Ujjayi is life-energy giving. Because if you’re feeling tired and your Kapha (in Ayurvedic terms) is revving high, this breathing technique will bring new oxygen into you. 💨
The Healthiest Response to Life is Joy.
-Deepak Chopra
And this article is all about revving high and getting deep breathing Ujjayi oomph in your life and season.
First off, Ujjayi is balance restoring.
With more breathed-in energy, you are more of your most productive and joyful self today.
Breathing intently can be the oomph in your day that gets you up or down that last step. Seriously!
It’s the tipping point that makes a difference in progress.
We start and end our life with breath.
So breathing matters most in this life.
And any deep breathing technique you purposefully do in whatever pose you’re in and wherever you are, you don’t feel as winded. Because you’re becoming One with the daily wind and creating your own breeze. 💨
…And Hopefully not a tornado.
If you’re feeling chaotic or Ayurvedic Vata anxious, then deep breathing will also calm you and any uncontrollable heart palpitations.
…So it’s energizing and calming.
And if you have body aches like a headache, deep breathing in peppermint oil scents you could add to a humidifier can help to restore those unwanted sensations.
For a Pitta imbalance, you can use Ujjayi deep breathing to calm and slow you down from the stressful life areas.
Adding a daily dose of rose or jasmine scents coupled with light instrumental music work toward your balance.
Tips: For Pitta heartburn, mix water with apple cider vinegar and take a teaspoon. With Kapha congestion, take a spoonful of raw honey 🍯, and drink lemon waters 🍋 and warm teas. With Vata stomach ailments, add ginger 🫚 to your water and drink warm peppermint tea. 🫖
Those are all easy formulas that make each breath more enjoyable.
And a deep Ujjayi breathing practice can reset your day no matter what unwanted moods you’re holding.
Sweep out the old, and make room for the new. 🧹
Ujjayi is also a great morning practice to reset your mind from cluttered cobweb (or confused) thoughts that enter.
Without costing anything or any inconvenience, Ujjayi breathing can solve your unhappy moments like a Happy Baby pose.
The problem thoughts melt away or at least give you a much-needed break from the soap opera going on in your head.
And that’s all you need for getting through to the other side of peace… in moment-to-moment just being and making play-by-play progress.
Because everything changes and will change soon enough.
And for those areas that don’t, they are meant to be there. If you lean into those areas, you’ll discover more of your purpose.
If you try to run from those truths, then you end up re-routing anyway or the opposite of happy… sooo, finding the joyful spirit and loving authentic paths is direct self-care.
…Too often we fool ourselves to think we need an expensive vacation to escape, or if only we had fill-in-the-blank outward dream things in our lives, we would be happy and our life would be set.
(That’s how I started out.)
Often those things take years or decades to manifest, if that’s still what we still want by then.
…And if the cheering-you-on Universe doesn’t change your plans en-route.
I’m a poster child for those ways, lol.
Even if those things you know you want now dropped in your lap, soon you would be wanting more or something different… something flashier to keep up with the Joneses or a higher bar goal met.
We all have examples from our past experiences to attest to this truth reality if we examine.
Our desires are moving targets.
And the unattainable bar keeps raising.
The better way is to save energy and stop chasing.
Be content where you are.
Deep breathe in contentment that’s the opposite of happiness based on situations and fleshly wants.
Reach and seek deeper inside.
You’ll be glad you did.
It’s not scary unless you’re scared to go in. So I dare you! 😊
Use your Ujjayi breathing to tap into those deeper areas of contentment.
Then expect to feel progress and personal growth.
Reaching new heights, you gain higher perspectives like a flying butterfly vs. a caterpillar on the ground.
Grounding is learning discipline that helps us grow.
And appreciating simple things like daily sunsets put a warm glow feeling in us that money can’t buy.
…Plus, Ujjayi breathing that can help you get there faster.
Where you reset and change your thoughts and ways seconds later.
Higher perspectives never grow old and are lasting.
So anytime you catch an extra second or second wind in your day, find a spot on your yoga mat or floor to reset.
Reset time is never wasted time.
And a yoga mat is one of the best inventions EVER.
It’s portable, costs little, and supports working-on-me time.
It can be the BEST self-therapy tool out there.
Wherever you are in the world, grounding on a yoga mat or laying back completely with eyes closed and soaking it all in, is healing.
Having a mat tag along with you like your water bottle is a comfort reminder no matter what environment you’re in.
Roll out your mat anywhere and you’re off to the races to creating your own mind-body calm environment.
…Or maybe counting breaths along with others in a class or someone else across a video screen.
Those are life-giving daily energy and wellness minutes.
And with self-care, taking care of your mind-body calm is going to give you the better answers in your life.
And likely spark creativity that could be hidden from view in this season.
…Ready for those sparks? ✨
If so, then taking quick inhales and letting it all out… as in letting it all go is the best next step.
…Even if all you have is just 5 minutes, deeply breathing is life changing as your stressed feelings are re-routed.
Just like that.
And that can make you feel like a million bucks that money and things can’t buy!
Inner peace and empowered happiness are priceless.
Give it a go…
Maybe take a pause now and inhale deep, hold your breath, and let it all go.
And if that 4-7-8 style of breathing feels good (…of course it does!)… then keep going with Ujjayi.
Ujjayi style breathwork, btw is popular in Ayurveda (the science of life) and yoga (union) practices.
It’s the healthy lifestyle way.
In the western hemisphere, it’s the ticket to longevity where stress, anxiety, and fear permeate the air.
Growing up in the mover and shaker DC metro area, I know all about the ego-centric shallow air with those energies.
And leaving that behind for a higher, balanced life, I haven’t met an Ayurveda way that isn’t life-giving healthy… from yoga poses to focused breathing!
And if you’re someone who loves cozy comfort creatures like soft sweaters and warm beverages, then learning to restore your own less-than moods and body balance is something that you’ll love… and never want to go back to less-than again. 💕
The calm energy is palpable… where you feel your spirit.
That’s usable air and power carried inside you that sometimes just needs to be plugged back in properly. 🔌
Your spirit helps lift the brain fog.
And in wellness, Ujjayi breathing is a habit that can fuel your inner spirit.
…That strong wind is invigorating. Think of it as like taking a cold plunge.
This can naturally kick you into a higher gear that propels you into an unstoppable season of good things…
No longer feeling stuck on the same ‘ol things and ways that were holding you back before.
And another way to unstick stuck areas is stepping outside and taking a walk.
Outside re-centers your breathing practice that’s always along for the hike.
It helps to clear your mind, purge thoughts, and bring new cathartic tears of joy.
And daily Ujjayi breathing exercises is a good purge way too.
A fun ending way is in Lion’s breath. 🦁
In the letting out exhale breath, emphasize sticking your tongue out like a roaring lion.
In a mirror, you can see if it’s reflecting a healthy color (…maybe from the rainbow color foods you eat 🌈).
It’s a good way to reflect and end your day with when the sky illuminates in rainbow colors.
That’s when I’m breathing in calm tunes where my day began. 🎶
