A Recap On The Yogic Breath (Breath of the Immortals)
• the Ujjayi 'sound
• the effort to maintain evenness of flow of breath from beginning to end of each breath- both on the inhalation and exhalation (as opposed to the lower triangle development exercise which uses rhythm and retention).
The Ujjayi sound is made by toning the throat and epiglottis - the vocal diaphragm - as if you were whispering the sound of 'haaaa' in the throat - a breathy sound like the one made when you fog a mirror with your breath. The purpose of this is to tune you into the sound and sensation of the breath, putting you in immediate touch with the quality and texture of your breath.
The breathing itself is done through the nose on both the in-breath and out-breath. This warms and filters the air, and further allows you to delicately regulate the breath, making it smooth and even to produce a calming and relaxing effect that ultimately draws you into meditation. In more esoteric terms, the Ujjayi breath enhances your ability to assimilate the prana from the air, generating greater pranic energy within your body. With a subtle, relaxed practice of Ujjayi breath you can feel soothing currents of energy moving through your head, along your spine and throughout your body.
Principles of Ujjayi Breathing
In Ujjayi breathing, you breathe into the three parts of the torso as you do in the Full Yogic Breath; but the emphasis is upon regulating your breath to maintain an evenness of flow in which the quantity of air inhaled and exhaled is constant through each increment of time.
Normally our breath begins fast and then tapers off toward the top of the inhalation or bottom of the exhalation. The Ujjayi breath, on the other hand, is continuous and without fluctuation; it feels steady, like pulling silk through your fingertips, and focuses your attention like a laser beam so that you're not disturbed or distracted by the fluctuations of your mind. The clear, steady quality of the Ujjayi breath is described in the yoga tradition as being like a steady, unbroken flow of light clear oil or ghee (clarified butter), so steady that although in motion, it seems motionless.
Ujjayi breathing can be practiced either reclining or in a sitting position (also standing). Although it is an even more active and effortful form than the Full Yogic Breath, requiring greater attention and refinement in the actions of breathing, your attitude or intention is to make yourself fully recto the breath; with each breath, you're not 'taking' a breath, but rather receiving it - and appreciating it fully, as if taking in the fine and delicate fragrance of a flower.
Begin with a relaxed and relaxing exhalation, emptying yourself to receive the breath with full consciousness and appreciation. Breathing through your nose, tone the back of your throat as you begin to inhale to begin the Ujjayi sound. Fill yourself with the breath just as you do with the Full Yogic Breath, and attend to making the pace, texture and depth of your breath absolutely constant and even throughout each moment of the in-breath and out-breath. Initially make the in-breath as deep and the out-breath as long as is comfortable to you without producing any strain. Let your out-breath be a bit longer than your in-breath so that your practice will be soothing and relaxing.
Yasodhara and Buddha’s Breath
Yasodhara and Buddha's breath is very deep. It is the breath for transcending the Thinking Body. It begins the process of accessing energy through the five aspects of the Higher Self. The highest ideals associated with these five anatomical aspects of the Higher Self are found in the descriptive words in the teachings of masters, the Reiki Symbols and the Names of the Masters associated with them.
The in-breath is seven beats of the heart and the out breath is six beats of the heart. On the in breath the names of the Elohim repeated silently as in the Elohim Breath. On the out-breath the names of the masters are said silently.
In Breath:
• Radharani-Krishna- fourth beat- (Spirit Chakra above head)
• I AM THAT I AM- fifth beat- (Will Chakra above head)
• Unmanifested One- sixth beat- (Higher Self Chakra above head)
The out breath is also thirteen beats. Slowly release the breath and return to your starting position.
