Optimize your practice with "victorious breath" or Ujjayi this winter! You know that guttural-like sound in the back of yogis’ throats that sounds like a gentle ocean? That’s Ujjayi. Ujjayi is a pranayama technique often performed during asana practice in which the back of your throat is slightly constricted while you breath slowly in and out through your nose. Another way to describe it is like fogging up a mirror, but with your mouth closed. Ujjayi is Sanskrit for “victorious breath,” so named because it brings a sense of confidence, upliftment, and power to the practitioner. Ujjayi is helpful because you can both hear it and feel it. In this respect, Ujjayi keeps the mind focused on the present moment, inviting self-awareness. Both energizing and grounding, Ujjayi helps to warm you from the inside out, making it an excellent pranayama for these winter months. This build-up of internal heat helps to release tight areas of the body, making us less prone to injuries while stretching and practicing asana. But that’s not the only benefit of Ujjayi. In taking deep breaths, we expand the lungs further than normal, increasing circulation and releasing toxins from our organs. Ujjayi can also help strengthen the immune system to fight off winter illnesses and improve our sleep. In the subtle realm, Ujjayi allows more prana–vital life-force–to enter the body, and encourages movement of energy from the root center all the way up to the crown. It works to cleanse the nadis (channels), releasing stagnant energy to help the body overcome stress and fatigue. This winter, use Ujjayi in your asana practice to experience this victorious breath and its wide range of benefits! Written by Heather Lynn Horvat ARIZONA YOGIS You might utilize Ujjayi in any of our more vibrant weekly asana classes:
Gilbert Yoga 655 N Gilbert Road (480)-720-7297
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Gilbert Yoga BlogYoga off the mat. Archives
July 2022
Categories |