Have you ever been so angry, but not been able to vent your ire? Did you clench your jaw shut and make a bull-like long exhale through the nostrils? Did you want to scream an expletive (or ten), but instead you shut your mouth and made a kind of Darth Vader sound in the back of the throat as you composed yourself?
I am pretty sure you know what I am describing. To me, this feels like the best option when I am fuming. This forceful exhale gets rid of that surge of energy and brings some balance back. When it doesn't work, that's when all hell breaks loose and I say things I wish I hadn't said. (This is of course all hypothetical- I am a yogi after all...)
I was thinking about this spontaneous little intuitive hack we have and how it might be related to ujjayi breath in yoga. I don't know if it is! But I do know that the benefits of ujjayi breath are that it lowers blood pressure, it calms the nervous system and is said to create balance. And what happens when you are mad as hell? Your blood pressure goes through the roof, adrenaline courses through the body ready for fight or flight and any sense of balance goes out the window.
According to the book Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha ujjayi breath is described as "a tranquillising pranayama that has a heating effect on the body... profoundly relaxing effect at the psychic level. It relieves insomnia and may be practised in shavasana just before sleep".
Next time rather than going to bed fuming, instead breath like a bull, it'll make you feel better, send you to sleep and make your partner understand they narrowly escaped an injury.
How to do ujjayi breath
Imagine you are about to go in for a first kiss and are worried you have bad breath. You know that surreptitious check? You breath into your palm of your hand. The throat is open and relaxed. Similar to a whispered 'ahhh'. Imagine doing that with the lips closed. You can hear a gentle sigh in the back of the throat on the exhale. Now do the same on the inhale, That is ujjayi breath. Another way of describing it is imagine cleaning your glasses, or fogging up a mirror so you can draw a love heart on it. The lips are closed and you breathe steadily in and out of the nose. The texts describe the sound of the breath as a sleeping baby, a purring cat or the sound of the ocean. In fact some yoga teachers call it the oceanic breath. I like the idea of baby Darth Vader.
The sound lulls you. It is steady and even both on the inhale and exhale. Often you will be asked to use it during your physical yoga practice as it will inform you where you are stressing and holding tension. Suddenly you stop hearing the rhythmical sound of the ocean and you know that you've either lost your focus and are thinking of something else, or you are straining the body too much. Ujjayi breath can be done as a breathing exercise on its own - a pranayama. Sitting down comfortably and just breathing...
How to do Ujjayi as a breathing exercise
Find a comfortable position. Not a Yogic one, a comfortable one! Seated on a chair? Cross legged? Lying down? In full lotus?
Set you mobile for 5 minutes.
Begin the ujjayi breath at a rhythm that works for you.... same length of inhale as exhale. Inhale for 4 counts exhale for 4 counts? In for 6 exhale for 6? What works for you.
Keep that breath going until the alarm sounds, turn it off and just sit for 1 minute and notice how you feel with no judgement. Observe like a nosey neighbour. Curious as hell, but from a distance.
Try 5 minutes every other day with 1 minute observation afterwards- for 1 week...
Don't like it? No problem give up. (It's no biggie... come to class and we might try it in a pose see how that feels.)
Not sure? Try it for another week.
Warming to it? Try every day. Then perhaps increase to 7 minutes with 3 minutes observation.
Why am I doing this Sandra?
I could say try it and then you tell me why you are doing it- how do you feel?
Instead I am going be all scientific and see if this rocks your boat...
It improves oxygen saturation - deeper into the lungs
It has a positive effect on blood pressure and heart
It increased carbon dioxide
It increases sinus arrhythmia and HRV
It increases alpha waves (Alpha waves 8–13Hz deep physical relaxation, a non-aroused resting but wakeful state, or a transition from waking to sleeping)
It increases activity in the PFC and parietal cortex
Sometimes we just don't fancy doing a full on physical work out, but you still can get your yoga fix, by doing some breathing. Try it and see.
You can also do both.... Yoga posture AND some ujjayi at the same time. Try it and see…
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