Welcome.
Today we're going to explore Ujjayi Pranayama.
Ujjayi means ocean breath.
It also means victorious,
Uplifting,
Empowered breath.
Pranayama,
Prana,
Life force,
Energy,
And yama means extension.
We're going to use our ocean breathing to extend and fortify our life force.
So we're just going to start by sitting in a comfortable position,
Whether it's seated on the floor or a cushion with crossed legs or sitting comfortably in a chair.
Once you find that position,
Feel your sits bones sinking down into the earth and feel the top of your head floating upward to the sky.
Take a nice natural breath inhaling through the nose and exhaling softly out of the mouth.
And as you sit here just finding stillness,
Letting go of any cares,
Worries,
Concerns to the best of your ability.
Take another breath.
Just notice where that breath is living in the body.
As you feel your sits bones sinking down on the top of the head floating up,
Lean back ever so slightly and lift up through the sternum just feeling the vertebrae stacked,
Opening the central column of the torso preparing for pranayama.
The eyes softly closed,
The jaw relaxed,
Just bringing your awareness to the here and now.
A soft breath inhaling and exhaling.
Allow your right hand to float and rest on your heart and the left hand to rest on the belly just below the navel.
Feel your hands touching your torso.
Exhale all of the air out and then on the inhale send the breath down into the belly hand and then allow that breath to come all the way up into the heart hand.
Pausing at the top and then as you exhale make an audible HA sound like you're fogging up a mirror in front of you.
Follow the breath all the way to the end and then let's begin again.
Inhale into the belly all the way up to the heart lifting to the chest and then exhale HA sound.
Follow the breath all the way to the vanishing point pulling the belly button back to the spine feeling the abdomen engage.
All the air releases and then we inhale again into the belly hand up to the heart hand filling up front body,
Side body,
Back body,
Lifting and then exhale one more time HA sound.
Releasing and now switch the hands around at the bottom of the breath.
Other hand belly,
Other hand heart and let's begin again inhaling through the nose to the belly hand and then up to the heart hand and this time as you exhale keep the mouth closed,
Lips lightly touching and try to keep that hissing sound in the back of the throat as if there's a small valve.
Nice.
Let's try that again inhale through the nose try to keep the hissing in the throat.
The tongue is placed at the back of the teeth lifting on the upper palate and then exhale keeping the mouth closed.
Hissing in the throat.
There's a small little opening in the windpipe,
Little constriction and last time inhale into the belly up to the heart hissing in the throat as you lift and a soft exhale mouth closed face soft.
Beautiful.
Just return the hands back to the knees and we're gonna keep this ujjayi rhythm flowing in to the nose.
Pausing at the top exhaling mouth closed.
Belly pulls in releasing the air and again inhale lifting.
Drawing that breath into the nose lifting on the upper palate.
Face soft.
Exhaling again.
Lips lightly touching back of teeth separated.
Tongue placed at the back of the teeth.
Just following your rhythm again inhaling through the nose.
Hissing in the throat.
When you're ready finding that soft ocean exhale.
And now that you have this rhythm your ebb and flow your inner tides just keep breathing inhaling softly and exhaling softly.
Without too much force just imagine a soft silk golden thread as you draw the breath in and release the breath out.
As we stop the thinking mind and simply follow this inhale and exhale.
In this sacred ritual of breathing in and breathing out.
Filling the body with fresh prana new energy and vitality.
And release any negative energy any toxins any darkness on the exhale.
Stay with that smooth steady quality a few more easy breaths.
That essence of stirra sukham strength and ease.
Ujjayi.
Uplifting victorious empowered.
Also translates to mastery of life force.
So let's take one more smooth steady ujjayi breath.
Filling up and then exhaling letting go.
And then release that breath just allow your inhales and exhales to flow naturally through the nose and out of the mouth.
And just feel the inner tide you've created.
The waves coming into shore and then going back out to sea.
Notice how your body's feeling.
Notice how calm your mind is.
Knowing that this ujjayi this gift of breath and pranayama is there for you at any time.
Gently allowing your hands to float to heart center.
The right palm touching the left the left touching the right.
The divine light in me recognizes and honors the divine light in you.
Namaste.
