Daily Ocean Breath: Reset with Intentional Breathwork

Breathing at six cycles per minute can dramatically increase your heart rate variability, a key signal of a calm, resilient nervous system. In our last session on Coherent Breathing, we found that steady rhythm. Today, we add a sound that deepens the calm. Find your seat. Or stand. Whatever feels steady. Allow your spine to lengthen.

Shoulders drop away from your ears. Just take one normal breath in. And out. This breath is called Ujjayi. Ocean Breath. It has a sound. We’ll find it together. Breathe in through your nose. Now, open your mouth and exhale, like you’re trying to fog up a mirror. Hear that soft, rushing sound? That’s it. Let’s do that again.

In through the nose. Out through the open mouth, making that ‘haaaaah’ sound. Now, the final step. This time, on the exhale, gently close your lips. Make that same sound, but let the air pass through your nose. You should feel a very gentle constriction in the back of your throat. And hear a sound like a distant ocean wave.

It’s not a strain. It’s a whisper. Now, let’s begin to practice. Close your eyes if that feels right. Inhale through your nose, creating that soft ocean sound. Exhale through your nose, maintaining the sound. Smooth. Steady. Again. Inhale… listening. Exhale… softening. Let the sound be your anchor. If the mind wanders, the sound calls it back.

Inhale, a wave rolling in. Exhale, a wave rolling out. One more, on your own. Now, let the Ujjayi breath go. Allow your breathing to return to its natural, effortless rhythm. Notice the quiet. The space you’ve created. This focus is now yours to carry.