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Benefits: Ujjayi is classified as a tranquillising pranayama and
it also has a heating effect on the body. This practice is used in yoga therapy to soothe the nervous system and calm the mind. It has a profoundly relaxing effect at the psychic level. It helps to relieve insomnia and may be practised in shavasana just before sleep. The basic form without breath retention or bandhas slows down the heart rate and is useful for people suffering from high blood pressure. Ujjayi alleviates fluid retention. It removes disorders of the dhatu, which are the 7 constituents of the
body: blood, bone, marrow, fat, semen, skin and flesh. Advanced practice: After becoming proficient in the practice,
ujjayi may be performed with jalandhara bandha and moola bandha in conjunction with internal and external kumbhaka (for details of these practices refer to the section Bandha). Do not strain when performing kumbhaka, one or two seconds is sufficient at first. The duration may be
increased gradually as the technique is mastered. Practice note: Ujjayi may be performed in any position, stand
ing, sitting or lying. Those suffering from slipped disc or vertebral spondylitis may practise ujjayi in vajrasana or makarasana. Many people contort their facial muscles when they do ujjayi. This is unnecessary. Try to relax the face as much as possible. Do not contract the throat too strongly. The contraction should be slight and applied continuously
throughout the practice. Note: The Sanskrit word ujjayi means 'victorious'. It is derived from
the root ji, which means 'to conquer' or 'to acquire by conquest', and the prefix ud, which means 'bondage'. Ujjayi is therefore the pranayama which gives freedom from bondage. It is also known as the psychic breath, as it leads to subtle states of mind and is used together with khechari mudra, the tongue lock, in tantric meditation techniques such as mantra japa, ajapa japa, kriya yoga and prana vidya.
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