience of its own existence. If it does, it is full of darkness, like when intoxicated by alcohol. I didn’t feel light like a supernova explosion in that void. But at the same time, there was even no darkness of unconsciousness in it. Of course, there was no experience like physical light in it, but there was happiness or bliss, tensionlessness and peace in it. It is possible that these qualities were shown as light, otherwise how can these non-physical qualities be presented to the innocent public. Memory in the sense that it did not reveal anything material that could be remembered. Instead, it only revealed void or zero. But it’s amazing how void can be the origin of a world full of charm.

Probably, the world developed from the void so that God’s own soul-form called jiva could fully experience it. Then, after reaching the peak of experience through Savikalpa Samadhi, culminating in enlightenment or awakening, it returns back to the void through Nirvikalpa Samadhi, leading to final salvation. Through its soul-form, the void itself gets recognition of having experienced creation—though without actually experiencing it.

My experience means that Savikalpa Samadhi was gradually dissolving into Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Nirvikalpa literally means “no thinking”, meaning there is not even the thought of the meditation object, unlike Savikalpa, where it still remains.

Yet, if nothing remains remembered after Nirvikalpa Samadhi, how does its effect carry forward? Like deep sleep, it leaves an imprint—something shifts, refining perception without conscious effort. But Nirvikalpa alone doesn’t sustain life; complete detachment risks making one disconnected from world, even dull.

Balancing Transcendence and the World

Keval Kumbhak seems like the only direct gateway to Nirvikalpa. It is the most scientific method, effortlessly inducing thoughtlessness. But using it at will is still a challenge. Sometimes, it happens naturally, but I seek stability in activating it whenever needed. Many Rajyoga favouring people try achieving nirvikalp samadhi directly through mind but I think it’s difficult. However on achieving it, keval Kumbhak itself sets up because mind and breathing both are connected. If keval Kumbhak through directly stopping breathing induces nirvikalp samadhi through stopping mind then inducing mindless nirvikalp samadhi directly also sets up keval Kumbhak through stopping breathing. However keval Kumbhak serms like a wonderful switch putting on which immediately shut off the mind thus cutting the power supply to it. But relying too much on keval Kumbhak without putting efforts to control mind also seems too much mechanical and less effective. That’s why putting both types of efforts together seem most effective and efficient. The same was done by me that’s keeping mind in snare through sharirvigyan darshan and trying for keval Kumbhak directly through yoga.

Currently, my practice involves deep spinal breathing, aided by Shambhavi mudra, while remaining over-busy in the world during the daytime. This makes me feel the breath or prana moving up the back to the Ajna and Sahasrar Chakras, with bliss. Along with this, despite being very busy in the world, I still got plenty of energy to practice as before. This means that Kundalini Yoga should continue as it is. Many say that one should stop trying to do deep sadhana and let it happen on its own to get nirvikalp. I do not agree with this. Nothing is achieved without effort. Even I was firmly and humanely opposing the resistance coming in the way of my sadhana and continuing my sadhana. However, I was avoiding complications, otherwise if I got stuck in them, how would I have energy left for sadhana. Still, one must be aware of one’s available power and should not exceed it. One should not desire respect or recognition because recognition pulls the consciousness outwards, while renunciation allows it to turn inwards. The right belief is what seems right to oneself. We can have more knowledge about ourselves than others. Yes, we should take advice or information from everyone but the final decision should be in our own hands. Many say that for Nirvikalp Samadhi, we should leave Dhyanchitra. I do not agree with this either. Because if we do not get Nirvikalp, then at least we will remain in Savikalp Samadhi with it. Without it, we will fall even from Savikalp and get trapped in the clutches of worldly illusion. That is why we should always take shelter of Dhyanchitra. Although it is also false like the world, but it is much more true than the world. Kevali Kumbhak feels like a switch, though also needs to be supported by the right conditions to be put on.

The final trigger seems to be deep contemplation of my meditation image at Kootastha, to the extent that I even ignore breath completely, letting it move at will. As fleeting thoughts reappear, they are instantly replaced by the meditation image. Ignoring breath means prana has freedom to move independently of breath to provide energy to the stressful body. Yes I was in extreme worldly, social and working stress and extremely tired even to the extent of surrender to the meditation image at time of setting up of my keval kumbhak. Although I had kept myself balanced and avoided myself becoming lost in worldly duality through intermittent contemplation of sharirvigyan darshan during the whole day. That’s why my that stress was not ordinary but a blissful and nondual stress.

