“Everything we do, everything we are, rests on our personal power. If we have enough of it, one word uttered to us might be sufficient to change the course of our lives. But if we don’t have enough personal power, the most magnificent piece of wisdom can be revealed to us and that revelation won’t make a damn bit of difference.”
Carlos Castaneda

Tales of Power

Yoga & Breath – Ujjayi Breathing

n

Now that you have some familiarity with your natural breathing we can take another step forward into Ujjayi (u-jay-ee) breathing. The core idea with Ujjayi basic is to create a mechanism by which you can control and manipulate the structure of your own breathing. You can think of Ujjayi technique as a valve in the throat which regulates the flow of breath. Without using the valve your breath flows freely within the fully capacity permitted by your phyiscality – the size of your windpipe. In Ujjayi breathing we use musculature to narrow that pipe down so that the passage of air is more constricted – we close the valve a bit. How much we close it effects the flow of breath.

How to do it? For some people it’s immediately available others require a little practice (a few attentive minutes will usually do the job) to find it. If you have ever cleaned your glasses or sunglasses using the humidity of your breath – then you know how to do it. When you hold the glasses up to your mouth and humidify them – you constrict your throat – you can tell that because you can hear a hissing sound. This is the valve we are looking to control.

To try Ujjayi breathing I would suggest you:

  1. find yourself a comfortable seated position – this can be on the floor or on a chair. You should be sitting alert, your back held upright and your eyes can be closed.
  2. Try a few times the “cleaning your glasses” technique – to get a sense of throat control. Do you notice the hissing sound? You should be able to clearly recognize the hissing sound.
  3. When you have a clear sensation of the hissing sound – purse your lips so that you are breathing in and out through your nostrils and try again. The hissing should still come from the throat. Be careful not to cheat yourself by forcing air out through your nostrils – which can create a similar sound. That is not what you are looking for. The hissing should come from the throat.
  4. Then check and make sure that your breathing is not forceful – that the Ujjayi breathing is calm and relaxed. It does not require fast or forced air-flow.
  5. The valve is a delicate control, and only small muscles in your throat are required to generate it. Check and see that other muscles in the body haven’t been recruited for the job. Have a look at your shoulders, neck, legs, feet, toes & fingers. If you find any unnecessary tensions – try to release them.

Now that you have your basic Ujjayi breathing I invite you to revisit the exercise you did in observing your natural breathing. Now you will do  it twice:

  1. Observing your natural breathing.
  2. Then observing your ujjayi breathing. I would also suggest that at first you don’t overdo the Ujjayi – it can take some getting used to. A series of 12 breaths should be a good start.
  3. Try to make a mental note of the differences between the natural breath and the ujjayi breath.
  4. If you find that you can contain 12 breaths peacefully (in your body, breath and mind) you may then start from the beginning and do this exercise another time from the beginning (natural breathing and then Ujjayi breathing).

As you practice this excercise – you should find your Ujjayi becoming steady and peaceful. The sound should be audible but not too loud. The sound should also be steady – in both volume and quality. The transitions between the inhale and exhale should be quiet and soft.

If you find that your exhale begins or ends with an “ooomph” – then you are probably pushing the inhale too hard. If you find that your inhale begins or ends  with an “ooomph” then you are pushing your exhale to much. There is a subtle Yoga lesson hiding in here – can you see it?

Coming next: breath and motion.

This entry was posted in Breath, Getting Started, Yoga. You are welcome to read 13 comments and to add yours

13 Trackbacks

  • By First Steps in Yoga | iamronen on August 11, 2009 at 3:19 am

    […] the practice, without it you are blind in tight corners (which you are very likely to encounter). Ujjayi breathing is, to the best of my knowledge, the most intimate and reliable reference for your state […]

  • […] you wish to take another step forward – you can this same practice using Ujjayi breathing – Ujjayi is a simple technique that will enable you to lengthen your breath even […]

  • By Four Parts of Breath | iamronen on August 20, 2009 at 4:19 am

    […] This series of articles is a preparation for a series on Pranayama – Yoga’s breathing practices. Before we delve into Pranayama we need to get acquainted with a few general qualities of breathing and a few personal qualities – things that are unique to every individual. This article assumes you are familiar and capable of breathing using Ujjayi technique. […]

  • By Pranayama – Nostril Control | iamronen on August 25, 2009 at 3:13 am

    […] for practicing Pranayama: being able to sit effectively and comfortably,  familiarity with Ujjayi breathing and the four parts of the breath, the tools and knowledge for timing and counting your breathing […]

  • By Anuloma Ujjayi | iamronen on August 25, 2009 at 3:46 am

    […] technique for getting started with Pranayama breathing practices. Anuloma breathing combines Ujjayi breathing, timing and counting breaths, reading a Pranayama breathing practice and nostril control […]

  • By Mind to Heart & Beyond | iamronen on September 8, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    […] postures – this exploration takes time and extends our stay in contemplation and observation. Conscious & expanded breathing, and movement which is linked to it gives us time to and space to […]

  • By Arm Placement in Yoga Asana | iamronen on November 14, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    […] Ujjayi breathing – and remain static – feel the affect of the breath on your selected position for 8 […]

  • By Yoga Asana: Apanasana | iamronen on November 17, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    […] torso and thighs), as you exhale let them come back towards the chest. Lengthen the neck and use Ujjayi breathing to create space and attention. That’s all there is to getting started with this posture. Some […]

  • By Correct Effort in Yoga Asana | iamronen on November 29, 2009 at 9:32 am

    […] pains, your feelings, your focus, etc. It quickly reflects changes even in the unconscious mind. Ujjayi breathing gives your breath a voice – the hissing sound it creates is a direct channel of information […]

  • By Alchemy of Breathing in Asana | iamronen on April 28, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    […] using Ujjayi breathing in your Asana […]

  • By A Refreshing Breathing Practice | iamronen on June 16, 2010 at 3:28 pm

    […] For this practice you will need a place to sit, a few quiet minutes and familiarity with Ujjayi breathing: […]

  • By Just Ujjayi | iamronen on November 2, 2010 at 7:41 am

    […] practice. I was thankful to my body for remembering how to sit properly. All I did was a little Ujjayi breathing (I did not have access to the quality of breath I am used to in my Pranayama practices). […]

  • By Practicing Pranayama with Congestion | iamronen on April 6, 2011 at 9:43 am

    […] usual (there are rare days where the congestion is too much to practice anything other then basic ujjayi breathing) and as a result the breath doesn’t flow as consistently and smoothly as I know it can. My […]

Leave a Reply