Ujjayi Breathing: The Science Behind the 'Ocean Breath'

At Breath Hold, we chat a lot about control—like how we breathe, manage our mindset, and handle stress. Sure, we often focus on things like apnea and CO₂/O₂ training, but there's another technique that's pretty cool: Ujjayi breathing. It comes from yoga, but it's super handy for breath-hold training too.

You might know it as Ocean Breath. It's a straightforward way to boost your breathing efficiency, chill out your nervous system, and even help with oxygen levels. And yeah, there's science to back that up.

Whether you're freediving, getting ready for surfing hold-downs, or just diving into breathwork to improve focus and resilience, Ujjayi's definitely something you should try out.

What Is Ujjayi Breathing?

Ujjayi (pronounced oo-jai) is a form of conscious, nasal breathing where you lightly constrict the glottis (the opening at the back of your throat) to create a gentle sound with each inhale and exhale. It sounds like ocean waves—hence the nickname.

So what's the breath like?

It's slow and steady.
You breathe through your nose only.
You can hear it.
It's deep but not forced.
You usually pause a little between your breaths.

In yoga, Ujjayi helps keep your focus while moving and builds up some inner heat. When it comes to breath training, it's great for calming your nervous system, boosting oxygen intake, and getting used to higher levels of CO₂.

So why should you care about Ujjayi when it comes to breath training?

Let's break it down:

1. Improved Oxygen Uptake

A study from 1991 found that experienced yoga folks who added a quick breath hold after inhaling Ujjayi-style saw a whopping 52% boost in oxygen uptake. That's a big deal when you're prepping for a breath-hold or recovering.

2. Higher Oxygen Saturation

In a study from 2012, researchers looked at different slow breathing techniques. Ujjayi breathing showed the biggest jump in blood oxygen levels compared to other methods. More oxygen in your blood means better performance and faster recovery.

3. CO₂ Tolerance Training

Ujjayi naturally slows your breathing down, which bumps up CO₂ retention, helping your body get used to higher levels. That urge to breathe comes from CO₂ levels, not just oxygen, so this really helps.

4. Parasympathetic Activation

The sound and rhythm of Ujjayi kind of wakes up your vagus nerve, putting you in a relaxed state. It's perfect for calming down before a dive or helping you recover afterward.

How do you Practice Ujjayi?

Here is a 4 step simple guide.

Breathe in slowly through your nose while gently narrowing your throat. You should hear a soft sound like "sss" or even a snore. Also referred to Ocean breath or Darth Vader Breath:)
Exhale through your nose, keeping that throat constriction, making a gentle "hhh" sound like a soft sigh.
Keep your breathing deep but relaxed, same pace and pressure.
Don't forget to pause briefly after each inhale and exhale.

Try this for a couple of minutes before your next breath-hold session, during recovery, or even on off days to help with your baseline CO₂ tolerance.

Ujjayi breathing fits perfectly into:

Warm-up routines
Box Breathing (to maintain calm under increasing CO₂ levels)
Post-table recovery
Daily breathing practices focused on calming down and adapting to CO₂

We'll be adding it into some guided sessions in the Breath Hold app, especially for those focused on mental clarity, relaxation, and long-term CO₂ tolerance.

Now, let's look at the science behind these benefits.

Research-Backed Perks

Ujjayi can boost oxygen uptake by over 50% when you mix it with brief breath-holding.
It improves blood oxygen saturation compared to normal breathing.
It makes gas exchange in the lungs more efficient.

Nervous System Control

It gets the parasympathetic nervous system going through vagal stimulation.
Helps lower stress hormones and promotes a chill response.
Links conscious control with automatic regulation.

CO₂ Adaptation Benefits

Slower breathing raises CO₂ retention naturally.
Helps you gradually get used to higher CO₂ levels without panicking.
Builds tolerance that can directly improve your breath-holding game.

Practical Uses

Get ready for sessions by using it first.
Daily practice improves your breathing muscle control and strength

For newbies

Start with just 2-3 minutes of Ujjayi before any practice. It sets a peaceful vibe and gets your nervous system ready for action.

Advanced athletes should think about weaving Ujjayi into their daily routines to build passive CO₂ tolerance.

So here's a final thought

While Ujjayi comes from yoga, its benefits go way beyond that. When used with intention, it acts as a bridge to better performance, helping you breathe easier, hold your breath longer, and recover quicker.

If you haven't given it a try yet, start small—just a few minutes a day. It's one of those things that gets better the more you use it.

Ujjayi is beautiful in its simplicity. You can practice it anywhere, anytime. Whether you're gearing up for a tough breath-hold or just wanting to breathe better day-to-day, this ancient move brings some science-backed perks to the table.

Got questions or want to share how Ujjayi working for you? Shoot us a message or tag us on Instagram @breathhold.co We'd love to hear your thoughts!