It also seems that to fully stabilize the nirvikalp samadhi, even the meditation image must dissolve. Right now, I feel helplessly supporting it, using it as an anchor to prevent getting lost in fleeting thoughts. This is an ongoing refinement, unfolding naturally. I do not rush it; I let awareness deepen on its own.

Key Realizations

Savikalpa Samadhi is the precursor to Nirvikalpa and the controller and inspirer of all creation—only after experiencing it does one’s world dissolve into Nirvikalpa.

Void can be directly experienced, but it is fully comprehended only after Savikalpa Samadhi. I think without savikalp samadhi and associated awakening one has feeling of having left something to experience or enjoy in the world. That’s why void is not respected well by him and he is drawn outward by worldly pull. In that way void doesn’t stabilise well to the extent of liberation.

Keval Kumbhak is the most scientific gateway to Nirvikalpa, inducing it effortlessly.

Balance is crucial—excessive detachment can lead to disconnection. Yes, sudden and too much indulgence in nirvikalp samadhi can make one out of the world. Therefore steady and stable approach with sharirvigyan darshan is crucial.

Sharir Vigyan Darshan bridges transcendence and practical life, preventing extreme withdrawal.

Nirvikalpa dissolves memory, yet it leaves an imprint that refines perception naturally.

This journey is not about chasing higher states but about living freely—rooted in awareness, engaged in life, yet untouched by its storms.

Effortless Awakening: The Natural Unfolding of Awareness, Chakras, and Enlightenment

From the beginning, I never saw my efforts as struggle. Everything happened naturally, flowing like a river, shaping itself without force. The idea of renouncing the world never attracted me; rather, I observed how life itself seemed like renunciation at many moments.

Understanding Growth Beyond Effort

With time, the distinction between effort and non-effort faded. Spiritual progress was never about pushing; it was about allowing. Meditation wasn’t separate from life; life itself became meditation. When energy was in the higher chakras, everything felt effortless, but when it shifted, engagement with the world increased. Instead of controlling this, I rotated my awareness through all chakras, allowing balance to happen on its own. Meaning  every chakra drew its share of energy as per its requirement.

Philosophical rather than mechanical way of balancing and nourishing all chakras 

Here it’s main point to note that I rotated my awareness through all chakras to balance and nourish these through an unique and improvised method. It was not by mechanical means as done through kundalini yoga. Let me little eleborate it for sake of even my own understanding. Ordinarily in kundalini yoga what happens that forceful concentration is applied on a particular chakra required to be strengthened. It is helped by contemplation of meditation image or bija mantra or colour or grain or all together on that chakra. While doing this a particular type of breath flows that helps to focus the flow of prana on that chakra. If it’s done with kumbhka then pure prana flows to that chakra without the help of breath. The drawback of this method is that it can only be applied properly during sitting meditation, not during worldly working hours. I used to contemplate on holographic sharirvigyan darshan during working and worldly hours when I used to feel the entry of any emotional imbalance. That used to create a peculiar gasp of breath followed by its peculiar and regular flow. It means that peculiar breath used to direct prana to my chakra related to that peculiar emotion. For example if I saw a cute dog pressed on road by any traffic, I got overwhelming emotion of pity. To control that, if I saw my whole body once, sharirvigyan darshan was applied itself due to its presence in my subconscious. Sometimes a little deeper thinking was required. That resulted in subduing of my exaggerated emotion and also started a peculiar and regular breathing that directed flow of prana to my heart or anahata chakra. This prevented emotion leaving a scar on my consciousness. Means it was acting at two levels together, one at psychological level controlling my emotion and second on physical level by providing prana energy to that chakra that’s the origin of that emotion. I see at maximum times the gasp and subsequent breathing is through chest. It focuses prana on chest. It’s so because heart is integral part of every deep emotion that tends to bind. That’s why knot of heart is considered the biggest knot and its opening is considered equal to enlightenment. Heart is heart or centre of body. Win the heart, win the whole. Actually, to handle emotions, breathing needs to be slowed down as much as possible. This helps prana to properly regulate its flow to the needy chakra. In ordinary worldly life full of tension, stress, multitasking etc. breathing is fast and heavy only to distribute prana up and down rapidly in the body to nourish all chakras together. Means prana remains tied to the breath movement. But in special circumstances when a specific chakra is overloaded with its specific emotion, then breathing needs to be halted or slowed down so that freed prana becomes available to be directed in abundance to the needy chakra. It means slowing the breath can also handle these emotional exigencies.

