Meditation – The Yoga Nest Stavanger

Close your eyes for a moment. Take a deep, steady inhale—feel the air filling your lungs, expanding your ribs. Now exhale slowly, releasing everything you don’t need. That breath? It’s more powerful than you think. It’s the key to unlocking deeper focus, effortless movement, and a practice that feels like pure flow.

Why Your Breath is Everything in Ashtanga

In Ashtanga Yoga, breath isn’t just background noise—it’s the conductor of your practice. Every inhale lifts, every exhale grounds. The moment you let breath lead, your body follows, and suddenly, yoga becomes something you feel, not just something you do.

Mastering Ujjayi: The Breath That Transforms

Ujjayi, the “victorious breath,” is a subtle, whispering breath created by gently constricting your throat as you breathe through your nose. It’s like hearing the ocean inside you—a steady, rhythmic wave that carries you through every pose.

Why does it matter?

It sharpens focus – The sound draws you in, quieting distractions.
It builds internal fire – Generating heat from within, helping muscles open.
It keeps you steady – No more rushing, no more struggling. Just flow.

How to Practice Ujjayi Breathing:

Find Stillness – Sit comfortably with a straight spine. Close your eyes and take a few natural breaths.
Imagine Fogging a Mirror – Hold your hand in front of your face and exhale through your mouth as if you were fogging up a mirror. Feel the slight constriction at the back of your throat.
Inhale and Exhale Through the Nose – Now, keeping that same constriction, close your mouth and breathe in and out through your nose. You should hear a gentle, oceanic sound.
Keep it Steady – Aim for smooth, equal-length inhales and exhales, letting each breath guide your movement.
Integrate it into Practice – Maintain Ujjayi breath throughout your Ashtanga sequence, using it to set the rhythm of your flow.

The Power of the Pause

Beyond just inhaling and exhaling, the subtle pause at the top of the inhale and the bottom of the exhale plays a crucial role in deepening awareness. This moment of stillness—often overlooked—creates a space for integration, balance, and energy retention. In Naropa’s Six Yogas, this concept is explored through Vase Breathing, a method that enhances the internal flow of prana. In Ashtanga, allowing this natural pause to occur refines control over the breath and movement, giving rise to greater steadiness in practice.

Try this: At the top of your inhale, instead of immediately exhaling, hold for just a second, feeling the fullness in your lungs. At the bottom of your exhale, pause in emptiness before drawing in fresh air again. This conscious stillness transforms your breath from a passive act into an active, powerful tool.

Your Breath is Your Superpower

Ever feel like you’re pushing too hard, trying to “get” the pose? Flip the script. Instead of forcing movement, let your breath guide you. Each inhale creates space; each exhale softens resistance. Try it—hold a stretch, breathe deeper, and watch your body respond.

Beyond the Mat: The Breath That Grounds You

Life moves fast. Stress piles up. But your breath? It’s always there. A deep inhale in a tense moment can shift everything. A slow exhale can bring clarity. What if you trained your breath to work for you—on and off the mat?

What’s been your experience with breath in yoga? Drop a comment—we’d love to hear!

Text I.3 tadā draṣṭuh svarūpe ‘vasthānam

tadā, then, at that point;

draṣṭuḥ, of the seer, of the soul;

svarūpe, in its own real essential nature;

avasthānam, abiding, remaining, being absorbed in

Translation: When that is accomplished, the seer abides in its own true nature. (Edward F. Bryant, The Yoga Sutra of Pantajalin, A new Edition, translation, and commentary).

“The mind is often engaged in relentless activity, brimming with thoughts, emotions, and various distractions. However, achieving a state of inner quietude allows us to access a more profound level of awareness and insight. Reflect on the analogy of a lake and the moon, as mentioned in text 1.2. When the lake’s surface is calm, it mirrors the moon’s perfect reflection. Similarly, yoga teaches that when the mind is tranquil, undisturbed by the constant ‘winds’ of sensory input and external influences, it can reflect our true nature. This idea echoes the concepts in texts 1.1 and 1.2, where yoga is defined as the practice of calming the mind’s fluctuations, leading to a state of Nirodha, or control and cessation. In the serenity of Nirodha, the soul begins to perceive its authentic essence. This essence is often described as pure consciousness, free from the mind’s constraints and conditioning. It is a state of unadulterated awareness, allowing us to connect with our genuine selves and experience unity and interconnectedness with our surroundings. This realization is akin to seeing and understanding one’s true self. Notably, yoga’s goal is not to alter who we are but to unveil and awaken the true nature of our being. It is a journey of attuning to our spiritual selves, recognizing that we are inherently complete and perfect.

Imagine a time when you were entirely absorbed in a moment, perhaps while watching a sunset, listening to music, or even in deep contemplation. In that instance, the usual clutter of thoughts, worries, and distractions faded away, and you experienced a sense of peace and connection with the moment. This experience is a glimpse of what the sutra describes — a state where the soul (the seer) rests in its true nature, unaffected by the usual turbulence of the mind.

In our everyday lives, our minds are like an ocean in a storm, constantly churned by waves of sensory inputs, emotions, and thoughts. This relentless activity often veils our true self. However, yoga offers the tools to calm this storm. Through practices like meditation, breath control (pranayama), and physical postures (asanas), yoga systematically quiets the mind.

For instance, consider the practice of meditation. Initially, it might seem like a battle with endless thoughts. But with persistence, there comes a moment of stillness, where the mind is no longer distracted by its usual patterns. This stillness is where we begin to experience our essential nature, free from the layers of conditioning and perception.

This concept is also echoed in the analogy of the calm lake reflecting the moon. When our mind is still, it reflects our true self, unobscured by the ripples of mental disturbances. This clarity brings about a profound understanding of our interconnectedness with the world, fostering a sense of unity and peace.

The practice of yoga, encompassing meditation, breath control, and asanas (physical postures), aims to purify the body and cultivate mental stillness. This process enables us to access our inner wisdom, gain clarity, and align with our true nature, ultimately fostering a deeper sense of peace, fulfillment, and self-realization.”

Tag: Meditation

The Breath – Your Gateway to Ashtanga Yoga