Why I Don’t Retain my Breath in Pranayama

Breath retention (kumbhaka) is often part of a yoga pranayama practice. Pranayama meaning life force (prana) extension or regulation (ayama) is a yogic breath control practice. It is one of the eight limbs of yoga (asana or posture/pose is another limb). This retention can take place following both inhales (antara kumbhaka) and exhales (bahya kumbhaka).

Prana is the energy that flows through your body, and having steady and full breaths is linked to having more energy and calmness. Pranayama therefore is not just controlling your breath, but controlling your energy, your life force. Better breathing and awareness improves health and helps create a calmer mind and improved focus by increasing oxygen to the body and brain.

So, with all of these benefits of breathing, why do people intentionally retain their breath?

Retaining the breath is supposed to increase your control of your breathing (and in a way your life) and help regulate the flow of oxygen by allowing the lungs to completely clear and fill with air. The slower breath rate also helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, known as the rest and digest system, which will help reduce stress.

Why don’t I regularly practice breath retention?

People who are pregnant shouldn’t practice any retention, because the heart and oxygen levels are affected, which could affect the developing fetus. And because your breath is tied to the function of your heart, those with heart conditions shouldn’t practice retention either. Particularly those with high blood pressure and eye conditions shouldn’t hold their breath after the inhale and those with low blood pressure shouldn’t hold their breath after the exhale.

I generally have low blood pressure and observe impacts on my heart rate occur even after retaining my breath after an inhale. From watching my breath and how my body responds, retention increases my heart rate and does not allow me to have a steady energy flow, which is counter to what the practice intends.

What do I do instead?

My favorite pranayama practice is Equal Breathing (Sama Vritti), which for many often includes breath retention. However, I just focus on making my inhales and exhales equal durations—generally four counts each. Often people practice up to eight counts each, but I find this is uncomfortable for me mentally and physically. Though I can practice extending this duration or even adding a retention, I find that counting my breaths in itself is helpful for creating steadiness in both mind and body—which is the point of pranayama in the first place. Self-awareness and discretion are facets of yoga that we must practice and cultivate. It may not look like I am an experienced practitioner because I don’t retain my breath or take longer breaths, but I think the opposite. The more I listen to what I need, the more mature my yoga practice becomes.