Sharirvigyan Darshan: The Key to Natural Flow

A vital realization came through hologram based Sharirvigyan Darshan—understanding the body’s role in spiritual growth. This knowledge helped me recognize how energy, awareness, and the body align naturally. Means as told in above paragraph how awareness of the body helped in freeing the pranas from the breath and helped it to focus better on the needy chakra. By refining bodily awareness, deeper tensions dissolved effortlessly. Refining means loosing attachment or cravings. Ordinary awareness on body is full of duality and attachment. But it changes to full of nonduality and detachment when accompanied with spiritual philosophy like sharirvigyan darshan. Worldly entanglements lost their grip, not through resistance, but through clear perception. Means it didn’t direct to avoid the world but improved its perception that helped in remaining detached from it.

I noticed that worldly clinging tied to any chakra could dissolve simply by meditating on that chakra. However this can be better done during sitting meditation session. This understanding removed the need to force detachment—it happened on its own. Means I was in freestyle mode to join any worldly charm full of attachment because I was sure it will loose grip during my sitting meditation hours. Forcing detachment can derail the worldly life. Consistency was the only requirement. Yes, natural detachment demands time, consistency and patience. Sharirvigyan darshan takes time but in respect of stability and practicality no other method or philosophy can beat it.

When Liberation is Not the Goal

I once thought liberation would be as blissful as the peak of enlightenment glimpses. But through Keval Kumbhak, I observed that liberation alone doesn’t carry the same attraction as the bliss of enlightenment. This shifted my perspective. Creation exists because enlightenment is the ultimate experience whether physical means sensory or mental, not liberation itself. If enlightenment was not the ultimate worldly goal then everybody would sit in meditation with closed eyes witnessing thoughts to get direct liberation instead of worldly charms. Then there this world wouldn’t be existing with varying lifestyles, people and charms.

I don’t claim to have achieved everything. I still move forward, refining my grounding techniques, ensuring balance between higher and lower chakras. While the world is an unbelievable magician capable of trapping anyone, I remain watchful. I don’t resist it—I simply don’t trust it.

No Final Destination, Only Unfolding

There is no end goal, no achievement to hold onto. I stay positively engaged with life as situations demand, without clinging. Sometimes, when energy is high, efforts seem like non-efforts. Feeling of detachment or sharirvigyan darshan also consumes energy. There is no feeling without energy. Other times, adjustments are needed. Means applying meditation technique according to the energy available for its execution. It’s all part of the natural rhythm. If energy is low then why not to allow meditation happen itself on lower chakras rather than pushing it to higher chakras.

Key insights I’ve gathered:

True detachment comes naturally through proper awareness, not forced renunciation. Proper awareness neans awareness with witnessing or detachment or nonduality.

Rotating awareness across chakras dissolves worldly knots effortlessly.

Sharirvigyan Darshan is crucial—it aligns physical and spiritual balance seamlessly.

Liberation alone is not the ultimate peak—enlightenment is the real attraction of creation.

Nothing is to be attained—just witnessed.

I continue forward, refining, learning, and staying open. There’s no struggle, only a natural unfolding of awareness.

The Natural Path of Meditation: From Image to Ultimate Awakening

In my meditation journey, I have always felt that prana and breath regulate themselves when meditation is deep enough. I have noticed moments during worldly activities where a slight attention to Sharirvigyan Darshan (body-science observation through holographic principle) triggers a spontaneous shift—first a gasp of breath, followed by slower, deeper, and more regular breaths. When this happens, prana seems to move naturally to the brain chakras, where a stable meditation image emerges, accompanied by relaxation and bliss.

