Ujjayi breathing benefits

are many and one of these benefits is expulsion of certain toxins from your body. Ujjayi, also called “victorious breath” or “ocean breath” is a form of loud breathing. This is one type of breathing normally used while performing yogasanas (yoga postures). Following are some of the Ujjayi breathing benefits.

Health benefits of Ujjayi breathing

• Mental awareness

  : Ujjayi breathing improves mindfulness and mental awareness. This is the reason why it is used while practicing yogasanas. A part of practicing this breathing involves producing a sound while exhaling. Concentrating on your breath and sound of the breath improves your focus. It also helps in removing negative thoughts confusion from your mind.

• Relaxation

  : apart from removing negative thoughts from your mind, this breathing technique also helps you relax. As your awareness increases, your mind calms down your body and mind releasing stress and tension.

• Warm-up

  : During this breathing, you take long and continuous breath and your belly is contracted inwards. The friction which is created while the air passes through your lungs and throat causes mild heat in your body. This provides a form of internal massage and a soothing sensation. In fact, for performing various asanas, it is ideal that the body should be warmed up. This breathing technique provides that internal warmth.

• Thyroid cure

  : Ujjayi breathing technique is known to help in curing thyroid, bronchitis and certain other throat related problems. The effect is said to be better if you focus on your throat area while performing this technique.

• Other

  : Ujjayi type of breathing is known to cure other problems such as snoring, tonsil, cold, cough and asthma while strengthening your nervous and digestive system. It is also known to be very useful for the health of your heart.

Many yoga practitioners consider this form of breathing as the best form of pranayama especially due to the

Ujjayi breathing benefits

of curing thyroid and other throat related problems.

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your spine erect.
2. Inhale through both the nostrils slowly and deeply.
3. Press right nostril with the right thumb and retain the breath for a while.
4. Exhale through both the nostrils concentrating at the throat area and producing a humming sound. The sound will resemble the buzzing of a bee. The exhalation should be slower than the inhalation.
5. Repeat for at least 9 times.

Practicing this pranayama helps in improving the clarity of your speech, boosts the brain functioning, calms the mind, relieves from depression and is useful for hypertension.

While practicing this pranayama, use your thumb to close the right nostril and the ring and the little finger to close left nostril. Fold your index and middle finger inside the palm of your hand. Close the right nostril and inhale through the left nostril. Exhale through the right nostril by blocking the left nostril. Hold the inhaled breath as long as possible before exhaling. Repeat for 9 rounds.

Pranayama opens up and purifies the energy channels called “nadi”. The right nostril is the path of the pingala nadi. Here inhalation is done through the right nostril and exhalation through the left. While inhaling through the right nostril, heat is generated in the body and all the impurities are dispelled.

Using your thumb, close the right nostril; use the ring and the little finger to close the left nostril.  Fold your index and middle finger inside the palm of your hand. Inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril. If you are a left hander, reverse this posture. Repeat the practice for 9 rounds.

Caution:

• Surya bhedana pranayama should not be practiced by people suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure and epilepsy.
• It should not be performed for more than 30 minutes.
• Surya bhedana pranayama should not be practiced along with Chandra bhedana pranayama on the same day.

1. Kneel with the hands and knees on the floor. With fingers wide apart, place the hands and knees under the shoulder.
2. Spread your knees about seven inches apart.
3. While exhaling deeply, push the hips towards the ceiling.
4. Keep the legs and arms straight, hip width apart. Your body will take an inverted v shape like a downward facing dog.
5. Remain in the posture for some time. Take deep breaths and concentrate on your breath.

This yogasana should be avoided in case of pregnancy and diarrhea.   

1. Lie down on your stomach keeping your legs together.
2. Place the palm of your hands facing down, touching the floor, by the side of your shoulder.
3. As you inhale, raise you chest and head. Raise your forehead and try to look up.
4. You feel pressure on your belly and lower back.
5. Stretch your arms and raise as much as possible.
6. Breathe several times and remain in the postion for as long as you can.
7. While exhaling, come back to the original position.

Avoid practicing this asana during pregnancy and also if you are suffering from peptic ulcer, hernia or high blood pressure

1. Sit upright in any of these asanas. Bring both your hands to the back and grab the wrist of one hand with the other. With the held hands make a fist and let your hands lie on the back.
2. Take a deep breath; and while exhaling bend forward till your forehead touched the ground.
3. Hold your breath and raise your hands as high as possible.
4. Stay in this position for around 10 seconds.
5. Inhale and lower your hands. Gradually return to the initial position.
6. Remain in this position for few seconds and then begin the next round.

Yoga mudra is very beneficial for asthma patients and also for those suffering from constipation. Blood flow increases in the upper region of your body. It strengthens the digestive system and cures gastrointestinal disorders. It also corrects the disorders of spine.

1. Hatha yoga style

   is done in a slow pace and gives a good foundation for yoga practice. It aims at the harmonizing of body, mind and soul. In Sanskrit, “ha” stands for the “sun” and “tha’ stands for the “moon”. It expresses the duality in life.

2. Astanga yoga

   is an intense yoga style that is performed in a set series. There is a constant flow from one pose to the next.

3. Iyengar yoga

   is based on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. It gives emphasis on how our body should be aligned in each pose so as to get maximum benefits and avoid injury. The focus is on understanding the body and its workings. Each pose is held for a longer period of time than in other styles. In Iyengar yoga, props are also used to improve the posture and get maximum benefits.

4. Kundalini yoga style

   gives prominence to breath control. It involves rapid movements rather than staying in a particular posture for a long time. It awakens the kundalini energy at the base of the spine. It gives importance to chanting and breathing exercises.

5. Bikram yoga

   is practiced in a room with very high temperature. The body is cleansed through profused sweating.

6. The Sivananda yoga

   practice is made up of five principles: Yogasana, Pranayama, Savasana, meditation and a vegetarian diet. It introduces suryanamaskara which is a combination of 12 sun salutation poses. It is accompanied by breathing exercises and mantra chanting.

• It also helps in removing toxins from the body. So, lack of sufficient oxygen and excess of carbon dioxide builds up toxins in our body.
• Yoga and pranayama improves the breathing pattern and helps reduce stress, and improves the oxygen supply to the brain caused due to constricted breathing.
• It improves our digestive system by increasing the digestion and assimilation of food. The food gets oxygenated thus helping in the proper digestion. When the stomach gets more oxygen, it takes part in the digestion in a better manner.
• As more oxygen reaches the brain, it improves the function of the nervous system. The brain requires three times more oxygen than the rest of the body.
• It increases the efficiency of the heart, and reduces blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.
• If you have excess weight, deep breathing helps in reducing the weight. The extra oxygen burns up the excess fat.

Practicing these breathing exercises helps in improving the capacity of the lungs and increases the general breathing capacity of an individual.

 The sound begins in the throat “ah” (it is pronounced without touching any part of the pallet), and then the lips take a circular shape and come together while pronouncing “oh” (links the first and the last sound), and ends with the nasal sound “mmm” (produced by closing the lips). And according to Sanskrit grammar, when the sounds “a” and “u” join together, it becomes “o”. “O” is a diphthong that begins with “a”, and ends in “u”. The sound originates in the navel and gradually resonates in the nostrils. The chanting has to be long and equal. It should be chanted in a relaxed manner.

One should begin yogasana by chanting om. “Aum” is considered to be the origin of all sounds. It is the meeting point of the body, mind and soul; and hence its significance in the yoga practices. During meditation, the sound is concentrated and focused upon. The chanting of Om harmonizes our entire being.