Ujjayi pranayama
Technique
Sit in any comfortable meditation asana .close the eyes and relax the whole body. Take the awareness to the breath in the nostrils and allow the breathing to become calm and rhythmic. After sometime ,transfer the awareness to the throat .feel or imagine that the breath is being drawn in and out taking place through a small hole in the throat.
As the breathing becomes slowly and deeper, gently contract the glottis so that a soft snaring sound,like the breathing of a sleeping baby, is produced in the throat. If practised correctly ,there will be a spontaneous contraction of the abdomen, without any effort being made.
Both inhalation and exhalation should be long ,deep and controlled practolise yogic breathing ,while concentrating on the sound the breath in the throat. The sound of the breath should be audible to the practitioner alone.
Benefits
(1) Ujjayi while performing your yoga poses to help you stay focused as you move from one posture to the next.
(2) This practice soothes the nervous system and calm the mind.
(3) ujjayi can also be a useful tool during aerobic exercise.
(4) It has a profoundly relaxing effect at the psychic level.
(5) Olympic level athletes have introduced ujjayi into their training routines to enhance respiratory efficiency.
(6) It also has a heating effect on the body.
(7) Try using ujjayi while performing your cardiovascular work-out and see if practising this breath technique reduces wear and tear on your body.
(8) It help to relieve insomnia and may be practised in shavasana just before sleep.