However, when I applied the same method during more intense, struggling work, the breath still became regular, but this time faster and shallower. Instead of reaching the highest chakras, it seemed to pour prana somewhere between Vishuddhi and Anahata chakras. This is also because I was working with my arms and the arms get prana from this location. The meditation image was still present but less blissful and positioned at a lower level, while relaxation was also lesser.

From this experience, I realized that prana flows naturally to the chakras most engaged in a given moment. Breath and prana are self-controlling when meditation is the guide. This meditation-led prana regulation is much more satisfying than the reverse approach, where forced breath is used to induce meditation. Forceful breath control feels like filling a vessel from the outside, giving temporary energy but not necessarily leading to deep, inner pranic movement.

I have always preferred the meditation-to-prana approach over the prana-to-meditation approach. However, I have explored various styles, understanding that every technique can serve a purpose. Meditation itself is independent, just like human beings—it does not like to be forced. The meditation image, when allowed to arise naturally, thrives and stabilizes over time. Forcing it too soon is like forcing a plant to grow faster—it may not take deep roots.

This realization led me to believe that in the beginning, meditation should be allowed to stabilize naturally through worldly meditation like Sharirvigyan Darshan. After years of nurturing this process, a time may come when the meditation image can be forcefully awakened through deep and structured Tantric meditation. The foundation must be firm before intensifying the practice.

I have also wondered whether everyone develops a single meditation image. Some may, but they might hesitate to share it. Others may not yet have a fixed image due to an unstable pranic flow, intellectual doubts, or lack of deep absorption. Even those with a stable image may sometimes wander unguided, unable to hold on to it in daily life. This wandering can happen due to weak fixation, scattered prana, overanalysis, or inconsistency in sadhana.

To stabilize the meditation image, one must develop deep trust, allow effortless absorption, and maintain consistent practice. Over time, as prana refines itself, the image becomes clearer, stronger, and more magnetic.

I firmly believe that the road to the ultimate goal always passes through a single meditation image. Regardless of the spiritual path—whether Bhakti, Jnana, Tantra, or mindfulness—a single-pointed focus is necessary to dissolve into deeper states. Without it, the mind scatters and struggles to enter deep meditation.

While I have not yet achieved the ultimate realization, I have observed these natural movements in my practice. My belief is not based on theory but on direct experience. I am still exploring and refining my approach, ensuring that my meditation becomes self-sustaining and deeper over time.

In the end, meditation is not something to be forced; it is something to be nurtured. When we let it unfold naturally, it leads the way—breath and prana follow effortlessly, and the journey becomes self-directed, blissful, and deeply fulfilling.

Kundalini, Bliss, Breath, and Non-Duality: A Natural Unfolding

I have observed something interesting in my practice—when I meditate on Sharirvigyan Darshan, a sense of non-duality arises. As soon as this happens, my breath becomes long and stable. It feels as if the breath is flowing to nourish this non-dual awareness. It seems rapid external and irregular breath happen only to sustain duality to keep one bound in the world.

During Kevala Kumbhaka, my breath became rapid yet internal, with only about 5% felt externally. It wasn’t stressful. It seemed to move through the backbone, though not entirely clear.

One day, I maintained non-dual awareness the whole day while fully engaged in a stressful work environment. In the evening, while waiting for a bus in the rain shelter, I lightly meditated on Kutastha. Something remarkable happened, probably Keval kumbhak—the state remained unbroken for two hours during the journey. I had to intentionally step out of it to walk home. Yet, this experience hasn’t repeated in the same way. Yes, the same thing happened again after a day or two in the same situation. The same thing happened third time again after a day or two when I was at home and my family members, out of fear, forcibly woke me up after a short time. This means that in those days, my special nature was formed which was conducive to this. I became surrendered to the unknown, perhaps after facing the worldly blows. Meaning, surrender is very important. Along with it, knowledgeable life behavior is also necessary.

Still, a subtle transformation is happening. My practice isn’t about chasing peak states anymore. Instead, there’s a natural continuation of previous insights, leading to a deeper understanding of Pranayama and how non-duality shifts between active and passive modes. Means, first nonduality practiced willingly, now it’s something becoming second habit.

