Ujjayi Pranayama www.pranamay.co.uk & www.avani-yoga.co.uk Debbie Avani
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UjjayiPranayamawww.pranamay.co.uk&www.avani-yoga.co.uk
DebbieAvani
Index
TheBreath……………………………………………………………………………………………………………1
UnderstandingtheNatureofthebreath……………………………………………………………….2
Sympathetic&Parasympatheticnervoussystem………………………………………………...2
SamaVrittiPranayama(samelengthbreath)………………………………………………..........2
UjjayiPranayama………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
BenefitsofUjjayiPranayama………………………………………………………………………………..3
AnyQuestions……………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
TheBreath
Thebreathisintimatelyconnectedtoourlives,butmanyofusdon’tnoticethisconnectionduetoourcrazybusyschedules–howmanytimesdowesaythingslike‘wowthattookmybreathaway’.
Haveyouevernoticedhowthatdeepsighweoftentakewhenweneedtoletoffabitofsteamactuallymakesusfeel?
Thebreathistryingtotellyousomething…
Itissaying,“Ihavethepowertochangeyourlife”.
• Theancientyogisrealisedandstudiedtheintimateconnectionbetweenthebreathandthemind.Theyfoundthatwheneverthemindisagitatedthereisanimmediateeffectonthebreath.
• Theyalsofoundthatwhenthebreathiscontrolledandmadetofollowapattern,themindcalmsdown.
FromfurtherstudyandanalysistheYogisdevelopedmanybreathingtechniqueslikeUjjayi,Bhastrika,KapalbhatiandNadiSodhanaPranayama(moretutorialsforallthesepractices)-whichareverypowerfulandeffectiveinbringingcalmandpeacetoourinnerselfandbringingamajortransformationinallaspectsofourlivesfor.
Thisstatementhasenormousimplications.Sincethebreathhasonefootintheconsciousandoneinthesub-conscious-controlofthebreathhasanimmediateeffectonthesub-conscious.
Thereisnoneedtopracticecomplicatedbreathingpracticestoexperienceprofoundbenefits-someverysimpleonescanprovideinstantchangetoboostyourimmunesystemandalsotohelpalleviatethestressesofdailyliving.
Aregulardailypracticeofdeepbreathingisoneofthebesttoolsforimprovingyourhealthandwell-being.PerformingUjjayipranayamatwicedailyforonlythreetofiveminutescanproducelong-termbenefits.Youcanalsousethispractcieanytimeyouarefeelingstressedornoticethatyourbreathinghasbecomeconstricted.Bytrainingyourbodywitharegularpracticeofdeepbreathing,youwillbegintobreathemoreeffectivelyevenwithoutconcentratingonit.
“Whenyouownyourbreath,nobodycanstealyourpeace.”~unknown….
Whenthebreathwandersthemindalsoisunsteady.Butwhenthebreathiscalmedthemindtoowillbestill,andtheyogiachieveslonglife.Therefore,oneshouldlearntocontrolthebreath.~Svatmarama,HathaYogaPradipika
Breathingistheonlymajorlifeprocessinyourbodythatiscontrolledthroughboththecentralandautonomicnervoussystems.
Understandingthenatureofthebreath
TheINHALATIONhelpstokeepourbodyalert-islinkedtothesympatheticnervoussystemandourfight/flightresponse(adrenalin).
• Creativeforce• Givesrisetogrowth–expansion–energy–extension–fullness• Allowsustoembracelifefully–toreach–achieve
TheEXHALATIONhelpstorelaxthebody–islinkedtotheParasympatheticnervoussystem–andthereleaseofendorphins/dopamine
• Dissolvingforce• Allowsustoletgo–explore–torelease–surrender–tobow• Encouragesgrounding–stability
What'sthedifferencebetweenthesympatheticandparasympatheticnervoussystems?
Theautonomicnervoussystem(ANS)controlstheactivitiesoforgans,glands,andvariousinvoluntarymuscles,suchascardiacandsmoothmuscles.
TheANSconsistsoftwodivisions:
• Thesympatheticnervoussystemisinvolvedinthestimulationofactivitiesthatpreparethebodyforaction,suchasincreasingtheheartrate,increasingthereleaseofsugarfromtheliverintotheblood,andothergenerallyconsideredasfight-or-flightresponses(responsesthatservetofightofforretreatfromdanger).
