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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