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We will go into different aspects of Yoga and help you to understand more about how or why we practice. In this video, we will explain how to practice Ujjayi Breath. Ujjayi has been used for thousands of years to enhance hatha yoga practice. The sound that Ujjayi provides helps us to synchronize breath with movements during yoga, making the entire yoga practice more rhythmic. Ujjayi breath and the nervous system From our very first breath until our final exhale we are, without any deliberate effort, continuously breathed by our Autonomic Nervous system (ANS). Unlike other ANS actions in the body (like pupil dilation) we are able to take voluntary control over our breathing and thus, critically, can influence our Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous system. When we breathe Ujjayi breath we transform the automatic into the deliberate and thereby become the master of our internal landscape; we can positively affect how we feel by regulating the length, air volume and sound of our inhales and exhales. How It Works: A Beginners Guide Before you begin remember to relax. Don’t overthink the process. Ujjayi breathing is designed to lengthen and smooth out the breath for you. Less thinking; more breathing. It’s good to start in a comfortable seated position. Sit up tall and gently close the eyes. On your inhales fill the lower belly then the rib cage and lungs and up to the throat. You can practice ujjayi breath by taking a deep inhale through your nose and imagining fogging up a mirror on your exhale through your mouth; it helps to make the sound “haaaah” slowly through your mouth. After a few breaths like this, seal the lips and try again. The key is to gently constricting the back of the throat so the air passage becomes smaller and the breath drags up and down the throat, similar to the constriction made when speaking in a whisper. Therefore, it is an audible breathe that is often compared to the sound of the ocean. Although there is a constriction of the throat, the Ujjayi breath flows in and out through the nostrils, with the lips remaining gently closed. It takes some practice, so be patient with yourself. Notice where resistance lies in the breath. Maybe you find the audibility awkward, equalising the volume of breath on both inhale and exhale difficult, or you notice the discrepancy of ease between in-breath and out-breath. Notice where you need to focus and what you need to practice on.