Ujjayi Pranayama

Ujjayi Pranayama involves a constriction of the throat. By means of this constriction a hissing sound is produced which can be utilized as a mantra to aid in keeping the mind focused during either a seated pranayama practice or in conjunction with yoga postures.

The constriction of the throat during Ujjayi assists in lengthening the breath. It does this by decreasing the area in the airway, which acts as a regulator, necessitating a greater amount of time for each exhale and inhale. The practice of Ujjayi also tends to strengthen the neck muscles and gives greater control over the diaphragm.

Learning the basic practice.

            Although Ujjayi is performed with the mouth closed, having the mouth open during initial practice allows easier constriction of the throat. Sit in any comfortable position. With the mouth open, draw the air in while whispering the sound “aaah”. Try to produce a similar sound on the exhale. After a few cycles, try to maintain the production of these sounds with the mouth closed.

            With the mouth closed the sound will not be as loud at first but the intensity will increase with practice. This is never a very loud breath. It’s quite obvious when close to someone doing the practice but not very audible from 5 or 6 feet away. Each breath should be long, controlled and smooth.

Ujjayi means victory. It is victory over the fluctuations of the mind and breath.

Ujjayi is a method of controlling the speed and volume of the breath by constricting the glottis in the throat.

Ujjayi is used in meditation by creating a single point of focus, which relaxes and tranquilizes the mind. This helps create an entry point into deep meditation.

Ujjayi is also used together with asana practice to regulate the breath and blood pressure. The effect on blood pressure occurs because there are nerve receptors on the back of the throat, which measure blood pressure in the carotid arteries. These receptors send a message to the heart telling it what level of pressure is in the arteries going to the brain. When we contract the throat in Ujjayi, we increase the perception of pressure and thereby, the heart reduces the blood pressure.

Ujjayi keeps the breath and metabolism at a steady level even as the level of exertion increases.

Ujjayi strengthen and tones the muscles of the throat, which, is good for talking and singing and can also reduce snoring.

Ujjayi creates greater intra-thoracic pressure during inhalations, which increases the suction of air into the lungs.

This creates more volume in the lungs and the  longer holding of air in the lungs increases lung capacity.

Ujjayi reduces blood pressure when used without retention and is helpful in the management of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Ujjayi is used in the treatment of spinal conditions and back pain in general. This is done by lying prone in makrasana (on your belly) and using Ujjayi breath to lengthen the spine by expanding the space between the vertebra, creating more space for nerve roots and also allowing discs to sink back in place.

Ujjayi can be used throughout the day to keep stress levels and blood pressure down.