Restrict the opening of the throat Nadi so that the air touches from the throat to the chest, making a sound while passing.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika Chapter 2 verse 51
Ujjayi means rising victoriously. When practiced regularly the chest and torso remain up giving the practitioner a look of pride. This is also good for the lower back and reduces the mass around the waist line.
Ujjayi pranayama is the roots of yoga breathing techniques. It is the foundation of proper breathing and one of the most commonly practiced yoga breathing techniques.
In Ujjayi pranayama the body becomes a musical instrument. The ears and mind continually listening and fine tuning this instrument to create the perfect sounds during inhalation and exhalation.
Many yoga practitioners believe that our life is measured by the amount of breaths that are taken. For this reason Ujjayi is used to lengthen the breath and lengthen the span of life.
An unsteady breath leads to an unsteady mind therefore Ujjayi is also practiced to smoothen the flow of breath and harmonize the breathing rhythms.
Instructions
Find a comfortable seated position. Gently exhale all of the air from the lungs.
Ujjayi Stage 1
Inhale gently allowing the air to pass into the body with ease and no resistance.
Exhale make a sound with the mouth closed that sounds like "hhhhha".
Make the sound the same throughout the exhalation. This will indicate the same amount of air leaves the lungs throughout the exhalation. An uneven sound usually indicates an unsteady nervous system. This will smooth out during practice.
Resistance created by the sound slows down the breathing rate and creates a back pressure that helps keep the airways open.
Careful not to use too much force. A sound that is too loud indicates too much internal conflict. Muscles are used in the exhalation and other muscles are used in restricting the exhalation and also to create the sound. Use the muscles lightly so that the conflict of energy within is soft and pressure does not exits around the temples.
Ujjayi Stage 2
Inhale and restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth.
Exhale allowing the air to pass out of the body with ease and no resistance.
Ujjayi Stage 3
Inhale and restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth.
Exhale make a sound with the mouth closed that sounds like "hhhhha".
Ujjayi Stage 4
Inhale and gently allowing the air to pass into the body with ease and no resistance.
Pause at the top of the breath (antara kumbhaka).
Exhale and make the sound "hhhha" keeping the sound constant and smooth.
Ujjayi Stage 5
Inhale and restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth.
Pause at the top of the breath (antara kumbhaka).
Exhale allowing the air to pass out of the body with ease and no resistance.
Ujjayi Stage 6
Inhale and restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth.
Pause at the top of the breath (antara kumbhaka).
Exhale and make the sound "hhhha" keeping the sound constant and smooth.
Ujjayi Stage 7
Inhale restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth.
Exhale allowing the air to pass out of the body with ease and no resistance.
Pause at the bottom of the breath (bahya kumbhaka).
Ujjayi Stage 8
Inhale gently allowing the air to pass into the body with ease and no resistance.
Exhale and make the sound "hhhha" keeping the sound constant and smooth.
Pause at the bottom of the breath (bahya kumbhaka).
Ujjayi Stage 9
Inhale restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth.
Exhale and make the sound "hhhha" keeping the sound constant and smooth.
Pause at the bottom of the breath (bahya kumbhaka).
Ujjayi Stage 10
Inhale restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth.
Pause at the top of the breath (antara kumbhaka)
Exhale and make the sound "hhhha" keeping the sound constant and smooth.
Pause at the bottom of the breath (bahya kumbhaka)
Ujjayi Tips
Reduce the amount of pauses if at any time the heart feels strain, mind feels starved of oxygen or nerves feel out of balance. If this is not enough break the breathing pattern take a few normal breaths or a few Bhramari Breaths so that the nerves can calm and control over breath can once again be found.
