“When the breath wanders, the mind is unsteady. But when the breath is still, so is the mind.”
— Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Hey lovely,
It happened in chair yoga class last week. We were moving through a round of Nadi Shodhana, alternate nostril breathing, and I invited the group to experiment with a gentle hold at the bottom of the exhale. Just a wee pause. An extended moment of stillness before the next inhale arrived.
This week one of my students broached the subject of the breath hold, mentioning how it feels unsafe and a bit panicky.
Thank you, Rose, I love your questions.
Not because panic is fun, it absolutely isn’t, but because it opened up yet another fascinating conversation that we get to have in class.
Her response? It’s not a flaw. It’s not a sign she’s doing something wrong. It is, in fact, her body doing exactly what it was designed to do.
And understanding why, really understanding it, from both the yogic and scientific perspective is what transforms that moment of panic into something profound. So I promised I’d write about it here. And here we are. YAY🌿
THE THREE PHASES OF THE BREATH
In classical pranayama, the yogic science of breath control, the breath is understood not as one continuous flow but as three distinct phases, each with its own Sanskrit name, its own quality, and its own effect on the body and mind.
PURAKA — Inhalation. The conscious, controlled act of drawing breath in. Puraka is expansive, energising, and receiving. It is the breath of awakening.
KUMBHAKA — Retention / Pause. The deliberate suspension of breath, either full or empty. Kumbhaka means “pot”; the breath held within like water in a vessel.
RECHAKA — Exhalation. The conscious, complete release of breath. Rechaka is surrendering, purifying, and letting go. It is the breath of release.
Together, these three phases form the complete breath cycle as understood in pranayama practice. Most of us, most of the time, move through Puraka and Rechaka without much thought and skip Kumbhaka entirely. Which means we’re missing what many yogis consider the most potent phase of the breath.
KUMBHAKA — THE TWO KINDS OF PAUSE
Kumbhaka is not one thing. There are actually two distinct forms of breath retention in yogic practice, and they have very different qualities and effects.
ANTARA KUMBHAKA — Retention after inhale. The pause at the top of the inhale, lungs full. Energising, expansive, and warming. Associated with Prana, vital life force. Generally feels more natural and accessible to beginners.
BAHYA KUMBHAKA — Retention after exhale. The pause at the bottom of the exhale, lungs empty. Deeply stilling, surrendering, and cooling. Associated with Apana, the downward, releasing energy. This is the one that tends to trigger panic, and for very good reason.
That moment in class, the one that made my student’s eyes go wide, was Bahya Kumbhaka. The empty pause. The suspension of breath after the exhale, sitting in a moment of deliberate emptiness. And the panic response it triggered is not only understandable; it is, from a biological perspective, completely inevitable if you don’t know what’s happening underneath.
WHY THE EMPTY PAUSE FEELS LIKE PANIC — THE SCIENCE
Here’s where it gets genuinely fascinating. Your body has a system, a remarkably precise, ancient system, for monitoring carbon dioxide levels in the blood. And it is this system, not oxygen levels as most people assume, that triggers the urge to breathe.
The CO₂ drive to breathe: Most people believe we breathe because we need oxygen. But the primary trigger for the urge to breathe is actually a rise in carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the blood. Specialised chemoreceptors in the brainstem and carotid arteries continuously monitor CO₂ levels. When CO₂ rises above a certain threshold, they send an urgent signal: breathe now.
During Bahya Kumbhaka, the empty hold, CO₂ begins to accumulate almost immediately. The chemoreceptors fire. The nervous system receives the alarm signal. And because this system is ancient and primal, it doesn’t politely suggest you breathe. It screams. That feeling of panic, urgency, and mild dread? That is your CO₂ alarm doing its job perfectly.
And here is the extraordinary thing that pranayama practice teaches: you can learn to sit with that signal without obeying it immediately. Not suppress it. Not ignore it. But recognise it for what it is, a message, not an emergency and choose your response.
