Find the length of your breath
- Count the number of Ujjayi breaths taken during 3 or 5 minutes.
- Divide the number of seconds of the practice (3 minutes = 180 seconds, 5 minutes = 300 seconds) by the number of breaths = length of your breath.
Calculate the length of your inhale
- Divide the length of your breath by 2½
- Round the result down to an even number.
Shortcut Chart
| # Breaths (3 minutes) | # Breaths (5 minutes) | Inhale Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6 or less | 10 or less | 12 |
| 7 | 11-12 | 10 |
| 8-9 | 13-15 | 8 |
| 10-12 | 16-20 | 6 |
| 13-18 | 21-30 | 4 |
| 19 or more | 31 or more | 2 |
Four Parts of the Breath & Ratios
Example 1: Equal Inhale & Exhale
| Parts of the Breath | Inhale | Hold(AK) | Exhale | Hold (BK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Eg: inhale 4 seconds | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Eg: inhale 6 seconds | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Example2: Exhale 1½ times longer than inhale
| Parts of the Breath | Inhale | Hold(AK) | Exhale | Hold (BK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 1 | 0 | 1½ | 0 |
| Eg: inhale 4 seconds | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Eg: inhale 6 seconds | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Practice
- To practice precisely with ratios use a metronome (if you do not have a metronome, there are metronome apps you can still on your phone/tablet) set to 60 beats-per-minute – a beat every second.
- There are now two types of counting: counting the number of breaths is done with the left hand (see lesson 1 notes) and then counting each part of the breath mentally using the metronome to measure time.
- The practices below are given in ratios and needed to be converted into actual numbers based on your personal inhale length (see examples above).
Practice 1:
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
Practice 2:
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
1 . 0 . 1½ . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
Practice 3:
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
1 . 0 . 1½ . 0 x6 ujjayi breaths
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
Practice 4:
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths
1 . 0 . 1½ . 0 x8 ujjayi breaths
1 . 0 . 1 . 0 x4 ujjayi breaths