I was taught Ujjayi breath in a workshop a few years ago but nothing about the biological why of it. I’ve since learned more about activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and this last bit about the carotid sinus makes everything click into place. I love finding out the biology behind why many of these ancient practices work. When folks describe something as “an old wives’ tale,” my response is always, “yeah, they were OLD wives in an age when people didn’t get old, so clearly they knew something.” If you dig deep enough you frequently find that the old wives’ tale makes total physiological sense. There are many different kinds of knowing, and we discount them at our peril.
I was taught Ujjayi breath in a workshop a few years ago but nothing about the biological why of it. I’ve since learned more about activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and this last bit about the carotid sinus makes everything click into place. I love finding out the biology behind why many of these ancient practices work. When folks describe something as “an old wives’ tale,” my response is always, “yeah, they were OLD wives in an age when people didn’t get old, so clearly they knew something.” If you dig deep enough you frequently find that the old wives’ tale makes total physiological sense. There are many different kinds of knowing, and we discount them at our peril.
Wise words Eileen.
Ujjayi is an amazing technique — I can't believe it's been so overlooked! Glad you've been taught it already. You're way ahead of the curve.