Ujjayi Pranayama | Yoga Breathing Techniques
What is Pranayama?
Pranayama is a set of scientifically formulated yoga breathing exercises. It is a series of yoga breathing techniques, with the main purpose of meeting the body’s special needs and keeping it vibrant and healthy.
‘Pranayama’ is made up of the following Sanskrit words:
Prana which means ‘life energy’ or ‘life force’
Yama which means ‘control’ or ‘discipline’
Ayama which means ‘extension’, ‘expansion’ or ‘non-restraint’
It can thus be translated to mean the science of breath control or techniques, which opens up our inner life forces.
What is the benefit of Pranayama?
During the process of respiration, we breathe in oxygen, which then travels to all the organs of our body and energizes them. Then we breathe out carbon dioxide, which eliminates the toxic wastes of our body. The correct balance of breath helps us to sustain our ‘prana’.
But when we live a stressful life, our respiration undergoes an imbalance. Our breathing becomes fast and shallow, with the result that the intake of oxygen is less. It is thus insufficient to meet the requirements of the body organs, with the result that various complications such as fatigue, sleep disorders or heart disease may follow. Less intake of oxygen also means that we have less ‘prana’ in our body. It is here that Pranayama comes in useful, as it balances the oxygen, energy and life forces in our body.
What is Ujjayi Pranayama?
The ancient texts of yoga mention about 70 types of pranayama. Out of these, Ujjayi Pranayama is a vital one. Ujjayi Pranayama is a form of yoga breathing which teaches us to open our lungs to the fullest.
Ujjayi can be divided into two Sanskrit words ‘Ut’ or ‘ud’ + ‘Jayi’, where ‘ut’ means upward or expanding, and ‘jayi’ means victorious or successful. That is why Ujjayi Pranayama is also called Victorious Breath, where the lungs are fully expanded like a mighty conqueror.
It is sometimes called ‘Ocean Sounding Breath’ because when you practice it, a friction of air is created in the throat, leading to a sound which comes out like a gentle snore or a soft hissing.
Techniques of Ujjayi breathing:
Ujjayi Pranayam benefits:
Pranayama is a set of scientifically formulated yoga breathing exercises. It is a series of yoga breathing techniques, with the main purpose of meeting the body’s special needs and keeping it vibrant and healthy.
‘Pranayama’ is made up of the following Sanskrit words:
Prana which means ‘life energy’ or ‘life force’
Yama which means ‘control’ or ‘discipline’
Ayama which means ‘extension’, ‘expansion’ or ‘non-restraint’
It can thus be translated to mean the science of breath control or techniques, which opens up our inner life forces.
What is the benefit of Pranayama?
During the process of respiration, we breathe in oxygen, which then travels to all the organs of our body and energizes them. Then we breathe out carbon dioxide, which eliminates the toxic wastes of our body. The correct balance of breath helps us to sustain our ‘prana’.
But when we live a stressful life, our respiration undergoes an imbalance. Our breathing becomes fast and shallow, with the result that the intake of oxygen is less. It is thus insufficient to meet the requirements of the body organs, with the result that various complications such as fatigue, sleep disorders or heart disease may follow. Less intake of oxygen also means that we have less ‘prana’ in our body. It is here that Pranayama comes in useful, as it balances the oxygen, energy and life forces in our body.
What is Ujjayi Pranayama?
The ancient texts of yoga mention about 70 types of pranayama. Out of these, Ujjayi Pranayama is a vital one. Ujjayi Pranayama is a form of yoga breathing which teaches us to open our lungs to the fullest.
Ujjayi can be divided into two Sanskrit words ‘Ut’ or ‘ud’ + ‘Jayi’, where ‘ut’ means upward or expanding, and ‘jayi’ means victorious or successful. That is why Ujjayi Pranayama is also called Victorious Breath, where the lungs are fully expanded like a mighty conqueror.
It is sometimes called ‘Ocean Sounding Breath’ because when you practice it, a friction of air is created in the throat, leading to a sound which comes out like a gentle snore or a soft hissing.
Techniques of Ujjayi breathing:
- Sit comfortably with your spine erect.
- Inhale slowly and deeply with both your nostrils. Inhale in such a way that the air touches the back of your throat and the friction produces a low, hissing sound.
- There is no need to expand your chest. Take care that your abdomen does not bulge out.
- Now exhale slowly and smoothly, without breaking the hissing sound. Keep your abdomen steady. As you exhale, your chest should go inside.
- Repeat a few times.
Ujjayi Pranayam benefits:
- It slows down the heart rate and lowers blood pressure.
- It strengthens and expands the lungs and improves the functioning of the respiratory system. It is thus beneficial for those with lung diseases like asthma and tuberculosis.
- Ujjayi breath has remarkable cleansing properties. It aids better elimination of toxins from the body, and helps to keep us disease-free.
- It helps to release stress and relaxes our body and mind. This leads to greater serenity, concentration and self control.