Go Deep With Oceanic Breath: How an accidental hot yoga class and learning Ujjayi breathing changed my life…
(Better Breathing Part IV)
I first came to the practice of Ujjayi breathing by accident during a cold Minnesota January of 2014. As part of a then New Year’s Resolution, I had determined that I wanted to start actively doing some yoga to enhance my running and improve my flexibility. I also had gleaned that yoga was, in general, an excellent way to relax the mind. And for someone who had struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, it felt worthwhile actually to explore the potential benefits. So I chanced on a Groupon (those were more the rage back then!) for a $40 unlimited intro month at a studio nearby where I lived. Excited to get the new year going right, I purchased the intro offer, and promptly signed up for a class the next day, paying no heed to the particular type of yoga practiced at this studio. Yet had I taken just one moment to look a little closer at the studio, I would have realized it was a hot yoga studio ONLY! This type of yoga was not what I had in mind. And my anxiety began to creep slowly. However, I doubled down and headed out to class the next day. I recall sheepishly asking the kind lady working the front of the studio if they offered any other non-hot yoga classes that I could join instead. She politely shook her head but assured me that I would love the unique style and that the extra heat would make the experience all the more stimulating. I was doubtful and contemplated leaving right then.
When we were allowed into the room after being cleaned from the last class, I found myself a spot closest to the door, thinking that if I had to, I could just bolt out if things became too intense. The heat was stifling and thick. My forehead began to build beads of sweat while lying prone in Shavasana. I tried to calm my mind, convince myself that this would not be so bad. At one point, minutes before the class began, I sat up and stared at the exit door in front of me. I thought, “this is it, go now, it’s way too hot. You’re going to pass out”. But then a soft voice cut through the thick of the air, “Hello fellow yogis, please lie down in Shavasana and take a deep breath in.” I laid down and breathed hard.
For the next hour, I fumbled through the sweatiest experience of my life, chugging hot, humid air, while holding awkward poses that challenged me to the core. At times it felt my heart was going to burst from my chest. I occasionally felt dizzy and overwhelmed. But I made it! I didn’t like it, but I made it. As I returned to my then apartment after class, I questioned whether or not I’d just eat the 40 bucks spent on the Groupon and never go back. This wasn’t the yoga for me, was it? I was an exhausted mess. The yoga class had felt more like survival, not like the calming yoga practice I envisioned in my head. So I did what anyone does after completing their first scorching yoga class and posted a snarky, sarcastic, self-flagellation post on Facebook. And though in pure jest, I am glad I did make that post because a friend reached out shortly after and encourage me to go back and try it again. Try it 3–4x in a row. This friend insisted that my body would acclimate to the heat and that it would be worth it to stick with it. I honestly thought this friend nuts. Going back to that hotbox the next day would certainly be the end of me.
But I did take the class the next day, and the next day. Perhaps my curiosity or a hidden inner masochist compelled me. Or maybe I simply did not want just to eat the 40 bucks and wanted to see thru my New Year’s resolution. Regardless of my motive for continuing forward, I did gain confidence and began to grow in practice (as so often expressed in yoga terms), slowly, bit by bit, breath by breath. My body became more aligned with the poses themselves. I was gaining real flexibility, and my once jack-hammering heart rate began to slow gradually. Each class challenged, each class imparted something slightly different than the last. My crazy friend was correct: I just needed to stick with it.
Most central to getting over the hump, so to speak, of enduring and even excelling in an intensely hot yoga class, however, was learning Ujjayi breath, also known as “oceanic breathing”, because it mimics wavelike movements. This pranayama breathing technique makes use of breathing in and out through the nose. It also helps when you’re trying to elongate your breath and get a better handle in some of the deeper yoga poses. It’s perhaps not the easiest to maintain while in more ‘flow’ style classes, but it helped me immensely in gaining a bit of control over my heart rate. And while having the benefit of an instructor in a studio teach the breathing technique, one can quickly learn Ujjayi breath on his or her own. Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works:
- With mouth closed, breathe in through your nose.
- Exhale through your nose but gently constrict your throat. Many teachers will instruct you to make a soft “haaah” sound, sorta like a snore.
- Repeat step 1, but try to keep the length of the inhale and exhale the same.
Though the steps are simple, Ujjayi breathing, like anything else, will take some time. But the benefits are overwhelming, regardless if you practice at home (more likely in these pandemic days) or in a studio with instructors. I would not have stuck with the heated yoga practice had I not mastered this specific breathing technique. I gained greater control over my autonomic nervous system and could deliberately control my heart rate and breathing. My running improved. I achieved more calm in the day-to-day realities and became more motivated in general.
One does not need to be a hot yoga enthusiast to enjoy the benefits of Ujjayi breathing. Careful, critical reviewing of materials online can provide evidence to the like. As with all these breathing styles, go with what feels right and available to your body and mind. But, like I did with continuing to practice in an often uncomfortably hot yoga studio, stretch yourself. Move into your discomfort. Go deep. You’ll be surprised what you can achieve.
