How to Practice Ujjayi Pranayama?

You might have heard the phrase ‘Ujjayi pranayama’, or ‘ujjayi breath’, spoken by a yoga teacher in class. It’s not always easy to get your head around breathing techniques when they’re taught quickly at the beginning of a yoga practice — so we’ve put together this simple guide to help you understand and experiment with ujjayi breath.

What Is Ujjayi Pranayama?

Ujjayi is usually translated from Sanskrit as ‘victorious’. And that’s a good description of how ujjayi breath feels: it is audible with a steady, flowing sound, and gives a sense of being proud of your existence in this body, with the confidence to take up space.

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (if you never checked this book, you should check it for knowing all the yoga secrets ;)), it’s written that ujjayi breath should be dirga (long) and suksma (smooth).

These long, smooth breaths are taken through the nose, while the back of the throat is slightly closed; so those nose breaths become louder.

Some teachers tell students to “sound like Darth Vader.” Some say “make a sound like waves of the ocean,” and personally, I often ask students to work on making a ‘Haaaa’ sound on the inhale and exhale, but with the mouth closed. 

Ujjayi breath is used for the duration of a yoga practice — particularly if you’re practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa, Vinyasa flow or other dynamic styles, but it’s used in gentler forms of yoga too.

What Are the Benefits?

Ujjayi pranayama, when practiced effectively, serves as a thread that ties the entirety of a yoga practice together.

The sound of the breath becomes your guide: because you can hear and feel when the breath is steady and long, and you can hear when it starts to become short or labored.

That can be a signal reminding you to dial your practice back and reconnect breath to movement.

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Once you’ve got the hang of this breathing technique, it does a number of important things:

• Creates and maintains heat, and helps to sustain a consistent energetic level from the first to the last breath of your practice

• Focuses the mind on the practice — improving concentration and enhancing awareness. If you are trying to have an orgasm during your practice, that will help you ;).

• Increases strength and endurance. Practicing yoga with ujjayi breath feels very different from practicing without it, both in your mind (giving you the support to hold postures), and in your body (settling the nervous system, which helps to minimize feelings of uncertainty or panic when you encounter a challenging posture or flow)

• Allows you to focus and direct the breath to particular areas when needed, creating a sensation of stability and steadiness. And also to release emotions and traumas.

Don’t worry if you don’t experience any of the above when you first start working with ujjayi pranayama. It takes time to integrate breath with movement and asana — but when it clicks, your practice will expand into new depths.

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Are there any Risks?

Ujjayi breath is a safe pranayama practice for most people, but there are a few things to be aware of.

Students should avoid practicing ujjayi if they:

• Are pregnant. This is because of ujjayi pranayama’s the heat-building effect, it’s generally advised to avoid high body temperatures while pregnant.

• Feel dizzy or sick when working with ujjayi. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should never practice this breathing technique again, but if you notice it makes you feel unwell, return to a natural breath.

• Have recently had a migraine, or feel a migraine coming on

Any students with existing heart conditions should seek their physician’s advice before practicing ujjayi breath.

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How do You Do it?

To get used to the sensations of ujjayi pranayama, start by practicing it in a comfortable seated position, rather than during a yoga class.

• Find your comfortable seat. Ideally, the hips are higher than the knees. You can sit on a block, bolster, or a couple of cushions if you need to. A chair is fine too. Sit tall, shoulders over hips, and base of the skull lifted — so the chin is just slightly tucked in towards the chest and the back of the neck is long.

• Close your eyes and take a few easy, natural breaths.

• On an exhale, open the mouth and make an audible, breathy and long ‘Haaaaaa’ sound. Inhale normally through the nose. Repeat five times.

• Repeat again, but this time, close the mouth in the middle of the exhale, but continue to make the ‘Haaaa’ sound with the mouth closed. That’s the sound of ujjayi — with a slight constriction at the back of the throat caused by the ‘Haaa’. Repeat five times.

• Try doing the same on the inhale. This is usually more difficult to begin with; but again, make the ‘Haaaa’ sound five times with the mouth open on each inhale, then begin to close the mouth halfway through.

