Preparing for Ujjayi Breathing
Preparing forUjjayi Pranayama.
(Psychic breath/Ocean breath/whispering breath)
The difficulties with Ujjayi breathing for many new students arise when too much effort is put into this practice so that breathing becomes dramatic and intense.
It is the smooth relaxed quality of the breath that will bring the most benefits.
All breathing techniques in Yoga are done gently with no struggle. Once we start to struggle with the breath we create conflict and discomfort.
To start the practice it is important to make the body comfortable and to begin to notice the natural breath. We should spend a few minutes before each practice session simply noticing how we breathe.
We are never without our breath, yet we seldom notice it unless we have a problem with it.
Yoga breathing invites us to notice what takes place when we breathe. Are the shoulders tense? Is the chest upright? Is the spine aligned and comfortable?
It may be helpful to make some postural adjustments before attempting to enter the practice. Support can be put in place and will depend on which position you have chosen for the practice. You may like to lie down in which case a rolled blanket under your thighs just above the knees may release any tension in the lumber spine. A small half block on which to rest the head may be helpful to align the neck with the rest of the spine. If you are sitting and your spine is tense it may be a good idea to sit with the support of a wall, and select the support suggested for Sukhasana.
Once you are ready to start you can close your eyes and watch the natural breath for a while without attemting to change anything.
Published by liz on Thursday, 14 November 2013,
last updated on Thursday, 14 November 2013 at 5:03PM
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Yoga Practice