[Tutorial] How to do Ujjayi Pranayama (Hissing Pranayama)

Question

This is tutorial on ujjayi pranayam and its practice.

Answer 1

The sanskrit word Ujjay means victorious. It is derived from the root 'ji' which means to conquer.

1. Sit in any comfortable meditation asana.
2. Close the eyes and relax the whole body.
3. Take the awareness to the breath slowly inhale through both the nostrils and allow the breathing to become calm and rhythmic.
4. After sometime, transfer the awareness to the throat.
5. Feel or imagine that the breath is being drawn in and out through the throat and not through the nostrils, as if it is taking place through a small hole in the throat.
6. As the breathing becomes slower and deeper, gently contract the glottis so that soft snoring sound like the breathing of a sleeping baby is produced in the throat.  If practiced correctly, there will be a spontaneous contraction of the abdomen, without any effort being made.
7. While making a swallowing movement, lower the head towards the trunk and lift up the inner frame of the chest towards the descending chin. Rest the chin in the notch just above the breastbone. This is the chin-lock (Jalandhara Bandha). If you cannot do it completely, keep the head down as low as you can without strain and continue the practice.
8. While maintaining, relax the head region and feel the licking of air below the throat. Exhale slowly through left nostril and continuously making a hissing noise at the throat by partial contraction of the glottis.
9. The sound of the breath should be audible to the you alone.
10. Both the inhalation and exhalation should be long, deep and controlled.
11. This completes one cycle.

Begin with 10 breaths and slowly increase to 5 minutes for general benefits.  In other types of Ujjayi pranayama, single nostril inhalation and exhalation are used. The airway resistance at the palate is the important aspect of this pranayama. It helps to reduce the speed of breathing.

Benefits of Ujjayii Pranayam

• This practice of Ujjayi Pranayama soothes the nervous system and calms the mind.
• It has a profoundly relaxing effect at the psychic level.
• It helps to relieve insomnia and may be practiced just before sleep.
• It slows down the heart rate and is useful for people suffering from high blood pressure.