Studio Talks with Richard Freeman: Breathing and Bandhas

While practicing yoga postures, one should pay particular attention to the breathing. This will eliminate strain and any uneven application of the intelligence to the movement and alignment of the body. On Breathing and Bandhas, Richard Freeman discusses how to work with blockages in your breath’s natural flow.

According to Freeman, a renowned modern yoga master, by partially closing the glottis (the opening through the vocal chords), one can generate a smooth aspirant sound. By keeping the sound of the breath smooth and even, one automatically creates a continuous rate of flow, emptying and filling the lungs comfortably in equal lengths of time. This full breathing is called ujjayi pranayama, meaning, “victorious stretching of the breath or prana.”