• Finally, do this with the mouth closed for the entire inhale and exhale. Over time, the ‘Haaaa’ can become less pronounced, but it’s a useful way to practice the muscular technique in the throat and mouth that allows you to develop a strong and steady ujjayi breath.

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It might not work right away. Practice, and when you feel ready, start to introduce movement by lifting the arms and stretching up with each inhale, and then folding forward with each exhale.

Still doesn’t make sense? Don’t let it become a stress in your practice or life. This breathing technique often begins to occur naturally, without effort, after months or years of practice. Try not to force it.

Breathe deep and be well.

In a Sufi Festival, Breath in & Breath all put
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Namaste,


Aviv

My favorites:

Sport Fruit Infuser Water Bottle

Sugarmat- my favorite travel mat

Crystal Water Bottle - Rose Quartz

Related:

5 Reasons You Can’t Hear Your Intuition

What a Traditional 7-Day Ayurvedic Detox Looks Like- journey toward healing - Part 2

WHAT IS PANCHAKARMA? + MY PERSONAL PANCHAKARMA STORY DURING MY TRIP TO INDIA PART 1

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Matcha- which one you should buy & a matcha recipe

I am a believer in a higher grade matcha. There is a very big difference between the different matcha brands and grades. The ceremonial grade is amazing- the taste is phenomenal and it has a better “mental high” and a higher l-theanine content so better for sleep. This one is great JAS

If you have culinary grade matcha you can use it in lattes and smoothies and tonics but I do not recommend using it on its own because most brands taste subpar. In a herbal concoction, it can be a good tea option. This is a good middle-grade Japanese matcha.

Just recently I purchased a new one which is Premium Grade- that is in between ceremonial and culinary grade and I love it!!!! It is crisp and green and delicious-  SENCHA MATCHA 

Watch this before you decide which matcha to buy and where you gonna drink it. Really important to know if the leaves are effected by Fukushima radiation.

VEGAN MATCHA LATTE

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 tsp matcha powder 

• 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or stevia to taste // more or less to preference + depending on sweetness of macadamia and coconut milk)

• 1 Tbsp hot water

• 3/4 cup light coconut milk 

• 3/4 cup macadamia nut milk  (or other type of milk)

• 1/4 tsp maca root powder 

Instructions

1. Add matcha powder to your serving mug along with sweetener of choice and hot water. (If adding add-ins like maca,  add at this time.)
2. Whisk with a bamboo whisk or a metal whisk until completely dissolved. If you don’t have a bamboo whisk, you can use a spoon or a metal whisk or even blend the latte in a blender. Bamboo whisks are gentle on the matcha and also help it dissolve more completely. So if you like matcha, I recommend investing! Otherwise, use what you have.
3. Once the matcha is completely dissolved, heat* your coconut and macadamia milk (or other dairy-free milk). you can heat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot and steamy.
4. Pour dairy-free milk into your mug. Taste and add more sweetener if needed. I found that, when I used the macadamia nut milk, I only needed a bit of maple syrup or stevia to sweeten. Enjoy immediately.

Bon appetit 🤍

Aviv

Related:

For  a morning Acai Bowl the way I like it, check this post: https://mynameisaviv.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-morning-acai-bowl.html

For a recipe of an amazing  easy Chia seed pudding, check this post: https://mynameisaviv.blogspot.com/2019/12/eeast-chia-seed-pudding-recipe.html

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My favorites:

NATURAL ORGANIC BAMBOO STRAWS

Coconut Bowls

Essential Oil Air Mist Diffuser

Breath is life

"Prana, the vital breath, is born of

the Self. Like a person and his

shadow, the Self and the Prana are

inseparable. Prana enters the body

at birth, so the desires of the mind,

continuing from past lives can be fulfilled."