At times, even subtle attention is needed to sustain this, and in the competitive world, I sometimes feel a perceptual mismatch. Earlier, I lived in full worldliness and full non-duality together, but it was little stressful. We can’t call it stress actually as it was providing relief. Yes, we can call it more energy demanding. Now, with age and medical factors, my energy is different, and I let things flow naturally rather than force balance.

Breath and Prana: What’s Really Happening?

During Kriya breathing, when my belly moves forward, it feels as if Prana is being sucked up from Muladhara, and breath follows passively. It seems the main role of breath is to flow Prana, not the other way around. Instead of controlling breath, Prana is naturally leading the process. The proof is, how the body lives during keval kumbhak when the breath goes to stop. Earlier I used to think if breathing control prana. I used to simply breath, ignoring prana movement through spine. Now kriya yoga showed me other way round means prana breathing that seems more fulfilling. Although my natural instinct had made me get prana breathing through sexual yoga itself since beginning in the name of raising kundalini shakti up from muladhar that probably helped in my glimpse awakening. Say prana breathing or raising up kundalini or raising up prana, it’s the same thing and there’s similar pull and push of body, breath, bandhas or whatever. It’s Web of words on which we have to walk home means purpose safely without falling instead getting support of it. When I see upward through kutastha in Shambhavi mudra during in breathing, the satisfying in breath deepens and become more fulfilling and filling my body vessel up to crown. It’s other proof that breath follow prana. Attention upward means prana upward. Attention or meditation and prana coexist together.

During worldly actions full of duality our awareness or prana rapidly goes swinging between upper and lower chakra areas. Upper chakras are full of light and lower chakras are dark. Also different chakras deal with different worldly feelings. Duality is also made up of mixture of light and dark and their different shades as per situation. Rapidly Up -down moving prana force breathing up down rapidly to take assistance from it in its rapid shifting. At this swinging moment a little meditation on sharirvigyan darshan brings immediate nonduality amazingly and there’s instant long, satisfying and blissful gasp of a breath, subsequently it becoming regular, slow and little deeper. This all proves interconnected nature of breath and prana. You yourself can also feel it. That’s why I think pranayam was designed thinking if nonduality can stabilise breathing then stabilizing breath can also produce nonduality.

This prana breathing brings a blissful, satisfying, and fulfilling experience. The bliss isn’t just abstract—it has a sexual quality, rising from the lower centers and converging into the meditation image in the brain, agya chakra and sahasraar chakra. Instead of dissipating outward, it fuels meditation, confirming that Prana-Shakti is sublimating naturally.

Beyond meditation, I’ve noticed that bliss spreads through my whole being after:

Physical asanas

Traveling to beautiful places, especially with family

Engaging in the world with non-dual awareness

From Effort to Flow

Earlier, bliss was localized in the spine and brain, but now, as non-duality removes resistance, bliss flows through the whole body. Stability has increased. I no longer need to hold onto bliss—it flows effortlessly.

Still, I recognize there’s more to refine. I haven’t reached an irreversible state like Sahaja Samadhi, and I remain aware that stability in daily life is an ongoing process. But the path is clearer now—non-duality isn’t something to force always, although seems to be must do in starting learning days, but something that naturally unfolds when resistance dissolves.

Breath: The Bridge Between Mind, Energy, and Metabolism

Breath is often seen as just a means of oxygen supply, but in reality, it plays a much deeper role—it moves energy (prana) throughout the body. The mind, breath, and energy are intertwined. When the mind wavers, the breath follows, and energy moves accordingly.

Restless thoughts → Fast, shallow, irregular breath → Scattered energy.

Calm thoughts → Deep, slow, rhythmic breath → Energy flows smoothly upward.

Emotional thoughts → Heavy or erratic breath → Energy concentrates in the heart.

This constant fluctuation also affects metabolism. When prana is unstable, metabolism becomes agitated, increasing oxygen consumption. A restless mind speeds up breathing, activates the nervous system, and demands more oxygen. When the breath steadies, prana stabilizes, metabolism slows, and oxygen needs decrease.

In deep meditation, where thoughts subside, breath naturally slows or even stops. How does the body survive? Because the need for oxygen drops. The heart rate slows, cellular function minimizes, and prana sustains life beyond physical respiration. Yogis in deep states of stillness can remain breathless because they are nourished by prana, not just oxygen.

