THE UJJAYI BREATH Breath is an essential staple of every yoga practice. By focusing on the breath, a yogi is able to stay inthe present moment. Since the breath is neutral, a yogi neither seeks to avoid it, nor is she eager to chase it. Proper and continuous breath helps clear the mind of distracting thoughts and to remain in the present moment with one-pointed concentration. Deep, conscious breathing also slows down the heartbeat and activates the parasympathetic nervous response, which soothes the nervous system, and allows the muscles to relax into the stretches and stay strong in the strength-based yoga poses. Maintaining deep, fluid breathing will help transform your yoga practice into a moving meditation. Ujjayi pranayama is one of the most commonly used breathing techniques in every yoga practice. Ujjayi means “victorious” in Sanskrit. When practicing this breathing technique, a yogi creates what can be described as the “ocean sound” in the back of the throat by ...