Relaxed Breath Retention

~ Zenith and Nadir ~

Preamble: Two kinds of "Holding the Breath"

Seems to me that there are two basic kinds of "holding the breath":

1) Unconsciously holding the breath
Happens when you're tense, distracted, overly intellectualized, fearful, fight/flight stuff: all basically when awareness is dis-integrated from the body.  As an internal arts tool, the breath is a major intermediary to re-integrate awareness with the body.  Awareness ~ Breath ~ Body.  For many people (everyone) with no prior breath training it's a really important major step to learn to consciously breath, be aware of breathing, and to keep breathing (not hold their breath).

My first meditation teacher taught the basic "follow the breath" meditation (which is perhaps the most frequent foundational meditation across cultures and traditions, immensely important) and also suggested that, at various times throughout the day, we simply notice how we were breathing.  That was so helpful to me: I noticed a lot about my internal state and how it corresponded to my breath pattern.

 
2) Consciously holding the breath
Whole different thing; the topic of this essay.

When applied in moderation, breath retention is one of the most effective ways to resolve lower tan tien tension.  Used in balance with other approaches, it is tremendously helpful towards jing refinement and getting lower tan tien breathing further toward "smooth as silk".

Advanced: Easy does-it, in balance.
Relaxed breath retention profoundly harmonizes when applied in small amounts but can easily be over done.  You'll find it in many breathing systems, usually as an advanced method.  You should have established experience in several areas before you take up breath retention:
- rounded physical exercise routine in place
- moderate lower tan tien breathing that centers towards physical massage
- processing emotions, centering, grounding

- meditation on natural comfortable breathing should be done immediately prior and following breath retention in order to blend awareness with the breath and to normalize breathing, respectively.

Basics Idea: Relaxed Pause at Zenith and Nadir
So, the method is basically this:

     Relaxed retention of breath after the inhale and after the exhale.

That is, relaxed pauses at the two extreme ends of breath, at the fullness of the inhale and the completion of the exhale, sometimes called, "the spaces between the breaths".  If you retain your breath by tension~force, to that degree you'll block the alchemy from occurring, so relax as best you can.

You can emphasize the lower tan tien by focusing the attention and breath there and by gently pulling up on the perineum (Ren-1 HuiYin) at certain times (experiment).  In a Taoist progression, this leads to integration of Kidney-1, the acupoints of the little orbit, and the opening of the channels of the legs.

Relaxed breath retention can be intensified by exhaling more completely, inhaling more fully, linking the zenith & nadir retentions together (with the smoothest transition possible) in a single cycle of breath, lengthening the duration of the pause, doing more repetitions.  I suggest that you start by practicing breath retention in small gentle doses.  Relaxed breath retention can stir up lots of latent tension and it's important to return to normalized breathing afterward.

Benefits / Dangers
In moderate doses breath retention can very effectively harmonize tension and refine denser energies.  If over-done it can be un-grounding, disorienting.  Stored tensions might release too fast.  Also, breath retention promotes Deep Stillness which in moderate doses is A Very Good Thing, but it's also possible to go into that too quickly - perhaps resulting in spiritual experiences that the body~mind isn't yet prepared to harmoniously integrate, perhaps including premature kundalini awakening.  Go easy; breath retention is a powerful method.  I suggest that you employ it as a small part of a balanced regimen.  If you choose to increase the intensity of your breath retention practice, do so gradually.

Front & Back, Left & Right, Center: 

Taoist Breathing vs. Indian Pranayama - Views, Methodology.

The yogic systems, of course, have an extensive system of breath regulation methodology called "pranayama".  While Taoists tend to emphasize front and back channels (ren and du, the microcosmic orbit), yoga emphasizes the left and right channels (ida and pingala, respectively).  Pranayama includes a number of methods of breathing through a single nostril (alternating sides), some of which apply relaxed breath retention, in order to open the major left and right channels. 

I suggest that you experiment with the following yogicly influenced "alternate nostril breathing w/ retention".  If you've mostly gone the Taoist route it's likely that you've neglected the left and right thrusting channels (ida & pingala) and this will pay off well for you.

Inhale down the left side from the left nostril, hold the breath (relaxed) and lift up on hui yin, then exhale out of the right nostril.  Then from the opposite side: down the right, retain the breath and lift hui yin, exhale out the left nostril.  The breath should be comfortably slow and smooth throughout.

Couple of notes.  1) As you lift hui yin you should feel it connect with the retained breath.  2) If toxic / hot qi is released from the lower tan tien it is ok, even preferable, to exhale it through the mouth.

Central Channel Resolution

Both Taoism and Indian Yoga see resolution as occurring in the central channel, susumna (pronounced, "shoo-shoom-nah") - with special esoteric potency where the central channel intersects the major centers.  How to get to the center, what happens there ... it's beyond this essay.  Certainly hui yin is important, in which ever system, especially during relaxed breath retention practice.  (And from the hui yin successively up ... and down, hui yin ~ bai hui...  and round and round and all about and into the deeper harmonious resolutions of inside ~ outside.)

Conclusion
You'll find that different cultivation systems often apply breath retention as a modification to their own basic breathing method or that they'll stress breath retention in certain ways to emphasize the goals of that system.  I've done that here to emphasize lower tan tien harmony and gradual grounded progress.

p.s.

Over time you'll find that you're able to similarly engage various lower acupoints, not just hui yin.  Be patient, and experiment; this one goes a long way.

RELATED TOPICS
     Yi Swallows Chi - a gentle variation of breath retention.
     Generating Heat with Specific Breathing Techniques - a more aggressive variation, though there are some basic misunderstandings re: heat that get talked about in this discussion thread at TheTaoBums.com.  (Thank you! to Blasto.)

     Relaxed breath retention combines well.  Examples: Massaging any acupoints of the Little Orbit prior to breath retention.  Practice breath retention prior to jogging (or prior to any aerobic exercise).  Explore.

     Turtle breathing.  (Not just a funny name, has classic support and is actually effective.)

ADDITIONAL READING

Books on Pranayama

    - Light on Yoga

    - Little Book of Yoga Breathing

    - Science of Breath

Mark Griffin's 5 Stages of Pratyahara - yogic and Tibetan vajrayana orientation.  Brilliant lecturer.  Easily the clearest deepest description of some of the classic uses of breath that I've ever heard.

Six Yogas of Naropa - classic Tibetan text, includes "vase breathing".

B.K. Frantzis's Taoist breathing products

    - Longevity Breathing DVD

    - Taoist Breathing 2-CD set

Let Every Breath... Secrets of the Russian Breath Masters -  The basic principle in this book is common to Taoism: synchronize whole-body movement with the breath.  But since it's expressed through a totally different school, many things are presented in a slightly different angle, said in a little different way, different nuances of application.  Many refreshing nuances of understanding and method.

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