PRANA UPANISHAD

@primavera.yoga  Lev Hamidbar, Israel

There is a well-known saying that "breath is life." When the breathing process ceases, life is quickly extinguished; yet people take breathing very much for granted. When a baby is born, the first breath is vital. If there is any obstacle or delay, the child will die. At the other end of life, the last breath marks the individual's departure to another dimension. Between the points of birth and death, there is constant breathing, which in most people are totally unconscious.

The Yoga teachings stress the supreme importance of breath. According to ancient Yogic texts, the average healthy adult takes 21,600 breaths during the course of a complete day and night. This means an overall average of fifteen breaths per minute, or one breath every four seconds. In fact, a person generally breathes less frequently when at rest and more rapidly during extreme exertion.

Love-making produces an increase in the rate of breathing, comparable to the effect of a hard run or prolonged jogging. A particularly energetic burst of love-making creates all the physical symptoms of an athletic breakthrough; the heart pounds and the blood rushes through the veins. Eastern mystic teachings stress the value of prolonged lovemaking in conjunction with deep and controlled breathing.

According to Yogic tradition, life expectancy is linked to the frequency of breathing. This certainly seems to be true of reptiles and mammals; the tortoise breathes very slowly and lives long, whereas the mouse breathes fast and has a very short life. According to the Gheranda Samhita, a Yogic sourcebook of the medieval period, "By decreasing the frequency of breath, there takes place an increase of life energy; by increasing the breathing rate, life energy is decreased."

Another important Hindu text, the Shiva Samhita, states: "The body of the person practicing the regulation of breath becomes harmoniously developed, emits sweet scent, and becomes strong and beautiful. The wise practitioner surely destroys all his Karma, whether acquired in this life or in the past, through the regulation of breath." Many Yogis devote themselves exclusively to gaining conscious control of the breathing function, believing that by doing so, they can become masters of their destiny.

Right now, without changing your normal breathing, place one hand on the region of the abdomen, just below the solar plexus. See whether your breathing reaches down that far and notice whether the abdomen is distended on completion of inhalation. Natural breathing should work this way, with the lower region protruding as the breath is drawn in and contracting as it is expelled. However, most people breathe contrary to a natural way. Generally, the breath is drawn in only to the region of the chest. Also, many people breathe only through the mouth, instead of through the nose, and under physical exertion, they pant through the open mouth. The long-term effect of such breathing is a loss of the ability to concentrate, physical debility and heart trouble.

Tantric teachings declare that if lovers breathe in an unnatural way and exert themselves excessively, there is a real danger of premature aging, impotence, inability to climax, emotional and mental problems, as well as general physical debility. Both Tantric and Taoist texts emphasize that love-breathing should preferably be deep, from the diaphragm, through the nose, with the consciousness focused on the assimilation and retention of life energy.

How to breathe correctly?

First, be aware of the natural division of the breathing process. It has three parts: the in-breath, the retention, and the out-breath. The in-breath should be natural and never forced; air should flow into the body as a result of the expansion of the abdomen. When the breath is retained, the lower part of the body should take the shape of a pot; the Yoga term for this is kumbhak, meaning "container." The retention of breath is the point of greatest potency. During this period the inhaled air is partly absorbed by the lungs, vitalizing the whole body. The out-breath or exhalation rids the system of waste and surplus products. 

Tantric teachings advise that during inhalation one should imagine oneself absorbing the life-giving energies of Brahma (Brahma is said to be the creator of the whole universe). During retention, one should focus on extracting the life force of the air and circulating it through the whole body. During exhalation one should imagine all negativity, physical ailments or tension leaving the body and returning to the earth for purification.

These three parts of the breathing process should interact smoothly, without any harsh or jerky movements. Furthermore, one should cultivate mental awareness of the movement of breath in and out of the body. It is the conscious retention of breath that is the most crucial element. Conscious breath retention strengthens the circulation and reinforces the subtle connections among all parts of the body.

the yoga helps me to go back to my breath and feel it deeper in every movement

The healing Breath

The complete breath—conscious inhalation, retention, and exhalation—is the first step toward using the breathing function as a means of Liberation. Having established a healthy and harmonious pattern of breath, one can then advance to specific breathing rhythms. The healing breath, for example, a ratio of inhalation to retention is 1:4:2, retention lasting four times as long as inhalation, and exhalation lasting twice as long as inhalation. 