Over time, consistent breath retention practice actually changes your CO₂ tolerance. Your chemoreceptors recalibrate. The threshold at which the alarm fires shifts. The urge to breathe becomes less urgent, less panicked, and more spacious. You develop what is sometimes called a high CO₂ tolerance and with it, a remarkable capacity for calm in uncomfortable situations.
WHAT ELSE HAPPENS DURING KUMBHAKA
The benefits of deliberate breath retention go well beyond CO₂ tolerance:
Increased nitric oxide production: breath holds stimulate nitric oxide release in the sinuses and lungs, which dilates blood vessels, improves oxygen delivery to cells, and supports cardiovascular health.
Vagal activation: particularly during Bahya Kumbhaka, the extended empty pause can stimulate the vagus nerve, shifting the nervous system toward parasympathetic rest. The very pause that first feels like panic can, with practice, become deeply calming.
Improved respiratory efficiency: regular Kumbhaka practice trains the respiratory muscles, increases lung capacity, and teaches the body to extract more oxygen per breath.
Prana distribution: according to yogic physiology, Kumbhaka is the moment when Prana (vital life force), drawn in with the inhale, is distributed throughout the body and absorbed into the energy channels (nadis). The pause is not empty. It is full of something we can’t yet measure with instruments but have been feeling for thousands of years.
KUMBHAKA IN NADI SHODHANA
Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) is one of the most balancing pranayamas in the yogic toolkit. The word Nadi means channel or river (referring to the energy channels in the body), and Shodhana means purification. The practice is said to balance the Ida and Pingala nadis, the lunar and solar channels that run alongside the spine, bringing harmony to the nervous system and clarity to the mind.
In its complete traditional form, Nadi Shodhana includes all three phases: Puraka through one nostril, Antara Kumbhaka (hold at the top), Rechaka through the other nostril, and Bahya Kumbhaka (hold at the bottom) before the cycle repeats. The classical ratio taught in many traditions is 1:4:2 - inhale for one count, hold for four, exhale for two. So if you inhale for 4 counts, you hold for 16 and exhale for 8.
That ratio is advanced practice though. For beginners, or anyone new to retention, we simply begin with noticing the pause that’s already there. The natural, organic moment of stillness between inhale and exhale, exhale and inhale. Working with what’s already present before we deliberately extend it.
WHY YOGIS HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN WHAT SCIENCE IS NOW CONFIRMING:
— The breath is the only autonomic function we can consciously control, making it the most direct bridge between the conscious mind and the involuntary nervous system
— Kumbhaka places us in the space between, between inhale and exhale, between doing and being, between stimulus and response
— In that space lives choice. And choice is where practice becomes transformation
— The Yoga Sutras describe pranayama as the means by which the veil covering the inner light is gradually removed; the breath holds literally create the conditions for stillness of mind
— Ancient yogis understood CO₂ tolerance not in chemical terms but as the practice of sitting with discomfort without reacting, which is, in essence, the whole of yoga
HOW TO BEGIN EXPLORING KUMBHAKA
If the empty pause makes you panic, start there. Not by pushing through the panic, but by getting curious about it. Here is a gentle way to begin exploring Kumbhaka safely and with kindness.
A GENTLE KUMBHAKA INTRODUCTION - begin here
- BEGIN WITH NATURAL BREATH. Sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Simply observe the breath moving in and out without changing it. Notice the natural pauses that already exist; they are already there, however brief.
- EXPLORE ANTARA KUMBHAKA FIRST. After your next inhale, gently hold at the top for just 2-3 counts. Soft throat, relaxed shoulders. Notice the quality of that fullness. Then exhale slowly. Repeat 3-5 times.
- NOW MEET BAHYA KUMBHAKA WITH CURIOSITY. After a full exhale, pause. Let the lungs be empty. For just 2 counts to begin. Notice the sensation that arises, acknowledge it without judging it. Then let the inhale arrive naturally.
- NAME THE SENSATION. Instead of “panic”, try: “CO₂ rising. My body is working. This is information, not emergency.” The reframe matters. You are safe. You are in control. You can inhale at any time.
