Vase breathing

Vase breathing (Skt. kumbhaka; T. rlung bum pa can རླུང་བུམ་པ་ཅན་) is so called because it involves holding or 'containing' the breath in a way that is analogous to a vase or container.

Tsepak Rigdzin states:

A tantric practice or yoga of wind meditation in which, roughly speaking, air from the bottom of one's body is drawn up and air from the upper part of the body is compressed down so as to form a vase-shape at the navel level, and then retained and released at appropriate intervals according to the instruction of the master.

There are two quite different practices called vase breathing, and the differences between them are significant. There is the vase breathing practice associated with chandali or tummo (inner heat) meditation, and there is the vase breathing practice associated with tranquillity meditation or mantra recitation.

When you practice vase breathing as part of caṇḍālī (T. tummo) practice, because your intention in that practice is to generate physical heat or bliss, the vase breathing needs to be quite intense and energetic, whereas when used during meditation or mantra recitation it is more relaxed.