The in-breath establishes the measure for determining the other two time periods. At first, make the period of inhalation slightly longer than normal and proportion the periods of retention and exhalation accordingly. Then gradually increase the measure of inhalation, adjusting to it the periods of the other parts. The result of this practice is a slowing down of the breathing process, which relaxes and heals both body and mind. 

Never practice the technique of the healing breath to the point of physical strain. If you feel dizzy or tired, or if your heart starts beating rapidly, you are overdoing the practice, so make it easier. The aim of all Yogic breathing exercises is, ultimately, the prolongation of retention, which leads to supernormal powers and the "burning up" of all Karmas. 

I love the energy of the desert @primavera.yoga

Breath and Tantra

Any couple wishing to experience the ecstasies of Tantric love should first develop the complete breath until it becomes totally natural. Then the healing breath should be practiced, so the vital and subtle channels of the body are purified and strengthened. This prevents physical or emotional damage from the high intensity and energy levels of Tantric love.

One of the most important aspects of sexual union is the sharing of a breathing experience, for emotions are directly linked to the breath. True physical love produces a total convergence of the breath rhythms of the couple. This experience holds the key to tremendous power. Various other breathing techniques are also helpful in preparing a couple for Tantric lovemaking. One secret technique, known as the Crow-beak, consists of rolling the sides of the tongue inward and protruding it slightly, all the while inhaling air through the tongue and letting it fill the "pot" of the lungs and lower diaphragm. Retain for as long as possible and then exhale through both nostrils. According to the Shiva Samhita, "When a person drinks air through the Crow-beak at both the times of early morning and evening twilight, all diseases or physical weaknesses are destroyed. This practice leads to the powers of clairvoyance and other miraculous abilities."😊

For a video that explain Crow-beak breath click here. (try it also alone).

Prana and Apana

Yoga traditions constantly refer to a fivefold division of breath, called Prana (life force). It is said that just as a king employs officials to rule over the different portions of his kingdom, so the original Prana contains four other Pranas, each assigned to rule over a specific bodily function. Of these five subtle breaths, the original Prana, which is upward moving, and the Apana, which is downward moving, are particularly important. Tantric Yoga aims to reverse the flow of these two life currents, causing them to combine and bring about a total transformation of the psycho-organism.

@primavera.yoga

Exercise
-Imagine the air entering through the nostrils as if it were a fluid less dense than water.  Draw it into the body by creating a pot shape in the lower abdomen. 

-When the process of inhalation is complete, switch to the retention and imagine that all the bodily openings (ears, eyes, nose, mouth, anus, etc.) are sealed. Imagine the air dividing into five parts, taking on the nature of the Five Great Elements (space, air, fire, water, and earth) and nourishing the different parts of the body.  During the period of conscious retention try to extract only the best parts of the inhaled breath. 

-Then switch to exhalation and imagine all impurities, negativities, or physical ailments leaving the body and returning to the earth for regeneration. 💗




Breath control is vital to the correct practice of Tantric or Taoist love-techniques. Breathing exercises should never be practiced immediately after a meal or after heavy exertion. Generally, it is best to introduce conscious awareness of breathing into your life gradually. Don't be afraid of the power of breath; rather, learn to use it carefully. With the breath as your ally, ecstasy is within the reach of you and your partner.


If you want to know more or if you have a question, please write to me in the comment below. Soon I will write a new post about other types of Pranayama breathing techniques that you can try.





Namaste 🤍

Aviv

:My favorites

Sport Fruit Infuser Water Bottle

Sugarmat- my favorite travel mat

Crystal Water Bottle - Rose Quartz

:Related

5 Reasons You Can’t Hear Your Intuition

Matcha- which one you should buy & a matcha recipe

Say hi on social:

Instagram: @primavera.yoga

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVnAtBA53fXpqFMoeiuifLA?view_as=subscriber

Facebook: primavera.yoga