When the breath moves, the mind moves. When the breath is still, the mind becomes still. The yogī attains immobility. Therefore, he should restrain the breath.

This is one of the most quoted verses from the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā. It establishes the fundamental relationship between breath and mind.

Cale vāte calaṃ cittam — “When the wind (breath) is agitated, the mind is agitated.” This observation is verifiable by any practitioner: when we are anxious, breathing accelerates; when we are calm, it becomes slow and deep.

The verse suggests that this relationship is bidirectional: we can use breath control to influence mental state. This is the theoretical foundation of all prāṇāyāma.

Sthāṇutva — literally “state of a pillar,” means the immobility and stability that the yogī seeks. It is not rigidity but dynamic stillness.