A step-by-step guide to Ujjayi, the core breathing technique of flowing yoga, with its benefits and common mistakes.
In yoga, breath is not just a companion to movement but its guide. One of the best-known yogic breathing techniques, Ujjayi ("victorious breath"), is the technique most used in flowing yoga classes. By creating a slight narrowing in the throat it produces an ocean-wave-like sound and makes it easier to focus on breath.
How to do Ujjayi breath
- Choose a comfortable seat: Keep your spine upright and shoulders relaxed.
- Inhale through the nose: As you breathe in, feel a slight narrowing at the back of the throat, like a soft whisper.
- Exhale slowly through the nose: Breathe out with the same narrowing. The sound should resemble a wave or a distant wind.
- Keep them equal in length: First inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 4; over time extend to 5–6 seconds.
- Do not create tension: Your face, jaw and shoulders must stay relaxed.
Why does Ujjayi work?
Slow, long breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system; the heartbeat calms and the mind focuses together with movement. Hearing the sound in postures lets you notice when attention drifts. When breath stays steady in strong postures, the body also lets go of unnecessary tension.
Common mistakes
- Breathing too loudly and by force
- Holding the breath or cutting it short
- Breathing only into the chest rather than the belly
- Moving independently of the breath
Other helpful breathing techniques
Nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing): To balance the mind and prepare for sleep. Kapalabhati: For energy with fast, short exhales; not suitable in pregnancy, high blood pressure and heart conditions. Diaphragmatic breathing: Belly breathing; the foundation of every yoga and pilates practice.
If you feel dizzy during breathwork, stop and return to normal breathing. If you have a health issue, consult your doctor before practising. In our classes the instructors teach breathing techniques step by step.
Bringing practice into daily life
You do not need a separate hour for breathwork. Sitting for 3 minutes of Ujjayi each morning, taking 5 slow breaths before a meeting or doing alternate nostril breathing before bed is enough. Small but regular practice makes breath slow down automatically at stressful moments. In the first weeks do not try to make the sound too strong; the aim is to increase awareness, not force.