Mastering the Ocean Breath: A Guide to Pranayama

Tonight we had an Iyengar class lasting 2 hours on breathing techniques. According to the teachings you can not have a strong pranayama practice until you have a strong asana practice. We held poses for 1-10 minutes while trying to maintain our breath. The breathe work allows you to clear the obstacles to prepare for meditation and see the true self (Prakasa) Pranayama is the formal practice of controlling the breath, which is the source of our prana, or vital life force.

Begin seated in a comfortable position, such as Easy Pose (Sukhasana). Relax your body and gently close your eyes. Let your mouth drop open slightly. Relax your jaw and your tongue.

Inhale and exhale deeply through your mouth. Feel the air of your inhalations passing through your windpipe.

On your exhalations, slightly contract the back of your throat, as you do when you whisper. Softly whisper the sound, “ahhh,” as you exhale. Imagine your breath fogging up a window.

As you become comfortable with your exhalations, maintain the slight constriction of the throat on your inhalations, as well. You will notice your breath making an “ocean” sound, softly moving in and out, like ocean waves.

When you can comfortably control your throat during the inhalations and exhalations, gently close your mouth and begin breathing only through your nose. Keep the same constriction in your throat as you did when your mouth was open. You will continue to hear the “ocean” sound as you breathe through your nose. Direct the breath to travel over your vocal cords, across the back of your throat. Keep your mouth closed, but your lips soft.

Concentrate on the sound of your breath; allow it to soothe your mind. It should be audible to you, but not so loud that someone standing several feet away can hear it.

Let your inhalations fill your lungs to their fullest expansion. Completely release the air during your exhalations.