Wholesome Resources for Mind-Body Mastery through Yoga, Meditation, Guided Imagery, Stress Relief, Wellness
Ujjayi is pronounced oo-JAH-yee or sometimes “ooo” as in cool and “ji” as in hi
Time: 5 minutes or longer
Summary: The Ujjayi Breath, also called the Ocean Sounding Breath, is a yogic breathing practice that builds on the 
benefits of Dirgha Breathing, the complete breath. Meditative and calming, it creates concentration while it creates stamina and endurance. It produces a calming and meditative quality. This breath helps relieve sinus problems and can diminish headache pain.
The Ujjayi is performed by taking long, slow and deep breaths (the complete dirgha pranayama) while creating a special sound in the back of the throat that sounds like the ocean waves. Although you will breathe in and out through your nose when doing Ujjayi, it is easier to learn first by breathing through an open mouth while whispering the sound of “home” or “Om.” Doing so will allow you to experience the open feeling in your throat that is used in Ujjayi breathing. When practicing, notice how your lips are slightly open when whispering the “ho” or “o” sound. Also notice the open feeling in your throat. Maintain the open sensation in your throat as the sound changes into “mmm.”
Listen to the sound at the back of your throat as you continue breathing out. Repeat several times drawing out the “mmm” sound more and more each time. This is the Ujjayi sound, a unique, audible Darth Vader-type sound. This same sound and feeling in your throat is used for the inhalation as well.
Next, close your mouth and continue breathing in and out through your nostrils while maintaining that feeling and sound in your throat. When done correctly, there is a slight constriction in the glottis (the opening between the vocal chords) during inhalation and exhalation. Once mastered and the breath is refined, the sound is made by fully relaxing the same area of the throat.
Let’s begin. Either come into a comfortable seated position with your spine erect or lie on your back. Begin by taking long, slow and deep breaths through the nostrils. Allow the breath to be gentle and relaxed as you slightly activatet the back of your throat creating a steady ocean sound as you breathe in and out. The sound need not be forced but it should be loud enough so that if someone came close to you they would hear it.
Gradually, lengthen the inhalation and the exhalation as much as possible without creating tension anywhere in your body, and allow the sound of the breath to be continuous and smooth. Keep the pitch and intensity of the breath consistent and even throughout. Practice breathing so both your inhalation and exhalation are equal in length and duration.
Continue practicing, allowing your inhalations and exhalations to follow a circular flow that is continuous and almost seamless, leaving as little space between the incoming and outgoing breath as possible.
Remember to relax into your breathing; there is no reason to rush. Another breathing pattern to practice after your Ujjayi breath becomes smooth and seamless is to hold the breath for a few seconds at the end of the inhalation and/or at the end of the exhalation. This tends to produce more focus. However, never hold your breath if you have high blood pressure.
How often do you wake up in the midst of the night? Doesn’t Jackie Sabath capture its essence in her poem, the 4 am Club?
Get some ideas for sleeping more soundly below. [Read more…]
Going through life’s adjustments and changes can add unwanted stress causing unhappiness, sickness, poor relationships and lack of energy. Improve your ability to handle stress by practicing the following effective ways to cope with stress.
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DARE to Relax includes: D = Diet; A = Attitude and Awareness; R = Rest, Relaxation and Relationships; E = Exercise.
DIET: Don’t deprive yourself of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can help you reduce the effects of daily stress. Stress uses up your supply of vitamins A, B and C that can lead to feeling irritable and tired. Calcium is essential 
for your central nervous system to function normally. Without enough, your nerves become frayed. If you consistently eat well-balanced meals, you can fortify your system giving you the nourishment to guard against the harmful effects of stress.
ATTITUDE AND AWARENESS: Research shows that as much as 75% of illnesses are the result of experiencing too much stress. Not being able to handle stress properly can decrease the effectiveness of your immune system. Become more aware 
of how you respond to tension and stress in your life and begin to make adjustments. Are you responding appropriately? Could you be over-reacting? Is it possible to avoid or change a situation that causes you anxiety? By improving your awareness and improving how you react to stress, it might be possible to avoid some of your headaches, stomachaches and other problems. Try laughing. Laughter is like internal jogging. It aids digestion and improves alertness and productivity by sending blood and oxygen to your brain and increases the production of the body’s catecholamines.
REST AND RELAXATION: It is much easier to handle stress if you are rested and know how to remain calm. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night is essential. Although recreation and being diverted from stress is helpful (playing 
tennis, watching a movie) true relaxation is different. It involves giving yourself an honest break from activity and excess stimulation. Breathing deeply, smoothly, slowly and from the diaphragm is relaxing since it too sends a fresh supply of blood to the brain and throughout the body. It oxygenates your system and even slows down the heartbeat.
EXERCISE: When under stress, there is an increase of adrenalin in the system as part of the flight or fight response, which can drain you of energy if not effectively released. Exercise regularly to work stresses off positively. This can improve your productivity and increase your energy. Be sure to choose physical activity that you enjoy.
Learning to cope with the stressors of daily living is crucial to health, happiness and well-being. It is estimated that 60 to 90 percent of medical conditions are stress-induced or worsened by stress. This is costly in terms of medical bills, absenteeism, and loss of productivity. An obvious remedy is to learn self-care techniques that both reduce stress and help one cope with the effects of stress.
DARE to Relax © is a wellness-based relaxation training and stress management program that is practical and well rounded. The format includes a balance of factual information and experiential activities. Participants will:
→ Julie Lusk, M.Ed. is available to speak about DARE to Relax ® and a variety of wellness and mind/body topics at your special event.
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Joan Borysenko says…
Meditation is a form of mental martial arts. If we resist thoughts, they will overpower us. But if we just step lightly out of their way, letting them come and go like birds flying overhead, we can use their energy to further focus our minds.
The nature of the mind is to think and create, so the mind naturally wanders during meditation. The demoralizing thought that only your mind wanders while other meditators are sitting there in bliss is a major reason why people give up on meditation practice. All people think when they meditate. What distinguishes the novice from the skillful meditator is the attitude of detached awareness that the skillful meditator maintains toward thinking.
Is this true for you? How do you handle it when your mind is restless?
