Hi,
I'm Alice and welcome to this ocean breathing practice.
This way of breathing is also known as Ujjayi Pranayama in yoga,
Where it originates.
It involves breathing in and out of the nose,
Smoothly and slowly.
On both the inhale and the exhale,
We gently contract the throat muscles to create a little resistance for the breath.
And this results in a wave or ocean-like sound being produced.
You can also practice this breath just on your exhale,
Which is what we'll do now.
It's a little like the sound you make if you missed your sunglasses to clean them,
But with your mouth closed.
Practice that now with an open mouth,
Imagining you're cleaning your glasses.
It might sound a little like this,
So practice it now with an open mouth.
Now try that same sound,
But with your mouth closed,
And notice that slight contraction at the back of your throat.
The sound doesn't need to be loud or forced,
But keep it gentle and quiet enough for only you to hear.
This is a good breath to use for a few minutes if you need to calm yourself down.
It has a natural tranquilising and heating effect,
And it slows your heart rate.
Ujjayi breath soothes the nervous system and calms the mind,
And it can be a really helpful tool if you struggle to fall asleep or you wake up during the night.
I find that having the gentle sound to focus on,
As well as the sensation,
Is a way to quieten anxious thoughts and a busy mind.
Okay,
So bring yourself into a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Take a moment to notice how you feel.
Notice any sensations in your physical body,
And then take a breath in through your nose,
Pause at the top,
And gently sigh out through the mouth.
Then we'll do that two more times.
Breathing in through your nose,
Pause at the top,
And gently sigh out through the mouth.
One more time.
Place one or both hands at the sides of your belly,
Just below your ribcage,
And without changing your breath,
Take a moment to become aware of the breath.
Notice the rise and fall,
Inflation and deflation of your belly.
Notice how your ribcage expands slightly on the inhale,
And contracts on the exhale.
And this act of simply becoming aware of your breath,
And where it moves in your body,
Brings you out of your mind and into a more settled state.
Now you're aware of your natural breath,
I invite you to slow down your breathing,
So that gradually you're breathing low into the lungs,
And as slowly as possible,
Breathing in and out through the nose.
Thoughts beginning to settle,
And your body begins to relax and release tension.
And we're aiming for a smooth and continuous flow of breath,
In and out.
No pauses,
Or holding at the top of the inhale,
Or the end of the exhale.
Now with the breath flowing smoothly and slowly,
We'll begin our first round of ocean breathing.
So when you're ready,
Gently contract the throat muscles to give a little resistance to your breath.
Create the wave or ocean-like sound,
As if the waves were lapping the shore.
And you can either just do this on the exhale,
Or on both the inhale and the exhale.
Noticing if you can relax and not make too much effort.
Let your breath breathe your body.
And continuing to breathe slowly and smoothly.
A gentle ocean-like sound.
And maybe continue doing this for around ten rounds of breath,
Going at your own pace.
Noticing everything around you slowing down.
Focusing on the sound,
And the feeling of the breath in your throat.
And taking a couple more breaths,
Just like this.
And then after the next exhale,
Let go of doing anything to your breath.
Release any effort.
And take a moment here to notice any ways in which you can feel a shift in the quality of your mind,
Or the feeling in your body.
What do you notice?
And when you're ready,
We'll begin another round of ocean breathing.
So gently contracting the back of your throat again,
To make the wave-like sound.
Inhaling and exhaling through the nose.
Breathing at your own pace.
Slowing down the breath.
Feeling the breath flowing easily.
And continuing like this at your own pace for a few more rounds.
And then after your next exhale,
Let go of any control of your breath.
And finish your breathing practice.
Again taking a moment to notice any shift in your mental or physical state.
Thank you for joining me for this ocean breathing practice.
Have a fantastic day,
Or a restful night.
