Dharana 21 of 112 · verse 91

The Breath Sound HA

Make a soft open HA and attend to where it dissolves.

00:00Ready

8 minutes. Seated, eyes closed.

Beginner8 min

Press Space to pause or continue

Keep this page visible during practice. Shoonyaka requests screen wake lock where supported; a locked device may delay the closing bell.

The practice

Let a soft HA out on the exhale — closer to a released breath than a spoken syllable. Do not push it. Follow it to the point where it stops being a sound and becomes only moving air, and then to where the air stops too. Attend to that dissolving edge.

What it works on

HA is the sound of breath leaving with nothing added, which is why the tradition treats it as the most natural sound there is. This dharana is the gentlest in the sound family and works well for people who find chanting self-conscious.

Notes

  • If it feels like sighing, that is close enough to correct. Sighing is this sound done unconsciously.

Practise gently

Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.