In Breath:
• Hope- first beat- first chakra
• Faith- second beat- second chakra
• Love- third beat- third chakra
• Om- fourth beat- heart chakra
• Christ- fifth beat- fifth chakra
• Holy Spirit- sixth beat- sixth chakra
• God- seventh beat- crown chakra
• Mary-Jesus- eighth beat- (Body Chakra above head)
• Yasodhara-Buddha- ninth beat- (Mind Chakra above head)
• Uma-Brahman- tenth beat- (Soul Chakra above head)
• Radharani-Krishna- eleventh beat- (Spirit Chakra above head)
• I AM THAT I AM- twelfth beat- (Will Chakra above head)
• Unmanifested One- thirteenth beat- (Higher Self Chakra above head)
Out Breath:
• Hope- first beat- first chakra
• Faith- second beat- second chakra
• Love- third beat- third chakra
• Om- fourth beat- heart chakra
• Christ- fifth beat- fifth chakra
• Holy Spirit- sixth beat- sixth chakra
• God- seventh beat- crown chakra
• Mary-Jesus- eighth beat- (Body Chakra above head)
• Yasodhara-Buddha- ninth beat- (Mind Chakra above head)
• Uma-Brahman- tenth beat- (Soul Chakra above head)
• Radharani-Krishna- eleventh beat- (Spirit Chakra above head)
• I AM THAT I AM- twelfth beat- (Will Chakra above head)
Unmanifested One- thirteenth beat- (Higher Self Chakra above head)
Bringing It All Together
Once you have mastered all three breaths, you can breathe them in sequence. The first breath is the Breath of the Acting Body, The second breath is the Breath of the Thinking Body and the third breath is the Breath of the Feeling body. This three- part breath brings the three bodies into Harmony. Learning these breaths takes time, space and patience, but it is well worth it.
Breath work is a tool not some magic formula. It is not meant to be a ritual that has to be practiced every day either. It is a lot of fun if you don't turn it into work or some job you have to perform. Just enjoy your life getting deeper and more meaningful everyday. Be open to the lessons that life provides you everyday. Above all remember that Love is our Friend.
Other Breathing Techniques
Rob Lightbearer
The Yogic Breath also known as Ujjayi breathing is the foundation of pranayama, and is practiced in nearly every form of pranayama. Ujjayi itself literally means "victoriously uprising," which refers to the expansion and movement upward of the energy of the breath- the prana- through the central channel of the body (located just in front of the spine) known as the 'sushumna nadi.'
Ujjayi breathing has two distinctive characteristics:
• the effort to maintain evenness of flow of breath from beginning to end of each breath- both on the inhalation and exhalation (as opposed to the lower triangle development exercise which uses rhythm and retention).
The Ujjayi sound is made by toning the throat and epiglottis - the vocal diaphragm - as if you were whispering the sound of 'haaaa' in the throat - a breathy sound like the one made when you fog a mirror with your breath. The purpose of this is to tune you into the sound and sensation of the breath, putting you in immediate touch with the quality and texture of your breath.The breathing itself is done through the nose on both the in-breath and out-breath. This warms and filters the air, and further allows you to delicately regulate the breath, making it smooth and even to produce a calming and relaxing effect that ultimately draws you into meditation. In more esoteric terms, the Ujjayi breath enhances your ability to assimilate the prana from the air, generating greater pranic energy within your body. With a subtle, relaxed practice of Ujjayi breath you can feel soothing currents of energy moving through your head, along your spine and throughout your body.
Principles of Ujjayi Breathing
In Ujjayi breathing, you breathe into the three parts of the torso as you do in the Full Yogic Breath; but the emphasis is upon regulating your breath to maintain an evenness of flow in which the quantity of air inhaled and exhaled is constant through each increment of time.
Normally our breath begins fast and then tapers off toward the top of the inhalation or bottom of the exhalation. The Ujjayi breath, on the other hand, is continuous and without fluctuation; it feels steady, like pulling silk through your fingertips, and focuses your attention like a laser beam so that you're not disturbed or distracted by the fluctuations of your mind. The clear, steady quality of the Ujjayi breath is described in the yoga tradition as being like a steady, unbroken flow of light clear oil or ghee (clarified butter), so steady that although in motion, it seems motionless.
Ujjayi breathing can be practiced either reclining or in a sitting position (also standing). Although it is an even more active and effortful form than the Full Yogic Breath, requiring greater attention and refinement in the actions of breathing, your attitude or intention is to make yourself fully recto the breath; with each breath, you're not 'taking' a breath, but rather receiving it - and appreciating it fully, as if taking in the fine and delicate fragrance of a flower.
Begin with a relaxed and relaxing exhalation, emptying yourself to receive the breath with full consciousness and appreciation. Breathing through your nose, tone the back of your throat as you begin to inhale to begin the Ujjayi sound. Fill yourself with the breath just as you do with the Full Yogic Breath, and attend to making the pace, texture and depth of your breath absolutely constant and even throughout each moment of the in-breath and out-breath. Initially make the in-breath as deep and the out-breath as long as is comfortable to you without producing any strain. Let your out-breath be a bit longer than your in-breath so that your practice will be soothing and relaxing.