- GRADUALLY EXTEND OVER WEEKS, NOT DAYS. Even 2-3 counts of Bahya Kumbhaka practised consistently will begin to recalibrate your CO₂ response. There is no rush. The pause will expand on its own as trust builds.
A GENTLE NOTE OF CARE
Kumbhaka is a powerful practice and is not recommended for those who are pregnant, have unmanaged high blood pressure, cardiovascular conditions, epilepsy, or anxiety disorders without guidance from an experienced teacher. Always practice on an empty stomach, and never practice breath retention in or near water. If you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or distressed at any point, release the breath immediately and return to natural breathing. The breath should always feel like an invitation, never a force.
To Rose who said the empty pause makes her panic a little, thank you. That honest, human moment in class is exactly what yoga is for. Not the perfect poses or the perfect breath ratios. The real experience. The noticing. The conversation that follows.
The pause between breaths is one of the most ancient and potent practices in all of yoga. And it begins, as all great things do, with simply noticing that it’s there. 🌿
What's Happening In The Pantry 🧘♀️
Our next Beginner Yoga Course starts on the 3rd of August.
Which will be here ridiculously fast if this year is anything to go by 😭
If you know someone who's looking to get into yoga and doesn't know how or where to start, then now is the perfect time to start your campaign to get them into our awesome beginner courses. Our beginner Yoga course has been running for almost 13 years now, and is the best and most well-rounded around (if I do say so myself). With a good mix of philosophy, breathwork, and of course, physical postures, but what really sets us apart is the emphasis on finding ways to let the poses fit you rather than the other way around. Plus, all the wonderful folks who make up our amazing community.
It's also a great course to brush up on your basics and get back into the swing of things if you've been away from your yoga practice for a while...😉😊
For more information and to secure a coveted spot in this fantastic course, check out our website and BOOK NOW!!!!!!!
There are a few fantastic workshops coming up over the next few months, yay!
Starting with our beloved Restorative Yoga session on July 26, that's just around the corner, folks!
The Power of Rest is 2 hours of absolute bliss, surrendering your aching and tired body to the soft embrace of bolsters, blankets and blocks, plus some lovely poetry to help you sink into your own inner wisdom and intuition and topped off with yummy herbal tea. Join Tash on Sunday, July 26 for this workshop favourite.
Book Here and bring a friend 😉😍
We've also got another SOUNDBATH happening on August 23rd
Full Moon Surrender - Letting Go And Reconnecting - Restorative Sound Journey
This is happening a couple of days after the actual full moon, but the moon's pull will still be strong, so I thought we might make an event of it 😁. Make sure you grab your ticket for this event before it slips your mind, because it will be here in a flash and it will be awesome! There's going to be some drumming, some crystal bowls, some chimes and some mantras. We'll harness the power of the moon, let go of old useless baggage and reset our intentions for the rest of 2026.
Book your spot in the session and bring your friends to share the full moon magic!
AND even more exciting!!! In September, we are going to explore releasing tension and stress through the MELT method of using a tennis ball to access trigger points in the body and coax the body to let go of deeply held tightness and tension; then we will follow that up with an hour of restorative yoga to soothe and soften any lingering tensions. You will achieve jellyfish/sloth status!
AND you'll also get a special tennis ball to take home for your continued home practice, yay!
Check out all the details for our Melt, Release, Restore Workshop - 2 hours to a new you!
Mark your calendar; this is not to be missed!
Head here to book all your regular yoga classes and maybe even try some new ones!
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Don't forget you can also join us for a FREE meditation session every Saturday morning, and even if you can't, you can book in via Zoom and do the meditation later in the day, or every day, until the next session :)
Your YouTube Class Of The Week... Well, actually a new Podcast instalment!
Here's episode 2 of my New Coaching Podcast 🎉❤️
Feel free to share these vids far and wide because sharing is caring, and it helps me with the algorithm :D
With so much love, and a long slow exhale 🌿
Tash & The Yoga Pantry team
See you on the mat 😻
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