How to Do Yoga Ujjayi Breath
You're in yoga class and the teacher keeps mentioning ujjayi breath, but you're thinking "How do I do this" and also "What is it for?" Here are steps to engage your own ujjayi breath and to learn about its importance.
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Instructions
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Engaging the Ujjayi
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Ujjayi is a pranayama, a breathing technique that helps you deepen your breath and lengthen your poses in yoga. First, you will sit in a comfortable seated position. Then, take slow smooth breaths in and out of your nose.
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From here, close off a little space at the back of your throat. This will make the breath audible. It may be uncomfortable at first but the sound will actually, in time, be soothing. Continue to breath in and out of your nose.
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Lengthen your inhales and exhales. Count as you inhale and exhale. At first you may be at the count of 2 for each but there are known practitioners who take one breath a minute! That means, they are counting to 30 on the inhale and 30 on the exhale. Continue to lengthen the inhales and exhales and listen to the variations of the sound.
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The sound should be like a whisper and when in a room filled with various practitioners who all are engaging their ujjayi breath, it will sound like the ocean waves.
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Now try to do a few movements with the body, starting with the ujjayi inhale and then raising your arms all the way up and overheard, then exhaling, lower your arms down to the side.
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The ultimate goal is to have the ujjayi breath become effortless. Always initiate movement with the breath.
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Tips & Warnings
Start slowly and only close off the back of the throat a tiny bit.
Only practice this breath while under the supervision of another person or a yoga instructor.
Start with the breath, then add movements.