Yasodhara and Buddha’s Breath
Yasodhara and Buddha's breath is very deep. It is the breath for transcending the Thinking Body. It begins the process of accessing energy through the five aspects of the Higher Self. The highest ideals associated with these five anatomical aspects of the Higher Self are found in the descriptive words in the teachings of masters, the Reiki Symbols and the Names of the Masters associated with them.
The in-breath is seven beats of the heart and the out breath is six beats of the heart. On the in breath the names of the Elohim repeated silently as in the Elohim Breath. On the out-breath the names of the masters are said silently.
In Breath:
• Hope- first beat- first chakra
• Faith- second beat- second chakra
• Love- third beat- third chakra
• Om- fourth beat- heart chakra
• Christ- fifth beat- fifth chakra
• Holy Spirit- sixth beat- sixth chakra
• God- seventh beat- crown chakra
Out Breath:
• Mary-Jesus- first beat- (Body Chakra above head)
• Yasodhara-Buddha- second beat- (Mind Chakra above head)
• Uma-Brahman- third beat- (Soul Chakra above head)• Radharani-Krishna- fourth beat- (Spirit Chakra above head)
• I AM THAT I AM- fifth beat- (Will Chakra above head)
• Unmanifested One- sixth beat- (Higher Self Chakra above head)
On the in breath let the energy rise from the base of the spine to the top of the head, one name on each chakra. On the out breath let the energy continue out the top of the head through the higher six chakras, one beat and the names for each chakra. The first chakra above the head is about a hands length above the head. Each chakra above that is about a hands length.
The Breath of Uma and Brahman
The Breath of Uma and Brahman is for transcending the Feeling body. It is a thirteen beat breath. It takes a lot of practice to begin to master it. As you breathe in the first seven beats you will have reached your normal complete yogic breath. Your lungs are already full and your shoulders have begun to lift slightly. Slowly continue to breathe in six more beats and let the breath fill you right out the top of your head.The out breath is also thirteen beats. Slowly release the breath and return to your starting position.
In Breath:
• Hope- first beat- first chakra
• Faith- second beat- second chakra
• Love- third beat- third chakra
• Om- fourth beat- heart chakra
• Christ- fifth beat- fifth chakra
• Holy Spirit- sixth beat- sixth chakra
• God- seventh beat- crown chakra
• Mary-Jesus- eighth beat- (Body Chakra above head)
• Yasodhara-Buddha- ninth beat- (Mind Chakra above head)
• Uma-Brahman- tenth beat- (Soul Chakra above head)
• Radharani-Krishna- eleventh beat- (Spirit Chakra above head)
• I AM THAT I AM- twelfth beat- (Will Chakra above head)
• Unmanifested One- thirteenth beat- (Higher Self Chakra above head)
Out Breath:
• Hope- first beat- first chakra
• Faith- second beat- second chakra
• Love- third beat- third chakra
• Om- fourth beat- heart chakra
• Christ- fifth beat- fifth chakra
• Holy Spirit- sixth beat- sixth chakra
• God- seventh beat- crown chakra
• Mary-Jesus- eighth beat- (Body Chakra above head)
• Yasodhara-Buddha- ninth beat- (Mind Chakra above head)
• Uma-Brahman- tenth beat- (Soul Chakra above head)
• Radharani-Krishna- eleventh beat- (Spirit Chakra above head)
• I AM THAT I AM- twelfth beat- (Will Chakra above head)
Unmanifested One- thirteenth beat- (Higher Self Chakra above head)
Once you have mastered all three breaths, you can breathe them in sequence. The first breath is the Breath of the Acting Body, The second breath is the Breath of the Thinking Body and the third breath is the Breath of the Feeling body. This three- part breath brings the three bodies into Harmony. Learning these breaths takes time, space and patience, but it is well worth it.
Breath work is a tool not some magic formula. It is not meant to be a ritual that has to be practiced every day either. It is a lot of fun if you don't turn it into work or some job you have to perform. Just enjoy your life getting deeper and more meaningful everyday. Be open to the lessons that life provides you everyday. Above all remember that Love is our Friend.
Other Breathing Techniques
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