ujjayi breath, also known as ‘victorious’ breath, may have been the first type pranayama (breathwork) that you were introduced to during yoga. Although often described by teachers as a beginner-friendly practice, Ujjayi still causes confusion.
Sometimes not enough instruction is given, as when teachers simply advise to “tap into your Ujjayi breathing” before the Sun Salutation. Perhaps teachers assume students already know… or it may be difficult to demonstrate the subtle sound of Ujjayi in a way that a room full of students can hear.
Still, it’s useful to know how to do it. Ujjayi has powerful effects, says Sundar Balasubramanian, PhD, yoga therapist, associate professor at MUSC and founder of Pranascience Institute. These benefits – ranging from relaxation to connecting with the deepest parts of yourself – make Ujjayi a technique that can improve not only your yoga practice, but also your life.
5 Reasons to Practice Ujjayi Breathing
So why breathe this way at all? Some effects of Ujjayi are physical, while others are more subtle.
1. It requires a *just right* amount of concentration
Some types of breathwork require counting breaths Mudras (sacred hand positions). But Ujjayi keeps it simple. This makes it possible to practice it as you move through poses. Granted, it does require some concentration to create its unique sound, but not so much that you feel like you’re going to fall out of Tree Pose.
2. It allows you to really listen to your breathing
Yoga teachers often encourage students to tune into their breathing. Ujjayi makes that easy by making your breath audible. You may hear the soft, rushing sound of your inhalations and exhalations and notice if your breathing is interrupted in some way. It’s a do-it-yourself version of biofeedback, giving you real-time data on how much effort you’re putting into your poses and telling you when you might need to take it easier.
3. It creates a relaxing effect
While some types of pranayama are known to energize or bring balance, the effects of Ujjayi are greater relaxing and restorative. Focusing on a repeated sound, such as the ebb and flow of the ocean, can be soothing, and Ujjayi’s wave-like sound is a similar meditative focal point.
“When you constrict the throat, you activate the vagus nerve endings in the neck area,” explains Balasubramanian. That, along with the deep, slow breathing that Ujjayi promotes, changes on the parasympathetic nervous system– the one responsible for relaxation, he says. In fact, exercising regularly can help you experience less stress and tension and more peace. For these reasons, Ujjayi’s relaxing effects make it ideal for meditation and quiet sitting, as well as for calming yourself in any situation.
4. It serves as a strength training for breathing
The gentle constriction of the throat in Ujjayi functions as resistance training for the respiratory muscles, including the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. They need to apply a little more pressure than normal during Ujjayi to inhale and exhale, Balasubramanian explains. This work can make ‘normal’ breathing feel easier.
5. It activates the throat chakra
In the yoga tradition it is also believed that drawing the vocal folds together, as you do in Ujjayi, activates the throat chakra (Vishuddha chakra) and paving the way for clear, truthful speech and communication.
How to perform Ujjayi breathing
To find that wave-like sound, Balasubramanian recommends one of these go-to techniques:
- Hold your flat palm like a mirror a few inches away from your mouth and exhale through your mouth as if you were trying to fog it up. Lower your hand and on your next exhalation try to make the same sound with your mouth closed. Then try to breathe through your nose and make this sound when inhaling and exhaling.
- Sigh through your mouth and make a soft, rushing sound. While you are in the middle of that sigh, close your mouth and continue to exhale. You can even continue to exhale, but switch to breathing through your nose. Breathe in through your nose and try to make the same sound as at the beginning of the sigh.
- Say the “h” sound as in “home” or “happy.” Continue making the ‘h’ sound as you close your mouth. Make the same sound as you continue to inhale and exhale through your nose.
To make this pranayama low-stress, remember that you don’t have to force it. Initially, Ujjayi is easier to find during the exhalations. As you become more comfortable with it, you can also practice it on the inhalations.
“Sometimes beginners create a sound similar to snoring when they inhale,” says Balasubramanian. To prevent this, he recommends relaxing the tongue and throat – and lots of practice.
You also don’t have to waste energy making your Ujjayi breathing loud enough for anyone else in the room to hear. “If you can hear the sound, that’s enough,” says Balasubramanian. It also doesn’t matter how long each breath lasts. “Just practice and then see where the breath goes, and pay attention to the sound,” he says.
Although Ujjayi is subtle muscle work, it can still feel strenuous, Balasubramanian explains. So it’s important not to overdo it. For example, if your yoga practice becomes physically demanding, you may start to breathe faster than Ujjayi allows. Even a slight constriction at the back of the throat slows air intake, and persisting in Ujjayi can cause feelings of tension or shortness of breath. When in doubt, go back to breathing in a way that is natural and easy. Or reduce your yoga practice so you can keep Ujjayi going if that’s your priority.
When should you practice Ujjayi breathing?
In principle you can always contact Ujjayi, both in yoga and in life.
Balasubramanian practices Ujjayi before bedtime to help him fall asleep easily. He also suggests it as a power nap equivalent. “If you are a bit tired and don’t have time, or don’t want to take a nap for any reason, just set the timer, sit down, do 10 minutes of Ujjayi and you’ll wake up refreshed,” he says.
He also encourages his yoga students to notice its effects on them. “For me, pranayama is not just a breathing exercise,” he says. “Pranayama is a practice of to look your breathing and its effects. That’s the most important part.”
Depending on how you respond to Ujjayi breathing, it can serve other purposes in your life. For example, you may find that it clears your mind in the morning for the day ahead, or that practicing it in a stressful environment helps ground you. It’s up to you to use it as you wish.
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