Ujjayi Pranayama: How to Practice the Breath of Victory

The humming vibrates the nervous system and is a form of sound therapy for the brain. It is also good for the thyroid, thymus, and parathyroid glands. Do ten cycles. UJJAYI PRANAYAMA (BREATH OF VICTORY) Sit in either Vajrasana or the Lotus posture, with your hands resting on your knees, palms up.

Keep your head, neck, and chest in a straight line. Lower your head into a slight chin lock by moving your head in and down, toward your chest. Bring your awareness to the throat area. Now comes the slightly tricky part.

Without actually swallowing, start the action of swallowing, to raise the trachea upward. At the same time, while constricting your epiglottis, as in silently “saying” the letter e, slowly and deeply inhale into the belly. The inhaled air will create a soft, gentle whispering sound of rushing air as it brushes the throat, trachea, heart, and diaphragm. After inhaling, swallow and hold your breath at the belly for a moment, then slowly exhale the air by again constricting the epiglottis—as if humming, but without producing any humming sound.

Ujjayi pranayama brings great joy. It calms the mind, relaxes the intercostal muscles, and really brings a sense of victory. Ujjayi is good for all three doshas and helps to reestablish constitutional balance. It promotes longevity.

Do twelve cycles (repetitions) at a time. SURYA BHEDI PRANAYAMA (RIGHT NOSTRIL BREATHING) Put a cotton “plug” in your left nostril so that you will breathe through the right nostril, or block the left nostril by gently pressing with the ring and little finger of the right hand. Sit comfortably. Breathe in and out through the right nostril only.