Pranayama is not just breath control—it is energy mastery. By consciously regulating breath, we stabilize prana, balance metabolism, and calm the mind. When prana flows smoothly, life functions effortlessly. Understanding this unlocks the secret of inner stillness and vitality.

One more secret. When practical meditation of Sharirvigyan Darshan is done, then the stray breath starts coming in balance. This is Rajayoga, this is Sahaja Yoga, this is Gyanyoga. It means that we are going towards yoga with the thought power of the brain. In the end all the paths of yoga meet each other, whether it is the path of thought or the path of breath.

Most Yogirajs write about their experience of Pranayam in such a way that the breath started flowing inside. This means that the life or prana started flowing inside on its own. Now it is not dependent on the movement of breath for its circulation. Now they are breathing only to get oxygen. Very less breath is required for this. This means that in the breath taken to give movement to the life, we have to take oxygen without need. Then it has to be used without need. This increases the metabolism. Due to this, we remain restless and stressed and also tired, due to which we do not get proper rest. Meaning, if you breathe in less oxygen space, you will suffocate because the prana produced by breathing and metabolism are interconnected. They cannot be separated. But the inner prana or inner breath allows metabolism to happen at its own pace or at the basic level, it does not increase or decrease it.

The prana increased by breathing will always demand more oxygen, because it speeds up metabolism. If an attempt is made to increase prana by breathing deeply in less oxygen space, then due to not getting enough oxygen to maintain prana energy, you will experience suffocation. That is why yogis in the mountains breathe slowly and naturally, not deeply in yogic way, so that there is a balance between the demand for prana and oxygen. Until prana is independent of breath, the need for oxygen will remain, so it is necessary to balance breath and prana. In Kevali Kumbhaka, breath starts getting separated from prana.

Kevala Kumbhaka and the Silent Unfolding of Awareness

When the time is right, Kevala Kumbhaka sets in effortlessly. No amount of effort can force it; it happens by itself. The breath naturally ceases, and stillness takes over. Thoughts may try to arise, but the meditation image emerges instantly, bringing breathlessness back. This cycle continues as long as one does not choose to break it.

The longest I remained in Kevala Kumbhaka was about two hours while traveling on a bus. Sitting for long periods can cause sores, but I carefully adjust posture without disturbing the stillness. By the way, the seat in the bus feels the best because due to the slight jolts and vibrations, the body gets a subtle massage, which does not cause stiffness and the legs etc. do not become numb. One can  reach the stage of keval Kumbhaka with any lifestyle of activity—in fact, it seems more so in the state of relaxation after a strenuous task, whereby everything feels effortless, as if only meditation is taking place. Though contemplating the physiology philosophy during daily activities helps in meditation, keval Kumbhaka enhances this help. The more challenging the task, the more it helps.

With time, the meditation image has mostly taken the place of ‘I.’ In my 10-second glimpse of enlightenment, the image had completely merged with me and the world. Now, it serves as a bridge to stillness. Whether it will fully dissolve or remain as an anchor is unknown—the process is guiding itself. No effort, no struggle, just unfolding.

Curiosity never ends. The joy of discovery, the urge to share, and the art of writing help refine and integrate these experiences. Simplicity is key—truth is best expressed in few words. In the end, it’s not about knowing where this journey leads but allowing it to happen, moment by moment.

Kundalini and Keval Kumbhaka: When Prana becomes stable, that is the true Asana

In Yoga it is said that Siddhasana, Padmasana or other stable asanas are the best for meditation and Kumbhaka. But when keval Kumbhaka happens, any place—be it a bus seat or an office chair—becomes the best asana.

The Secret of Asana: The Play of Prana, Not the Body

In Yoga, Asana is defined as stability and comfort (Sthirasukhmasanaam). But here an amazing experience is unfolding—
If only Kumbhaka happens naturally, the body becomes stable automatically.
Then the place of sitting does not matter—because both the mind and the body do not even think of moving.
This means that the “best asana” is the one where Prana withdraws automatically within.

Is Siddhasana not necessary?

Siddhasana is said to be the best in Yoga because—
It keeps the spine straight. Makes the energy flow smoothly from Muladhara to Sahasrara.

Helps in meditation and Kumbhaka.

