Whenever you feel peace, your breath will gradually slow down and pause. And if you pause your breath, you will effortlessly feel at peace. How Kumbhak is where the internal limbs of Yoga start.
Kumbhak Is The Foundation Of All Action and Yoga
कुम्भकः सर्वयोगानां कर्मणां चाधिकारिणः। सर्वे योगविधाः प्राहुः कुम्भकं परमं तपः॥
kumbhakaḥ sarva yogānāṁ karmaṇāṁ chādhikāriṇaḥ | sarve yoga vidhāḥ prāhuḥ kumbhakaṁ paramaṁ tapaḥ ||
“Kumbhak is not just the foundation of all kinds of yoga but of all your actions in life. All yoga methods declare kumbhak to be the awarder of the goals of all pursuits in life.”
Kumbhak is the Essence of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga
यदा कुम्भकसामर्थ्यं तदा सर्वं सिद्ध्यते। आसनं प्राणायामं च मुद्रां बन्धं तथैव च॥
Yadā kumbhakasāmarthyaṁ tadā sarvaṁ siddhyate | Āsanaṁ prāṇāyāmaṁ cha mudrāṁ bandhaṁ tathaiva cha ||
”When the capacity for kumbhak is attained, then all [practices] succeed — āsana, prāṇāyāma, mudra, and bandha alike."
Prāṇāyāma's Purpose is Kumbhak
प्राणायामस्य साध्यं हि कुम्भकः परमोच्यते। कुम्भकविद्या परमा विद्या सर्वविद्यषु।।
prāṇāyāmasya sādhyaṁ hi kumbhakaḥ paramocyate | kumbhakavidyā paramā vidyā sarva vídyeṣu ||
”The ultimate goal (sādhya) of prāṇāyāma is indeed kumbhak. The knowledge of kumbhak is the supreme knowledge among all knowledges."
Kumbhak as the Crown of Prāṇāyāma
प्राणायामैः क्रमेणैव कुम्भकं साध्यते भुवि। कुम्भकान्न परं नान्यद् योगसिद्धिकरं भवेत्॥
prāṇāyāmaiḥ krameṇaiva kumbhakaṁ sādhyate bhuvi | Kumbhakānna paraṁ nānyad yogasiddhikaraṁ bhavet ||
”Through sequential prāṇāyāma practices, kumbhak is attained on earth. There is nothing beyond kumbhak; no other means can bring about yogic perfection."
The Centrality of Kumbhak
आसनसिद्धितो धीमान् प्राणायामं तदा चरेत्। प्राणायामेन सिद्धस्य कुम्भकोऽथ प्रवर्तते॥
āsana siddito dhīmān prāṇāyāmaṁ tadā charet | prāṇāyāmena siddhasya kumbhako'tha pravarttate ||
”The wise one, having perfected āsana, then practices prāṇāyāma. When prāṇāyāma is perfected, kumbhak then unfolds."
Kumbhak As The Principle of Freedom
कुम्भकेनैव रे योगी नाडीशोधनं भवेत्। कुम्भकेनैव भैरवि शरीरं हेमसन्निभम्॥
kumbhakenai've re yogī nāḍīśodhanaṁ bhavet | kumbhakenai've bhairavi śarīraṁ hemasannibham ||
”O yogī, through kumbhak alone, the ultimate cleansing of the nāḍīs or subtle channels occurs. Through kumbhak alone, O Bhairavī [the Divine Feminine], the body becomes like gold."
Kumbhak as the Master Principle
प्राणायामः प्रविष्टस्य कुम्भकः परमं पदम्। कुम्भकप्राप्तिरेवैश्वर्यं कुम्भकः परमः क्षयः॥
prāṇāyāmaḥ praviṣṭasya kumbhakaḥ paramaṁ padam | kumbhakprāptir evaíśvaryaṁ kumbhakaḥ paramaḥ kṣayaḥ ||
“For one who has entered prāṇāyāma, kumbhak is the supreme state. The attainment of kumbhak is indeed sovereignty; kumbhak is the ultimate freedom.”