Sit in any comfortable position, preferably a meditation

asana.

Close the eyes and relax the whole body.

Take the awareness to the breath in the nostrils and allow

the breathing to become calm and rhythmic.

As the breathing becomes slower and deeper, gently

contract the glottis so that a soft snoring sound like the

breathing of a sleeping baby is produced in the throat. If

this is practised correctly there will be a simultaneous

contraction of the abdomen. This happens by itself, without

any effort being made.

Both inhalation and exhalation should be long, deep and

controlled.

Practise yogic breathing while concentrating on the sound

produced by the breath in the throat.

The sound of the breath should not be very loud. It should

just be audible to the practitioner but not to another person

unless they are sitting very close.

Duration: Practise for 10 to 20 minutes.

Contra-indications: People who are too introverted by nature

should not perform this practice. Those suffering from

heart disease should not combine bandhas or breath

retention with ujjayi.

Benefits: Ujjayi is classified as a tranquillising pranayama and

it also has a heating effect on the body. This practice is

used in yoga therapy to soothe the nervous system and

calm the mind. It has a profoundly relaxing effect at the

psychic level. It helps to relieve insomnia and may be

practised in shavasana just before sleep. The basic form

without breath retention or bandhas slows down the heart

rate and is useful for people suffering from high blood

pressure. Ujjayi alleviates fluid retention. It removes

disorders of the dhatu, which are the 7 constituents of the

body: blood, bone, marrow, fat, semen, skin and flesh.

Advanced practice: After becoming proficient in the practice,

ujjayi may be performed with jalandhara bandha and

moola bandha in conjunction with internal and external.

Do not strain when performing kumbhaka, one

or two seconds is sufficient at first. The duration may be

increased gradually as the technique is mastered.