LESSON 8/20 · THE PRACTICES (1)

Ujjayi & Nadi Shodhana — the first two named breaths in your toolkit

From this lesson on, the breath starts having names. The two that open a teacher's toolkit sit at opposite ends: Ujjayi — the “ocean breath” — is the breath for moving, a sound like surf that holds the rhythm of a whole sequence; while Nadi Shodhana — alternate-nostril breathing — is the breath for stillness, bringing a cluttered head back to balance. With these two in hand you already have one tool to “hold the rhythm” and one to “settle” for any session you teach.

1WHAT UJJAYI IS

Close the throat slightly and the breath turns into the sound of the sea

The vocal folds held slightly closed to make the Ujjayi sound — With the glottis held slightly closed, the air brushes through a narrow gap and makes a rushing sound like surf.

REMEMBER Ujjayi = the breath passing through a slightly closed throat.

Normally the throat is wide open and the air goes in and out silently. In Ujjayi the student closes the throat slightly — leaving a narrow gap — so the air brushes through it and makes a low, even sound, like waves against a shore. Both the in-breath and the out-breath go through the nose, mouth closed, but the sound comes from the throat. The Sanskrit name means “victorious, rising” — it carries the sense of being master of your own breath.

GRASP THIS The part that makes the sound is the “glottis”.

If a student is curious about where the sound comes from, the short answer is: the glottis — the gap between the two vocal folds in the throat, the same place the voice comes from. Ujjayi only narrows that gap a little. No need to go deeper; what matters is the feeling, not the anatomical name.

On the mat: Have the student sit upright, mouth closed, breathing through the nose, and listen — if they hear a low rushing sound in the throat, that is Ujjayi. If they hear nothing yet, no matter; the next section shows how to “switch on” that sound.

2HOW TO TEACH A STUDENT TO FIND THE SOUND

Fog a mirror, then close the mouth

Breathing warm air into the palm to find the Ujjayi feeling — Breathe warm air onto your palm as if fogging a mirror — then keep exactly that feeling in the throat but close the mouth.

REMEMBER Teach it with the MOUTH OPEN first, then close the mouth.

Step one: have the student open the mouth and breathe one long breath onto the palm as if fogging a mirror — they hear a slightly hoarse “haaa” in the throat. Step two: keep that same gentle narrowing but close the mouth, letting the air out through the nose. The “haaa” now becomes the rushing of surf. For a class that struggles to picture it, “the throat as it is when you whisper very softly” usually lands straight away.

REMEMBER Loud enough for YOU to hear — not for the room to hear.

New students often assume the sound has to be loud to be right. Correct that immediately: the Ujjayi sound only needs to be loud enough for the person breathing to hear it, quiet and even. The smoother and lighter the sound, the more comfortable the throat. A loud hiss or a strained rasp is the sign of over-gripping — the throat goes dry and raw, the shoulders hitch up, and the student ends up tense instead of released. If you see shoulders shrugging, a clenched jaw or a reddened, straining face, have them drop back to ordinary breathing for a few rounds and start again more lightly.

On the mat: Have the class do five rounds of Ujjayi sitting still, before any movement. Walk round and put an ear near each person — anyone with no sound gets the “fog a mirror” step again, then closes the mouth. Only once the whole room has “caught” the sound do you start moving.

3UJJAYI — WHEN TO USE IT, WHEN TO LET IT GO

The anchor line that holds the rhythm of a vinyasa sequence

A vinyasa sequence tying movement to breath — In vinyasa each movement is tied to one breath — Ujjayi is the drumbeat keeping the whole flow even.

REMEMBER Four benefits: rhythm · focus · warmth · a longer breath.

Rhythm: the sound becomes a natural metronome — one movement to one breath, in or out. Focus: the surf gives the mind something to hold on to. Warmth: a controlled breath warms the body from the inside. A longer breath: the narrow gap slows the air leaving, so each breath lasts longer and you are less likely to run out partway. Because the out-breath lengthens steadily, students often feel calmer and more comfortable even in the middle of effort — that is a feeling of ease, not a medical effect.

GRASP THIS The sound is also a “signal” for the teacher.

For you, the room's Ujjayi is a gauge of intensity. When the sound starts to rasp, break up or disappear, that is the class telling you it is overloaded and needs to slow down or rest. A class that keeps the sound smooth is a class working inside a safe, comfortable range.

GRASP THIS When to LET Ujjayi GO.

It is not to be held on to at all times. In the deep rest at the end (lying down), let the students drop back to a natural breath. A complete beginner should learn belly breathing solidly first, and only then add Ujjayi. And Ujjayi is at its strongest while the body is moving — for the quiet seated practices such as Nadi Shodhana just below, we breathe gently and normally and do not lay the Ujjayi sound on top. Being able to tell “a breath for moving” from “a breath for stillness” is what lets you design a coherent session.

