One breath, one movement...

You might have heard the word Ujjayi breath in class and be wondering what it is and how you can use it in your yoga practice?

Ujjayi, (yoga breathing) pronounced Ooh-Jah-Yee is a type of breathing, used across many types of yoga, but particularly Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow. It’s name derives from Sanskrit and means to ‘conquer’ or be ‘victorious’, which you may have heard used in class. A teacher might refer to the ‘victorious breath’ or maybe the ‘oceanic breath’ due to the sound of the breath when used.

Using Ujjayi during our yoga practice helps us to maintain a steady flow of breath, making it easier to connect breathing to movement. Again in class you may have heard a teacher refer to ‘one breath, one movement’ as the two link to each other, with breath always leading movement, rather than the other way around.

Ujjayi is beneficial for calming the mind and through the steadiness of the breath and the sound it can aid our practice as a moving meditation. We’re also able to bring our awareness to our mind, enabling us to be more present during our practice.

Below are some easy steps to follow, to bring Ujjayi into your practice:

Begin in a comfortable seated or standing position. Close your eyes and relax your body, particularly focus on relaxing your jaw and your tongue
Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale deeply through your mouth - notice the air as it draws in through the nose and out through the mouth. Do this a few times and imagine you’re steaming up a mirror or pane of glass. Lips slightly parted to create a hissing sound
Now try breathing deeply, but this time don’t open your mouth - lips can be partly slightly, but you want to breath in and out through your nostrils
As you inhale and reach the top of the breath, notice the sensation at the back of your throat. As the breath washes over it you’ll feel a slight constriction in your throat
Continue to engage the breath in this way and now see if you can link it to some postures or try it when you next go to class

When practiced, Ujjayi breath can both calm and energise the body and mind. Breath should be even, rhythmic and full, so try to focus on keeping a smoothness throughout your practice - this is where the sound can really help.

Have fun trying it out, but please do stop breathing in this way if you start to feel dizzy or faint at any point.

Once you’ve mastered it, take a moment to notice if it changes your yoga practice.