Hold
- Keep your abdomen relaxed during the vacuum.
- Maintain chest expansion and support through your hands.
- Keep your back long.
Steps
Support
Both feet on the floor; hands supported on the thighs.
Activate
- Inhale deeply through your nose.
- Exhale completely through your mouth and hold after exhaling.
- Bring your chin toward your chest.
- With your glottis closed, expand your chest; keep your abdomen relaxed.
Release
- Release the vacuum; let your abdomen move forward again.
- Raise your head and trunk; exhale slightly before inhaling.
- Inhale slowly through your nose; return to natural breathing.
- Breathing
- Bāhya kumbhaka: hold after exhaling; release before inhaling.
- Gaze
- Downward.
- Duration
- For a comfortable breath hold, without straining.
- Rounds
- Three rounds initially; breathe naturally between rounds.
Adapt
Adaptations
- Brief breath holdRelease sooner; hold only while it feels comfortable.
- Glottis preparationPractice mock inhalation after exhaling, covering your nose and mouth.
- Modified CatSupport yourself on knees and forearms; rest forehead on crossed hands.
Variations
- Seated in Siddhasana or Padmasana, with hands on knees.
- Straight legs: hands on thighs or hips.
- Maha Bandha combines the throat, abdominal, and root locks.
Signals of effort
- Breath held after exhaling.
- Chest expansion without incoming air.
- Part of the trunk's weight transferred through the arms.
- Neck flexed during the throat lock.