9/13/2016
Ujjayi PranayamaCouple of weeks ago we learnt 'Ujjayi Pranayama' also known as the ‘victorious breath’ in class, and ever since have been contemplating on blogging some information about it and never got down to it until now.
What is ujjayi breathing and what does it do? Ujjayi is a sanskrit term which means “loud breathing”. The anatomical explanation to ujjayi breathing is that it is a type of pranayama which develops awareness while the “glottis” is partially closed. Ujjayi breathing (activating the glottis) has been used in ashtanga yoga for thousands of years. It generates heat and by doing so, releases built-up toxins from both the body and mind. How to do Ujjayi breathing? · sit in a comfortable meditative posture. Keep your spine elongated to help your “prana” or your breath, run down your spine smoothly. · take deep inhalations and deeper exhalations few times, until you attain a steady rhythm. · keeping your mouth closed, gently constrict the glottis muscles in the back of your throat (the muscles you use when you whisper) and continue your inhalations and exhalations and you will hear an ocean-like sound. Continue the practice for around 10 rounds. How does Ujjayi breathing benefit ones’ yoga practice? The ujjayi breath consists of inhaling and exhaling through the nose. While exhaling, there’s a noise that accompanies with it like the sound of the ocean. Breathing through the nose invigorates the nostrils. By purposely slowing down the breath, we calm our circulation, heart rate, and emotional response. We become more relaxed, aware, and centered in the moment. Ujjayii offers extra benefits through our constriction of the glottis. This constriction permits less air to get through (both inhalations and exhalations), which in turn force our breath to last longer. This slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which sends relaxation signals to our body. What are the benefits of Ujjayi breathing? · when our vocal cords restrict the flow of air, our breathing muscles also become firmer and thereby making us stronger. · the whispering sound of Ujjayii draws our attention to the breath, which helps us bring our mind inwards. · with the glottis partially closed, your inhales last longer, which permits the air to seep deeper into the lower lungs than regular breathing permits, which is where our richest blood supply is. So basically, you’re nourishing your lung tissues. · your abdominal organs get massaged, as the diaphragm extends downward in response to the chest expanding and the pelvic floor muscles relaxing. On a deep inhalation, your organs sink deeper into the pelvis, and this is reversed on exhalations, resulting in a gentle massage of your internal organs. · it opens up our chest, which triggers a mind-body connection that translates into an emotional response of confidence, power and invigoration of our practice. So as the name suggest, it is pretty victorious to be able to relax and invigorate at the same time. Happy practicing! |
AuthorCharita Lankage Archives
October 2017
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