Afternoon my beautiful peoples! I know it's been awhile but let's take a moment and BREATHE....and talk a little about deep breathing or in yoga terms, Ujjayi breathing.
According to Wikipedia, "Ujjayi breathing is a technique employed in a variety of Taoist and Yoga practices. In relation to yoga, it is sometimes called 'ocean breath'. Unlike some forms of pranayama, the Ujjayi breath is typically done in association with asana practice."
Even though this term generally refers to deep breathing, there is a difference between Ujjayi breath and taking a regular deep breath. With Ujjayi breath, it would involve breathing in deeply through your nostrils, taking the air through your lungs, and dispersing the exhaled breathe throughout your mouth without opening it. Believe me it sounds more complicated than what it actually is. The best example that I can give is to breath like Darth Vader; the same way you would mimic that sound will be the best way to achieve this type of breathing.
Now once you have Ujjayi breathing down, the next and possibly the most difficult step is to apply this breathing while doing yoga. With a lot of the yoga poses that you may find yourself in, the natural reaction is to inhale through your nostrils and exhale through your mouth, or even inhale and exhale through your nose or mouth. But with breathing in through the nose and releasing the air slowly into your mouth, it creates more internal heat and it helps with centering your focus. The great thing about this breathing technique is that it can also be associated with other exercise routines like walking and light cardio. In my personal opinion and experience, you don't get as winded as quickly when breathing in such a way. So the next time you find yourself doing yoga or just working out, try using your Ujjayi breath and see how it works for you! Breathe easy ya'll and Namaste.