← EXERCISE LIBRARYPranayama
Victorious Breath
UjjayiNasal breathing with a light constriction at the back of the throat, producing an audible ocean-like sound. Slows the airflow and gives an obvious cue for breath pacing in asana.
- 01Sit upright and open the mouth, then exhale as if fogging a mirror to feel the throat narrow.
- 02Repeat that sensation two or three times with the mouth open until the location is clear.
- 03Close the mouth and reproduce the same narrowing while breathing in and out through the nose only.
- 04Set the breath to an even count, around 4 in and 4 to 6 out, keeping the sound soft, steady and continuous.
- 05Practise for 5 minutes seated, or carry it through a movement sequence as the pacing breath.
- 06Finish by releasing the throat and letting the breath go silent for 5 rounds.
- 01Soft ocean sound, not a snore or a growl.
- 02The narrowing is at the throat, not the nostrils and not the jaw.
- 03If you cannot hold a conversation-length exhale, back off the constriction.
- 01Constricting so hard the breath rasps, which irritates the throat and adds tension straight into the neck and jaw.
- 02Letting the sound only appear on the exhale — the constriction should be equal on both halves of the breath.
- 03Clenching the jaw and root of the tongue along with the throat, which shows up as neck tightness after a few minutes.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.