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BreathVoidVerse 27intermediate

The Peace at the End of the Breath

At the end of any breath — held, emptied, or filled — a natural peace dawns; rest in it.

Source verse · Verse 27
कुम्भिता रेचिता वापि पूरिता वा यदा भवेत्। तदन्ते शान्तनामासौ शक्त्या शान्तः प्रकाशते॥
kumbhitā recitā vāpi pūritā vā yadā bhavet | tadante śāntanāmāsau śaktyā śāntaḥ prakāśate
At the end of any breath — held, emptied, or filled — a natural peace dawns; rest in it.
▶ Practice this technique10 / 20 min · eyes closed

How to practice

  1. 1Take an easy breath and, without strain, let it come to one of its natural ends — fully exhaled, fully inhaled, or gently held.
  2. 2At that very end, notice the still point where the breath has stopped of its own accord.
  3. 3A quiet, settled peace (śānta) dawns there. Do not grab the next breath — rest in the peace first.
  4. 4Let the breath resume by itself, and meet the peace again at the next end.
Practice note. This is not forced retention (kumbhaka as exercise). The verse points to the spontaneous stillness at the end of any breath phase — found, not manufactured.

Terms in this technique

prāṇa
The vital breath/energy; here, the upward-moving breath.
śūnya
Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.
bhairava
The fierce, all-encompassing form of Shiva; ultimate consciousness.
śakti
Energy, the dynamic power of consciousness; Devi.

Sources consulted

  • Jaideva Singh, Vijñānabhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization (Motilal Banarsidass, 1979)
  • Swami Lakshmanjoo, Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization (Universal Shaiva Fellowship, 2007)
  • Bettina Bäumer, Vijñâna Bhairava: The Practice of Centering Awareness (Indica Books, 2011)
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