Healing Practice
Murchha Pranayama
Sanskrit: Mūrcchā Prāṇāyāma
The "Swooning Breath" — an advanced kumbhaka (retention) practice combined with Jalandhara Bandha, described in the text as inducing a still, blissful, mind-dissolving state.
- Tradition
- Yogic Tradition
Introduction
Murchha means fainting or swooning. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes it as a full inhalation combined with Jalandhara Bandha (the chin lock) and a prolonged, carefully held retention, continued until a light, blissful, deeply mind-stilling sensation arises — the "swoon" the name refers to being a state of profound mental dissolution and calm, not a loss of consciousness to be induced carelessly.
The text itself frames Murchha among its more advanced retention practices. Given the deliberate, extended breath-holding involved, it should only be practiced under the direct guidance of a qualified teacher, and is not appropriate for beginners or for anyone with blood pressure, cardiac or respiratory conditions.
Sources & References
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika — Svatmarama; trans. Pancham Sinh, The Panini Office (Sacred Books of the Hindus, vol. XV) (1914) · Link
Public domain. Classical c. 15th-century Sanskrit hatha yoga text; this early-20th-century English translation is the standard public-domain edition consulted for these entries.