Dharana 3 of 112 · verse 27

When the Breath Pauses by Itself

Notice the pauses the breath takes on its own, and do not disturb them.

00:00Ready

8 minutes. Seated, eyes closed.

Intermediate8 min

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Before you try this

This is a practice of noticing a pause, never of holding the breath. Do not extend a pause deliberately. If you feel any urge to gasp, or any light-headedness, return to ordinary breathing at once. Skip this one entirely if you are pregnant, or if you have a heart, blood-pressure, respiratory or anxiety condition.

The practice

Sit and watch the breath without steering it. Every so often, at the top or the bottom, it stops of its own accord and stays stopped a moment longer than usual. When that happens, notice it and stay still. Then let the breath resume whenever it wants. You are waiting for the pause to be offered, never taking it.

What it works on

The tradition treats the spontaneous pause as different in kind from a held breath. One arrives when the system is calm; the other is imposed on a system that is not. This dharana trains you to recognise the first and stop manufacturing the second.

Notes

  • The pauses become more frequent as the sitting settles. That is the practice working, not something to chase.

Practise gently

Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.