But if one enters into Keval Kumbhaka, there is no difference between Siddhasana and a bus seat! Because in that state— ✅ The body becomes stable automatically. ✅ The mind becomes calm. ✅ No external movement is felt.

Is Asana not important?

No, Asana is still important, especially in the initial stages. ✅ The right Asana makes it easier for Keval Kumbhaka to happen. ✅ It keeps the energy balanced. ✅ It does not allow extra tension in the body.

But once Keval Kumbhaka starts happening naturally, then the position of the body is not so much of a hindrance.

Slight adjustments during Keval Kumbhaka

When Keval Kumbhaka happens, slight body adjustments do not affect it much. This is possible because—

Now Kumbhaka is happening not just with the body, but with the prana getting confined within.
As long as the depth of prana is maintained, slight movement of the body does not break the kumbhaka.

What adjustments can be made?

✔ Slight adjustment of the hand or foot. ✔ Slight straightening or loosening of the spine. ✔ Slight relaxation of the head or neck.

When can this kumbhaka be broken?

❌ If one stands up suddenly or jolts too much. ❌ If the attention is completely diverted to the external world. ❌ If there is too much discomfort in the body and the mind gets stuck there.

Conclusion

“Kewal Kumbhak” is no longer dependent on the position of the body, but on the prana being stable within. So slight adjustments of the body do not disrupt it much.

Whether the body is stable or not, when the prana is stable—that is true kumbhaka!

Kundalini & Spontaneous Breathlessness: A Hidden Reality

I never expected breath to stop effortlessly—not in deep meditation, but in ordinary moments. Sitting in a bus, resting after exhaustion, or gently gazing at Kutastha (the space between the eyebrows), breath would become still on its own.

At first, it was puzzling. But over time, I realized—this wasn’t forced breath retention (Kumbhaka). It was the natural outcome of prana turning inward.

Kevala Kumbhaka: Breathlessness Without Effort

Breath stopping involuntarily felt strange yet peaceful. It happened under two common conditions:

A light awareness of Kutastha.

Not intense concentration, just a subtle noticing.

Almost instantly, breath would slow and then stop.

Deep relaxation after exhaustion or stress.

After heavy mental or physical effort, when the body let go, breath would naturally suspend.

What struck me was that this wasn’t limited to meditation. It happened in everyday life when prana was drawn inward.

Prana, Not Mind, Leads This Process

Initially, I believed deep stillness of mind caused this phenomenon. But observation showed something else—mental activity subsided in response to prana internalizing, not the other way around.

This changed my understanding of breath control. It’s not breath suppression that produces stillness, but rather the gathering of prana inward that results in spontaneous breath suspension.

Why Daily Pranayama Makes This Happen More Often

A regular Pranayama practice enhances this natural occurrence. The reasons are clear:

Prana detaches from breath.

Normally, prana moves with inhalation and exhalation.

With daily Pranayama, prana becomes more self-sustained, making the body less dependent on constant breathing.

The breath follows prana, not the other way around.

As prana withdraws inward, breath naturally slows or stops. Inward means as it detaches from external breathing movements.

This happens in meditation but can also happen in daily activities.

Breathlessness becomes spontaneous.

Instead of being a forced practice, Kevala Kumbhaka starts occurring effortlessly.

This is why those practicing Pranayama regularly notice breath suspension happening more frequently, even outside meditation.

A Direct Experience: How It Happens Naturally

If you want to observe this process within yourself, try this:

After a long day, sit comfortably and let the body relax. I also feel after early morning meditation the chance of keval kumbhak in the day time increases.

Avoid controlling breath, simply allow stillness to settle. Soham can be chanted with light awareness of breath.

Gently bring awareness to Kutastha without strain.

Notice how breath slows and may even stop without effort.

For some, this might happen instantly. For others, it may take time. But once it begins, you realize—breath stops not by force, but as a result of prana shifting inward.

Final Insight: A New Perspective on Breathlessness

Kevala Kumbhaka is not just a result of intense meditation or willful control. It is a natural state when prana withdraws.

It becomes more frequent with regular Pranayama.

It happens when the body and mind are deeply relaxed.

It is not something to force, but something to allow.

When breath stops effortlessly, it reveals a deeper reality—prana, not breath, is the true force of life.