Pranayama Practice: Ujjayi
/
Pranayama
At the heart of Yoga is Patanjali’s Ashtanga (ashta = 8, anga = limb or path) or 8 Fold Path, sometimes referred to as the 8 Limbs of Yoga. The 8 Limbs are:
Yamas - Rules of Social Conduct: nonviolence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), non-clinging/non-grasping (apraigraha), control of sexual energy (brahmacharya)
Niyamas - Rules of Personal Behavior: contentment (santosha), purity/cleanliness (saucha), self-study/study of sacred texts (svadhyaya), self-discipline (tapas), surrender to God (Ishvara pranidhana)
Asanas - Physical Postures
Pranayama - Control of Prana or Control of the Vital Life Force
Pratyahara - Control of the Senses
Dharana - Control of the Mind or Right Attention
Dhyana - Meditation
Samadhi - Absorption of Personal Consciousness (buddhi) with Cosmic Consciousness (mahat)
There are many forms of pranayama in Ayurveda. Some increase lunar energy like Adham Pranayama. While others increase solar energy like Kapalabhati Pranayama or Bhastrika Pranayama. Finally there are pranayama practices that balance both the lunar and solar energies like Nadi Shodana Pranayama, Bhramari Pranayama, or Ujjayi Pranayama which we will discuss in this post.
In Ayurveda, pranayama is used as a treatment or chikitsa and depends on the dosha of the person and/or their current imbalances. Ujjayi pranayama is balancing for all dosha and doshic imbalances, therefore, it can be practiced by all people. This form of pranayama is most commonly practiced in yoga classes and is often the basis for other forms of pranayama. This is one of the simplest forms of pranayama, so it can be easily learned and easily practiced.
Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath)
Ujjayi Pranayama is also known as “victorious breath.” To practice this breathing technique follow these steps or listen to our audio recording of how to practice Ujjayi Pranayama:
Sit comfortably with your hips elevated on a pillow to help keep your spine straight.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras he says that ujjayi breathing should be both long (dirga) and smooth (suksma), so don’t struggle or strain the breath.
You practice ujjayi pranayama by inhaling and exhaling through the nose. However, when you are first learning to practice ujjayi, you can use the mouth for the inhales and exhales until you are comfortable with the breathing technique and then you should only practice via the nostrils.
There should be a slight constriction in the back of the throat when you practice this form of pranayama. Some people affectionately call this the “darth vader breath,” because of the sound it makes when you practice ujjayi breathing.
If this is your first time practicing ujjayi pranyama, inhale through your mouth and then exhale through your mouth, imagining there is a mirror in front of your mouth and you are trying to fog up the mirror with your breath. You will notice there is an ocean wave sound as you do this. Now as you inhale, make that same sound by constricting the back of your throat as you inhale. Do this a few more times through the mouth.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you should inhale and exhale through the nose when practicing ujjayi pranayama.
There isn’t a specific amount of time someone should practice ujjayi pranayama. In fact in a yoga class, you would aim to do ujjayi breathing throughout the whole class. This can be difficult, but it is something that can be accomplished through dedication, repetition and practice. Remember “progress not perfection.”
Music by Fried Coffee.
“According to the Vedas, the prana within the human body corresponds to the sun in the external world. Just as the sun revolves around the sky, so prana revolves through the channel systems of the body and mind. Just as the sun measures time externally, so prana controls it internally. Therefore, the key to the movement of our lives and to taking us beyond the limit of time lies in our ability to control our prana. Just as learning to harness solar energy can transform the external world, so the development of pranic energy is the key to internal transformation.”