How to Do Ocean Breath (Ujjayi Pranayama) in Yoga Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Yoga Beginners How to Do Ocean Breath (Ujjayi Pranayama) in Yoga Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes By Ann Pizer Ann Pizer Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. Learn about our editorial process Updated on June 30, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Sara Clark Reviewed by Sara Clark Sara Clark is an EYT 500-hour certified Vinyasa yoga and mindfulness teacher, lululemon Global Yoga Ambassador, model, and writer. Learn about our Review Board Print Verywell / Ben Goldstein Also Known As: Hissing Breath, Victorious Breath, Darth Vader Breath Targets: Breathing Level: Beginner Ocean Breath (Ujjayi Pranayama) is most often used in support of yoga postures, especially in the vinyasa style. In this breathing technique, you constrict the back of the throat to support lengthening each breath cycle. Each inhalation and exhalation is long, full, deep, and controlled. You can learn this breath while seated in a comfortable cross-legged position. Once you get the hang of it, begin to use it during your yoga practice. Benefits Ocean Breath concentrates and directs the breath, giving asana practice extra power and focus. It increases oxygen consumption. For instance, a clinical study from the Department of Neurophysiology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore, India found ujjayi pranayama can increase your oxygen consumption during practice by about 50%. Practicing this breathing pattern also calms your body’s flight-or-flight response to promote relaxation. Your body is telling you that it wants to get out of a pose as soon a possible, but with deep breathing you are saying in response that everything is OK and you can hold for longer. Another way to think about ujjayi breath is to visualize your throat as a garden hose, with the breath passing through like a trickle of water. If you put your thumb partially over the opening of the hose, you increase the power of the water that is coming through. This is the same thing you are doing with your throat during ujjayi breathing. The air that comes in through your constricted throat is a powerful, directed breath that you can send into the parts of your body that need it during your practice. Vinyasa yoga is often called the breath-synchronized movement, which means you move from one pose to the next on an inhalation or an exhalation of the breath. But this breathing patterns not just for flowing yoga styles—it’s a full deep slow breath that can call upon to help you find your reserve tank in long holds. How to Use Pranayama Breathing Exercises in Your Yoga Practice Step-by-Step Instructions Sit up tall with your shoulders relaxed away from your ears and close your eyes. To prepare, become aware of your breath without trying to control it at all. The begin to inhale and exhale through your mouth if you have been breathing through your nose.Bring your awareness to your throat. On your exhales, begin to tone the back of your throat (your glottis or soft palate), slightly constricting the passage of air. Imagine that you are fogging up a pair of glasses. You should hear a soft hissing sound.Once you are comfortable with the exhale, begin to apply the same contraction of the throat to the inhales. You should, once again, hear a soft hissing sound. This is where the name of the breath comes from: it sounds like the ocean. (It also sounds like Darth Vader.)When you are able to control the throat on both the inhale and the exhale, close the mouth and begin breathing through the nose. Continue applying the same toning to the throat that you did when the mouth was open. The breath will still make a noise coming in and out of the nose. This is ujjayi breath.Now start to use this breath during your practice. If the teacher tells you to move on an inhale, make it an ujjayi inhale. If you need a little something extra to support you while holding a pose, remember this breath and apply it. Common Mistakes The most common mistake in Ocean Breath is tightening your throat. You only want a slight constriction. Modifications and Variations Practice Ocean Breath frequently as you are becoming familiar with the practice. You want to be able to use it in your yoga sessions without having to pause. Have your yoga instructor give you feedback as to whether you are doing it correctly or need further cues or modifications. Advanced practitioners can explore other variations with proper instruction. Using muscular locks (bandhas), such as the throat lock, is one advanced technique, as are breath retentions (kumbhakas). Safety and Precautions If you have breathing difficulties or a condition such as asthma, this breathing pattern may be difficult. Ensure you are breathing enough and end the practice if you feel dizzy or lightheaded. You should not feel any pain during this practice. Try It Out Incorporate this move and similar ones into one of these popular workouts: Restorative yoga poses Sivananda yoga sequence Yoga for bedtime 2 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Telles S, Desiraju T. Oxygen consumption during pranayamic type of very slow-rate breathing. Indian J Med Res. 1991;94:357-363. Saoji AA, Raghavendra BR, Manjunath NK. Effects of yogic breath regulation: A narrative review of scientific evidence. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2019;10(1):50-58. doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2017.07.008 By Ann Pizer Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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