On the mat: Build a short sun-salutation sequence and ask the room to hold Ujjayi right through it. At the final rest, say it deliberately — “now let the sound go, breathe naturally” — so the students feel the difference between using it and letting it go. At the top of each session, spend thirty seconds on the safety rules: close the throat lightly, shoulders down, sound just audible to yourself, let it go if it is uncomfortable.

4WHAT NADI SHODHANA IS & HOW TO DO IT

Close one nostril, breathe through the other — then change sides

Vishnu mudra for closing each side of the nose — Vishnu mudra: index and middle fingers folded in; the thumb closes the right nostril, the ring finger the left.

REMEMBER Thumb closes the RIGHT nostril — ring finger closes the LEFT.

Nadi Shodhana (“clearing the channels”) is breathing through alternate nostrils. With the right hand, fold the index and middle fingers lightly into the palm; the thumb rests on the right nostril and the ring finger on the left — pressing only lightly on the soft part to close it, never poking in, never pressing on bone. Keep the shoulders down, lift only the hand and forearm as far as the nose, head straight. If the arm is weak or the shoulder tires, prop the elbow on a knee or change hands.

The four steps of one alternate-nostril round — One full round: out left → in left → change → out right → in right → change.

REMEMBER Always BREATHE OUT before you start counting rounds.

The order: close the right nostril, breathe all the way out through the left → breathe in through the left → change hands, close the left → breathe out through the right → breathe in through the right → change back. That is one round; starting with an out-breath empties the lungs so the rounds that follow are even and clean. A suggested rhythm for beginners: in on a silent four, out on four or six — a slightly longer out-breath is the more comfortable. Slow, quiet, even, no held breath, no forcing. Three to five minutes is plenty; finish by lowering the hand, breathing naturally, and noticing the difference between before and after.

On the mat: Don't teach the Sanskrit name first — say “we are going to breathe in through one nostril and out through the other, then change”, let the room try one round with no hand to get used to the fingers, and name it afterwards. Lead in an even voice, count along for the first two or three rounds, then let them go alone. The refrain to repeat: “breathe out, breathe in, change sides”.

5NADI SHODHANA — BENEFITS & SAFETY

A doorway that takes a whole room from a noisy rhythm into a quiet one

The settled, gathered state after alternate-nostril breathing — After a few minutes of alternating: the mind gathers, the breath lengthens, the body settles.

REMEMBER This is a technique that supports SETTLING and FOCUS.

Because the rhythm is slow and even and the out-breath is drawn out, Nadi Shodhana helps the nervous system shift towards release — it feels comfortable, the mind is less scattered, attention gathers more easily. In other words: it supports balance, settling and focus — it does not cure or treat anything. It sits best right before sitting in meditation, before any quiet sitting, or before bed, as a “doorway” taking a student from the rhythm of the day into the rhythm of stillness. Students can do three to five minutes of it at home before sleep.

REMEMBER DO NOT practise it with a badly blocked nose or an active sinus infection.

If one nostril is blocked by a cold or sinusitis, closing the other one leaves the student unable to breathe and distressed — the technique is simply not suitable then; let them wait until the nose is clear. Anyone with a respiratory condition should ask a doctor first. And as with every breathing practice: at any dizziness, shortness of air or tightness in the chest, stop, lower the hand, breathe normally — the breath should never be pushed to the point of discomfort.

GRASP THIS The finger closes the nostril; it does not press until it hurts.

Remind students that the finger pressure is very light — enough to stop the air, not enough to push the nose out of shape or redden the skin. The commonest fault is still breathing too forcefully, or straining to draw the breath out so long that it becomes tense; alternate-nostril breathing is meant to be comfortable, not gripped.

On the mat: Before any session with a breathing technique, ask quickly: “Is anyone blocked up, or with a cold or sinus trouble?” Anyone who raises a hand sits and breathes naturally and watches — never push them into the alternating practice. Place Nadi Shodhana at the top of a session to settle the room, or at the end just before Savasana.

Lesson 9 next: Your first two practices are in hand — one for rhythm, one for settling. The next lesson opens the toolkit further, with some “stronger” names: Kapalabhati, the cleansing breath (the “fire” breath that rouses energy), Bhramari, the bee breath (a humming resonance that soothes the nerves), and Sitali, the cooling breath for sweltering days. We will learn to use each at the right moment with the right force — and who should not practise them.

Background reading for the whole set: Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha; Ann Swanson, Science of Yoga; B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Pranayama; Hatha Yoga Pradipika; together with the teaching of Vũ Trọng Tuấn Anh.

This is professional education, not a substitute for medical advice. A student with an existing condition — heart, blood pressure, respiratory or neurological — or who is pregnant should speak to a physician before practising.