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Home > ocean breath

The Elusive Ocean-Sounding Breath

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January 31, 2017 by mint-sk

Ujjayi pranayama, the “victorious breath,” is an essential component of vinyasa yoga.  You may know it by its distinctive ocean-like sound. Here are some tips on how to achieve the ujjayi breath:

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  • First, to get a sense of the constriction that must occur in the back of your throat to achieve the ocean-sounded breath, hold your hand up in front of your mouth and blow on your palm as if you’re trying to fog a mirror. Now try this concept, but with the mouth closed.
  • The ujjayi breath uses the nostrils only; the mouth is not opened during ujjayi pranayama.
  • The constriction that creates the ocean sound should be in place during the in-breath, and the out-breath.
  • The flow of your breath should be even; the length of your inhale should, ideally, match your exhale.
  • On your inhale, think of filling your lungs from the bottom to the top, and then emptying them fully on the exhale.
  • Don’t strain! A loud-sounding breath is not necessarily a more successful ujjayi breath. There should still be ease behind your breathing. Particularly labored breathing is counter-productive.

Breathing in this way facilitates expansion of energy and deeper meditation.  It also helps activate the diaphragm, which is crucial for deep-breathing.  You can learn more about ujjayi pranayama and other yogic breathing strategies in Refining the Breath, Pranayama:  The Art of the Awakened Breath, by Doug Keller (2009).

Reading about yoga is a great way to learn more about the practice, but taking a class is a great way to explore the practice “in-action” under the tutelage of a trained yoga instructor; check out MINT’s yoga offerings, here.

Ashley Binetti received her 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training at Saraswatis’s Yoga Joint in Norwalk, CT in 2011. Her favorite pose is Triangle.  When she’s not doing yoga, Ashley works as a nonprofit attorney.  She is also a MINT Ambassador.
Ashley Binetti received her 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training at Saraswatis’s Yoga Joint in Norwalk, CT in 2011. Her favorite pose is Triangle. When she’s not doing yoga, Ashley works as a nonprofit attorney. She is also a MINT Ambassador.

Filed Under: Club News, Health & Wellness Tagged With: balance, dc yogis, health, ocean breath, strength, wellness, yoga, yogis

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