Yoga Breathing Technique for Curing Insomnia
November 29th, 2008
By Anmol Mehta
Ujjayi Yoga Pranayama, or the victorious breath, is another breathing technique worth having tucked away in your toolbox of valuable yoga exercises for optimum living. Anytime you find that you can’t sleep, need to relax, regain your health, get a dose of joy or prepare your mind for meditation, you can pull out this amazing technique and enjoy it’s wide ranging benefits.
This Pranayama is an integral part of Hatha Yoga and is widely used by many different schools of yoga. The great thing about Ujjayi Yoga Pranayama is that you can practice it anytime and in any position, but the tricky part is that, although it is a very simple technique, it is a little bit difficult to describe in words. Nevertheless, I will try to explain it the best way possible and am sure soon enough it will become a part of your yoga knowledge and spiritual practice.
Below are the bountiful benefits of this breathing technique, followed by step-by-step instructions on how to practice this pranayama.
Benefits of Ujjayi Pranayama:
* Relaxes the mind and calms the entire organism down.
* Promotes a sense of joy and peace.
* Prepares the mind for meditation.
* Rebalanced the internal systems, helps the body regain it’s equilibrium and promotes longevity.
* Excellent technique for those who can’t sleep and helps treat insomnia.
* Helps lower blood pressure.
Instructions for Ujjayi Breathing Technique:
As I mentioned above, one of the best parts of this breathing technique is that you can practice it in any position. You are welcome to do Ujjayi Pranayama, sitting, standing, lying down or even while taking a walk.
* Start by taking five long, deep, slow breaths to help relax you.
* Close your eyes if you like. Do close them if you can’t sleep and are going to use this breathing technique to help you conquer insomnia.
* Now comes the slightly tricky part. You can going to constrict the throat muscles slightly and visualize as if you are breathing through a hole in your throat. This slight constriction and visualization should lead to the air making a soft oceanic sound as it passes through your throat region. The sound should be that of the distant ocean surf. Steady and soft as you inhale and also, steady and soft as you exhale. Pretend as if you are breathing not through your nose, but your throat instead.
* Continue to breathe in this way and allow you entire mind and body to be consumed by this pleasant sound. Find a nice slow rhythm and lose yourself to it.
* Continue on for as long as you like, or until you fall asleep.
Summary:
Remember the key to this technique is the soft sound you are creating with the air passing through your throat. It is like the very soft snoring of a sleeping baby, and hopefully that is how it will help you sleep as well.
Anmol Mehta is a modern Yoga & Meditation master. His free website offers an excellent Seven Chakra Healing set, free Hatha Yoga Poses and the amazing Mind Expanding Guided Meditation MP3.
