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of oxygen is replaced. When the use of oxygen is withdrawn, a sort of suffocation is expressed by the organs of the body.
Mooladhara chakra is the seat of the kundalini shakti. Usually the kundalini remains dormant in mooladhara, but during kumbhaka, the temperature in mooladhara rises. When the consumption of oxygen dwindles to nothing, the kundalini feels intense suffocation. As the brain waves are lowered, a surge takes place in mooladhara and this is the awakening of kundalini.
This can be explained in another way. During inhalation, the prana vayu flows upward from manipura to vishuddhi. During exhalation, apana vayu flows downward from manipura to mooladhara. Kumbhaka, however, brings about a fusion of apana and prana with samana, creating an intense pressure at manipura, which is the storehouse of prana. The merging of these three pranas into one mighty force activates the other two flows of udana and vyana. With the five pranas activated and the total awareness focused at manipura, kundalini is simultaneously awakened. This is the culmination of pranayama. The upward flow of prana and the downward flow of apana attain a state of equilibrium and remain suspended. The breath is held spontaneously, either externally or internally, without any trace of activity on any level of existence. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states (2:41):
विधिवत्प्राणसंयामैर्नाडीचक्रे विशोधिते।
सुषुम्नावदनं भित्त्वा सुखाद्विशति मारुतः ॥ By systematically retaining the prana, the nadis and chakras are purified. Thus the prana bursts open the doorway to sushumna and easily enters it.
Guidelines for kumbhaka In order to develop kumbhaka the practices of pranayama should be followed systematically. The diet should be regulated and constipation removed, so that toxins do not form in the body. Sexual moderation should also be observed by the practitioner, as this act produces certain toxin-forming hormones.
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