One of the things that can be most confusing when we step out of the perspective that dominates much of our lives in the west, is the reality that something can be both, calming and stimulating (to give one example). Ujjayi is said to be heating, though for most it is too subtle to easily notice this in just a few minutes of practice (not to mention that we're often moving when we do this breathing practice, as well; so how do we know any heat felt is coming from the breath rather than the skeletal muscle actions!).
We could go on at length about the possible effects of Ujjayi breath, but they will be dependent, ultimately, on how long the breath is practiced for, how intensely it is practiced (i.e. strong or gentle constriction in the throat), whether the person practicing it tends to feel cold most of the time (Vata or Kapha types) or hot (Pitta types). All these factors come into play.
One of our faculty members learnt from their Yoga & Ayurveda teacher that Ujjayi is warming and calming and supports focus.
But the best teacher is your own experience. Try it for a minute; then try it for 5 minutes. Is the experience different when it's done only for a short time? Try it in stillness and then use it in your asana practice. Constrict the throat strongly and then try it with gentle constriction.
Letting your students know the traditional description and then sharing your own experience can be a great way to make space for everyone's unique experience whilst still honoring the traditional teachings.
Book recommendation on this topic: “Vayu’s Gate. Yoga and the Ten Vital Winds” by Orit Sen Gupta. You may find this version more readily available"Yoga's Secret Breath: The ancient practice of the ten Vayus (Yoga with Orit Sen Gupta, Band 3)”
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.