Pranayama Series: The Breath of Yoga
September 30, 2024
When you think of yoga what comes to mind? In many studios today, asana, the physical practice, is usually given center stage and much of the ancient practice gets pushed aside as a result. The ultimate goal of yoga is not to achieve a physical posture (although this definitely is fun) but instead, to reach a state of samadhi, a complete feeling of truth, joy, and connection to the universe. In Yoga, there is an 8 limbed path to follow in order to achieve this state of samadhi and one of these foundational limbs is the practice of breathwork, or pranayama. To achieve oneness of breath and mind, and allow the energy and life force (prana) to flow through the body and get the yoga “high” we all love, the flow and control of the breath is of utmost importance. In doing so, postures can be held mindfully and deeply, and the full benefit of asana may be achieved.
Additionally, pranayama can be done on its own in stillness and meditation and can offer many benefits to the body and mind. In this series I will delve into different styles of pranayama and how to do them, starting with Ujayi breath.
Ujayi breath: This is the commonly recognized breath in yoga and if you have taken a vinyasa class, you have probably come across this pranayama. It is the breath of victory and is effective at building heat from within the body. This breath is the anchor through asana practice; it is used to flow through the poses and keep the focus and energy on the present moment. This breath is not just effective in our physical practice, however. It can also be done in mediation to lower cortisol levels and encourage a calmer mind and nervous system. The breath is deep and even, allowing us to shift from shallow lung breath to deeper diaphragmatic breaths. Try it for five minutes in the morning to increase focus and reduce stress for the day, or for 5 minutes before bed to relax and quiet the mind.
How to do it: Sit in a comfortable seat (or lie down if you want to!). Lengthen the spine all the way to the crown and draw the chin in slightly towards the chest. If sitting, allow the knees to fall below the hips, maybe using a block or bolster to sit on. Close the eyes or soften the gaze and exhale completely. Seal the lips and breathe in through the nose. As you exhale, gently constrict the throat to make a “ha” sound, imagining your fogging up a mirror in front of you. Let the breath be light and easy as you start to fill up the body completely with breath, noticing the belly and lungs expanding. Pause for a moment at the top of the breath and then exhale back out the nose until you are completely empty with breath, maybe drawing the upper belly in to fully empty the body. Pause here for just a moment and then start the inhale. Continue to lengthen the inhales and exhales, ensuring that the breath stays even and flowing. If the breath gets choppy or shallow, step back from the breath until you are ready to try again.
Advanced Ujayi: As you continue to practice you can start to visualize the breath filling up specific parts of the body first, ideally filling the back of the body on the inhale and before filling the front body, and then exhaling from the front of the body first, followed by the back body. The pattern of breath you will eventually be able to find is to inhale into the tailbone, then side ribs, then back of the heart, followed by low belly, upper belly, heart space, throat, third eye and crown, and then exhale from low belly, upper belly, through the heart, up and over the crown and out the tail bone.
Ujayi breath has been known to reduce anxiety, regulate emotion, promote cardiovascular health, increase oxygenation of the blood, and even assist in gut issues! Whether you’re an avid yogi or someone who has never stepped foot in the studio, we can all benefit from the powerful ujjayi pranayama.”
