Art of Living - 3 Stage Ujjayi Pranayama

sidpandey12
Jul 6, 2023
3 min read

One of the fundamental meditation techniques from the Art of Living, Ujjayi breathing is a yogic breathing technique that provides many benefits.

What is Ujjayi Breathing?

As per the Art of Living Guide -

“Ujjayi” (pronounced oo-jai) comes from the ancient language, Sanskrit, and means "to be victorious". Ujjayi breath means "breath of victory".

So now that you know the meaning of Ujjayi breathing, how do we perform it? Here are the steps to do so -

While breathing in, gently constrict the back of your throat. Note the emphasis on the word gentle, don't do it too hard! If done correctly, you should hear a whooshing sound in the back of your throat. This breathing technique allows you to narrow your air passage and when done correctly, you should be able to breathe in for longer than your regular breathing.
While breathing out, gently push air against the back of your throat while maintaining a similar constriction as before. When done correctly, this would be a whooshing sound or sound made by ocean waves.
Here is a step-by-step video guide on how to perform Ujjayi breathing -

So, what benefits does this offer?

Ujjayi breath has a number of health benefits -

It helps reduce stress and tension. Making this calming ocean-like sound helps the mind relax and stimulates the vagus nerve which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the "rest and digest" functions of your body. This in turn leads to the second benefit discussed below.
Reduces blood pressure and slows the heart rate. This helps to calm the mind and reduce anxiety.
Improves focus and concentration. The deep inhalation of fresh oxygen helps increase alertness, focus, and boosts concentration.
Builds internal heat. This steady and intentional breathing helps generate heat in the body which can help in warming up the body and thus safer stretching during yoga poses.
Helps in detoxification. This slow and steady breathing massages the internal organs and stimulates the digestive system. Remember how we talked about Ujjayi breathing stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system? Increased digestion further helps eliminate toxins from the body and thus this provides a cleansing effect.
Uplifts the mood and makes one happier. The warming and energizing effects of this breath help uplift our mood and make us happier.

Gotcha, so what's with the 3 stage thing?

Great question. This pranayama is done accompanied by Ujjayi breathing. The only difference in the stages is the hand positioning which I will detail below.

Stage 1 - Hands at the level of the abdomen, elbows relaxed, palms facing downward and parallel to the ground. Refer to the image at the top of the article. I will provide it here again for easy reference. Stage 1 is the lady on the leftmost side.

Stage 2

Hands parallel to the ground at the level of the chest, palms facing downward. Refer to the lady in the center of the image.

Stage 3

Hands raised and bent at the elbows, with the palms touching at the edge and rested on the back, a little below the neck and around the shoulder level. Refer to the lady on the rightmost.

Now that you know the hand positions, the rest of the exercise is as follows for each stage -

With Ujjayi breath, breathe in for 4 counts. The audio recording will sound like "Breathe in...2...3...4"
Hold for 4 counts. Audio recording - "Hold...2...3...4"
With Ujjayi breath, breathe out for 6 counts. Audio recording - "Breathe out...2...3...4...5...6"
Hold for 2 counts. Audio recording - "Hold....2"
Repeat the above for about 5-10 counts or as per video instructions.
After you're done with all counts, bring the palms to your knees, facing upwards, relax, and observe the sensations in your body.
Bring a gentle smile to the face. Note, we are all for becoming healthier and having fun! :D