Ujjay Pranayama (sitting) 

1 : DEEP INHALATION, NORMAL EXHALATION 

Sit for Pranayama Close the eyes and lower the head. Take a few normal breaths, finishing with an exhalation. 

Inhale deeply and steadily, drawing the lower trunk up, filling the chest to the collarbones. 

Keeping the lift of the chest, exhale normally. 

Repeat from exhalation to inhalation for six or more cycles. Raise the head and fist quietly for a few moments. Lie down and rest, or continue with the next technique. 

Refinement of the Technique 

Do not let the head lift. Hold the body steady. Keep the lumbar region and the spine ascending and the chest well open. 

2 : DEEP EXHALATION, NORMAL INHALATION 

Sit for Pranayama. Take a few breaths, finishing with an exhalation. 

Inhale normally. 

Exhale slowly and deeply, without allowing the body to shorten. 

Repeat from exhalation to inhalation for six or more cycles. Raise the head and sit quietly for a few moments. Lie down and rest, or continue with the next technique. 

Refinement of the technique 

Keep the exhalation smooth. Do not collapse the top of the chest, but allow the bottom ribs to relax gradually. 

3 : DEEP INHALATION, DEEP EXHALATION 

Sit for Pranayama. Take a few normal breaths, finishing with an exhalation. 

Take a full deep inhalation, opening the chest well. Exhale slowly and deeply, keeping the trunk drawn up. 

Repeat from exhalation to inhalation for six or more cycles, breathing steadily and keeping the transition between inhalation and exhalation smooth.

Raise the head and sit quietly for a few moments. Then lie flat and relax, or continue with the next technique. 

Refinement of the technique 

Keep the chest up and the head down. Do not strain. Relax the eyes and throat. 

Keep the length and volume of the breath even. 

Focus Deep inhalation and exhalation 

Deep inhalation 

While drawing the breath in stretch the spine and trunk up from the base. Draw the abdomen slightly back, lift the floating ribs, and open the chest. Move the lower back ribs in, in an upward direction. At the same time take the shoulders back and move the shoulder blades in, in a downward direction. The upward and downward stretches of the back meet at the seventh dorsal vertebra; press this in to keep the chest lifted. 

Deep exhalation 

While exhaling, maintain a subtle extension of the trunk. Keep a grip on the top outer corners of the chest and on the back ribs, to control the outflow of breath. Do not allow the mind to sink, the chest to deflate suddenly, or the spine to drop. Let the breath subside gradually. 

Caution 

The lungs should never feel strained. If fatigue is experienced doing continuous cycles of Pranayama, take a few normal breaths between each cycle.