Yoga Breathing Techniques - 5 Ujjayi Pranayama Steps For Curing Insomnia

By Outarow Chuong

If there's one medical condition which can seemingly strike anyone at anytime, that is none other than insomnia. This common sleep disorder can have psychological, physiological, environmental and medical reasons. Now, if you are one of the millions of people who are suffering from this condition, did you know that there is a type of yoga which can help cure it?

The key is to learn about the breathing techniques involved in the Ujjayi Pranayama - a style of yoga which is also called ocean breath, hissing breath and victorious breath. Ujjayi literally means rising victoriously. When you practice this style, you can use the techniques to cure any sleeping disorders that you may have.

5 Steps to Develop a Breathing Technique

To help you out, here are the five steps that you need to follow if you want to develop a technique based from Ujjayi Pranayama yoga - which should help cure you of insomnia:

• Begin the yogic breathing technique by taking five long, deep and slow breaths. This should help in the relaxation phase.


• If you are using the Ujjayi Pranayama steps to specifically cure insomnia, close your eyes during the exercise.


• Next, try to constrict your throat muscles. At this point, it would help if you will visualize that you are breathing through a hold in your throat. This type of yogic exercise is also known as 'ocean breath' because of the sound that will be made by the air passing through your throat. The point of this step in the exercise is to breathe through your throat instead of through your nose.


• Find a nice, slow and relaxing rhythm as you continue with this style. Imagine that you are in a peaceful, calm beach with only the sound of the surf as your companion.


• Continue with this exercise until you relax completely and fall asleep eventually.

As you can see, the steps involved in this breathing exercise are quite easy. The good thing about using the Ujjayi Pranayama techniques is that it will produce health benefits like lowering your blood pressure and ultimately relaxing you once you go to bed and try to sleep. As your body regains its equilibrium, your mind will also calm down and you can emerge successful in the fight against the sleeping disorder which is insomnia.

Strike A Yoga Pose To Strike Down Stress

"Yoga is not just a practice of poses, but of your breath work," says Brill, a Dallas certified yoga instructor. "The practice of slow, controlled, rhythmic breathing helps bring down blood pressure, rest the heart, clear the mind, energize the body and relax the muscles. Combine this with some relaxing yoga poses, and peace and serenity are just around the corner.

We asked her for poses to help ease stress. Yes, poses even those of us with the flexibility of a pencil can do. Here are five: Do one or two or all five poses for a deep inhale and exhale of a minute or two. Or longer.

Or, as she puts it, "You never want to stay and struggle in a pose. Feel the benefits; you don't want to feel like you're going to pass out or rip in half."

1) Bridge Pose. This is designed to calm the brain, rejuvenate tired legs and relieve spinal tension.

To do it: Lie on your back with your feet hip-width and flat on the ground. Press down with your feet; lift your glutes, hips, pelvis and back off the ground. Keeping your arms flat, with your shoulders on the floor, lock your fingers under your glutes. Inhale and exhale.

2) Standing Forward Bend. This stretches tight hamstrings and relieves tension in the hips and lower back.

To do it: Stand straight, feet hip-distance apart. Exhale and bend, bringing the crown of your head toward the ground. You're far enough when your hamstrings are stretched, but not tight. Put your right hand on your left elbow; release and switch.

3) Seated Spinal Twist. This helps aid digestion and opens up the spine to release tightness and tension.

To do it: Sit comfortably cross-legged. Inhale, bringing arms overhead and pressing palms together. As you exhale, twist to your left. Reach your left hand behind your back to the ground. Put your right hand on the outside of your left knee. Use it to leverage the twist to your left, taking your gaze over your left shoulder. Repeat on the right side.

4) Salutation seal. This helps reduce anxiety and stress, calms the brain and clears the mind.

To do it: Sit cross-legged. Relax shoulders back and down. Draw chin slightly toward chest. Bring palms together. Take 10 deep, rhythmic inhales and exhales.

5) Seated forward bend. This brings energy to the body, improves digestion and helps insomnia.

To do it: Sit on the floor, legs extended. As you inhale, bring your arms overhead. As you exhale, reach up and out, slowly folding over your legs. Hold the position, making sure your shoulders and neck are relaxed. Deeply inhale and exhale a few times. Inhale, slowly rising up to sitting position.

Source: The Dallas Morning News.