Ujjayi Breathing - The Breath That Sounds Like the Ocean

There is a breathing technique that has been practised for thousands of years in yoga traditions, is now supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research, requires no equipment, no app, no gym membership, and can be learned in under five minutes. Most people reading this article will never have tried it. A significant proportion of those who have encountered it will have dismissed it as something that belongs in a yoga studio rather than in the toolkit of a stressed parent, a busy executive, or anyone managing the relentless pace of modern life. That dismissal is worth reconsidering.

What is going on?

Ujjayi pranayama, sometimes called ocean breath or victorious breath, is a slow nasal breathing technique involving a gentle partial constriction of the glottis, the small valve at the back of the throat. This constriction narrows the airway slightly and produces an audible, oceanic sound on both the inhale and exhale, soft enough that only the practitioner can hear it. It is this resistance that makes the technique physiologically distinct from ordinary slow breathing, and it is this resistance that appears to contribute to many of its observed effects.

The technique is now attracting scientific attention. An early randomised controlled trial found that six weeks of regular ujjayi practice was associated with reductions in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure compared to a control group that did not practise (Lathadevi et al., 2012). In a separate randomised controlled trial involving women with a chronic autoimmune condition, six weeks of daily ujjayi practice was associated with reductions in cortisol, anxiety, depression, fatigue and sleep disturbance, alongside improvements in cardiovascular parameters (Ibrahim et al., 2024). While the research base is still emerging, these findings point toward measurable physiological and psychological effects that warrant further investigation.

Why is this happening?

The glottic constriction at the centre of ujjayi has two distinct physiological consequences that work together to shift the body's autonomic state.

During inhalation, the partial closure of the throat increases resistance and encourages deeper diaphragmatic engagement as the body works to draw air into the lungs. This type of breathing is thought to activate stretch receptors in the lung tissue that feed into the vagus nerve and support parasympathetic activity (Mason et al., 2013). During exhalation, the same gentle constriction can increase intrathoracic pressure, which may further support vagal activation and contribute to a shift toward a parasympathetic or “rest and digest” state. The extended, resisted exhale is not simply relaxing in a general sense. It may act as a mechanical stimulus to systems involved in recovery, digestion, immune regulation and emotional processing.

This is distinct from simply taking slow, deep breaths. Research examining slow, resisted breathing patterns, including techniques such as ujjayi, suggests that the addition of airway resistance may enhance baroreflex sensitivity beyond that seen with slow breathing alone (Mason et al., 2013). The resistance appears to be a meaningful component of the technique rather than an incidental feature.

The auditory element also plays a role. The sound of the breath, heard clearly and consistently by the practitioner, can act as a continuous anchor for attention. A small randomised study found that a short period of ujjayi practice produced improvements in sustained and selective attention, along with short term reductions in anxiety, compared to seated rest (Niranjan and Pradhan, 2022). The dual focus on sound and breath creates something close to active mindfulness without requiring formal meditation training.

How to do it

Ujjayi can be learned in minutes and practised almost anywhere, whether seated at a desk, on a commute, before a difficult meeting, or as preparation for sleep.

Begin by sitting comfortably with the spine relatively upright. Close the mouth. Inhale slowly through the nose and gently constrict the back of the throat as you do so, as if you were about to fog a mirror but with the mouth closed. You should hear a soft, ocean-like sound. Exhale through the nose with the same gentle constriction, allowing the sound to continue on the out-breath. The exhale can be slightly longer than the inhale, with a ratio of around four counts in and six counts out as a useful starting point.

The sound should be audible only to you. If it is loud, ease the constriction. If you cannot hear anything, increase it slightly. The practice asks nothing more than this.

A question worth sitting with: how many times today did you consciously intervene in your own stress response, not by adding something to your day but simply by changing the way you breathed?

If the answer is none, you are in the majority. The capacity to influence your own physiology in real time, without cost or equipment, exists in every breath you take. Ujjayi simply asks you to use it deliberately.

References:

Ibrahim, A. M., Saad, A. E., Fouad, N. A., & Elfahl, A. M. (2024). Ujjayi pranayama in systemic lupus women: Randomized controlled effect on cortisol, stress, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Physiotherapy Quarterly, 32(3), 21–28.

Lathadevi, G. V., Maheswari, T. U., & Nagashree, R. (2012). Modulation of cardiovascular functions by ujjayi pranayama. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 6(8), 1358–1360.

Mason, H., Vandoni, M., de Barbieri, G., Codrons, E., Ugargol, V., & Bernardi, L. (2013). Cardiovascular and respiratory effect of yogic slow breathing in the yoga beginner: What is the best approach? Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013, Article 743504. 

Parajuli, N., & Pradhan, B. (2022). Immediate effect of ujjayi pranayama on attention and anxiety among university students: A randomized self-control study. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 16(2), VC01–VC04.