Ujjayi

In the app: Ujjayi Pranayama

Ujjayi steadies the mind, holds your focus during movement or meditation, and creates a calm, even rhythm. It's a breath where you gently narrow the back of the throat so each slow inhale and exhale makes a soft, ocean-like sound.

The slight throat constriction naturally slows the breath and adds gentle resistance, lengthening each cycle and encouraging a settled state, while the sound gives the mind a steady anchor to rest on. You may hear a soft ocean-like whisper and feel the breath become smooth and controlled. Slow pranayama like this is part of the research base showing paced breathing supports calm and focused attention. Ujjayi is often translated as victorious breath, a foundational practice in yoga, especially alongside postures and breath-led meditation. If the practice feels a little awkward or hard to coordinate at first, that's completely normal, it becomes more natural the more you do it.