Our 5 easy steps to help you master Ujjayi breath
Pranayama: the control and expansion of the life force in constant movement
What is pranayama?
Whatever the tradition of yoga, pranayama has its special place.
In general, pranayama are breathing exercises whose goal is to direct the breath in a certain way to help the flow of what is called prana (vital force) and ultimately to help meditating without too much effort.
These exercises also have an effect on the mind because they act on the nervous system. I am sure you have already noticed that your breath fluctuates according to your mood of the day or your emotions. Pranayama is thus a wonderful tool to calm your mind.
Ujjayi breathing and its benefits
The ujjayi breath is called the victorious breath because it allows to cultivate a lot of vital force.
It is widely practiced in yoga classes, especially in vinyasa, because it is often associated with the practice of postures, warming up the body with the movement.
It is also very popular because it helps you to ground yourself, to focus and to calm your mind.
How to practice ujjayi
If you are just starting out, it will be easier to start practicing ujjayi in a comfortable cross-legged position or lying on your back.
Once you master this breath in a static pose, you can use it in the postures.
To practice this breath, close your mouth and focus on your throat, telling yourself that you want to produce the sound of a wave in and out.
Here are the steps to understand how to practice ujjayi breath:
The first step is to make the sound of the wave on the exhale with your mouth open.
To do this, place your hand a few inches away from your mouth and imagine that it is a mirror that you want to steam up. The sound will be produced automatically.
When you exhale with your mouth open, focus on your throat to feel the little “pinch” that creates at the back of your throat. This is what will allow you to continue making the sound with your mouth closed, and on exhalation and on inhalation.
Once you have your wave exhaling with your mouth open (it comes pretty quickly), do the same with your mouth closed.
As soon as you feel comfortable, you can add the sound of the wave on the inhale.
Here, you can also start with your mouth open. If that’s a bit difficult, imagine being surprised.
When you have the sound, you can breathe in through your nose with the sound of the wave, mouth closed.
Bonus learning technique for Star Wars aficionados: imagine breathing like Darth Vader;).
Note that the sound should not be too loud either on inhalation or exhalation. Ujjayi breath is really about creating the sound of a gentle wave, which is called ajapa mantra (the silent mantra,). This is what will calm your breath and cradle your mind.
If you practice this breath technique like a meditation, you can do it for 5-10 minutes and then breathe normally for a few minutes before going on with your daily activities.
Little extra: it's a great breath to do before sleeping.
Contraindications?
As it is often the case with breathing exercises, it is always best to practice with a teacher, especially with this one if you are an introvert or suffering from tension issues.
Finally, the sound should be kept light to avoid inflaming the vocal cords.