• Theparasympatheticnervoussystemactivatestranquilfunctions,suchasstimulatingthesecretionofsalivaordigestiveenzymesintothestomach.
SamaVrittiPranayama–samelengthbreath
UjjayiPranayamabalancesandregulatestheinteractionbetweenthesympatheticandparasympatheticnervoussystemsbringingthebodyintoasenseofcompleteharmony.Wecancontrolthisinteractionbyregulatingthebreath.
• ThisiscalledSAMAVRITTIPRANAYAMA.
• Wecanpracticethisquitesimplybykeepingtheinhalationandtheexhalationatthesamelength…
Ujjayipranayamapracticedinthiswayhelpsyoutoconnectwiththeinnerflowofenergywithinthebody.ItslowlydissolvestheseparationbetweenyouandanyYogapostureyoumaybepracticingandindeedlifeitself.
Itbalancestheeffectofexpansionandcontraction,pushandyield,willandsurrender,extensionandrelease–andensuresourpracticedoesn’tbecomeoverlyintrovertingorextroverting.Itbringscompleteharmonyandbalancethroughmindfulaction…
UjjayiPranayama-(pronouncedoo-jai)
UJJAYIiscommonlytranslatedas“victoriousbreath,”andhasbeenusedforthousandsofyearstoenhancehathayogapractice.Itissaidtobethebreaththatbringsvictoryoveralldualities–overthemindandallthatbindsus!Alsocommonlyreferredtoasthe“oceanbreath,”thesoundthatUJJAYIprovideshelpsustosynchronizebreathwithmovementsduringYogapractice,makingtheentirepracticemorefluidandconsidered.
Itsheatingqualitiesmeanthebodybecomessupplerandbecausewehaveaninnerfocuswhilstwearepracticingitisincrediblycalmingforthemind.Italsohelpskeeptheabdomentonedandaliveduringourpracticeasittakesmoreeffortinthisareatoexpelthebreathwiththeincreasedresistanceinthethroat.
WhenwefirstbegintopracticeUJJAYItheremaybealoudoutersound–butaswedeepenourunderstanding&practicethesoundwillbecomesubtler.
BenefitsofUjjayiBreathing
UJJAYIhasabalancinginfluenceontheentirecardiorespiratorysystem,releasesfeelingsofirritationandfrustration,andhelpscalmthemindandbody.WithUJJAYI,therearesomanybenefits,providinggoodvalueforasimplepractice.
HereareafewofthemanybenefitsyoumayenjoyasaresultofpracticingtheUJJAYIbreath:
• Increasestheamountofoxygenintheblood
• Regulatesbloodpressure
• Buildsenergy
• Detoxifiesmindandbody
• Buildsinternalbodyheatallowingthebodytostretchsafely
• AfocusedUjjayibreathcanreleasetensionandtightareasofthebody.
• Improvesconcentrationinthephysicalpractice.BecomingabsorbedinUjjayiallowsthepractitionertoremaininposesforlongerperiodsoftime.
• Itdiminishesdistractionsandallowsthepractitionertoremainselfaware,presentandgroundedduringpractice.
• Ujjayitellsuswhenweneedtosurrenderintoarestingposture,asthebreathshouldremainasevenandsmoothintheposturesaswhenwerest.Itallowsustopracticehonestyinourpractice,takingastepbacktoletgoofourego.
• Allowsustopracticefulldeepbreathsduringthechallengesofaphysicalpractice.Therefore,wecanstayjustasequanimouswhenfacedwiththechallengesofourdailylives.
• Ujjayipranayamaoffersreliefofsinuspressure,decreaseinphlegm,andstrengthensthenervousanddigestivesystems.
Whenlistenedto,ourbreathcanbeourtrueteacher,guidingusinamyriadofways.Theancientyogisrealizedtheintimateconnectionbetweenthebreathandthemindandnoticedthatwhenthebreathbecamecalmthemindfollowed.EvenmorereasontopracticeUjjayiBreathing.
Enjoy!!
AnyQuestions?
Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutyourpracticepleasedonothesitatetocontactmyinthecommentsboxonthewebsitebelowthetutorialoremailme-debbie@avani-yoga.co.uk
YoursinYoga–DebbieAvani
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