Connecting with Your Breath on the Beach: A Guide to Ocean Breathing

We all know the feeling of being at the beach, surrounded by the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean. But did you know that you can use this environment to connect with your breath? Ocean breathing, also known as Ujjayi or victorious breathing, is a powerful tool that combines deep breathing with the sound of the ocean to create a sense of calm, focus, clarity and overall wellbeing. In this article, we'll explore how to use ocean breathing to connect with your breath while practicing on the beach.To begin, sit or stand with your spine straight and your shoulder blades relaxed. Expand your chest and remember to breathe on the sides of your ribs.

As you inhale and exhale, gently contract the base of your throat to control the movement of your breath. This will create a wave-like sound that will help you focus on your breath and silence any chatter in your mind. The benefits of conscious breathing are numerous. It can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (which helps with rest and digestion), stimulate the metabolic system, and improve blood circulation throughout the body.

Additionally, it can help realign us with our ability to experience a strong, healthy body and a calm mind. When practicing ocean breathing, it's important to remember that animals such as rats and rabbits breathe quickly and are therefore extremely nervous, mentally unstable, emotionally restless, and have a short lifespan. On the other hand, animals such as elephants and turtles breathe slowly and deeply and have a calmer personality and a longer life. If you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious while practicing ocean breathing on the beach, it's important to remember that it's normal to feel scared or out of control at times.

The experience of not being able to catch my breath scared me so much that I knew I had to learn to regain control. To conclude, ocean breathing is an incredibly powerful tool that can help us connect with our breath while practicing on the beach. It can provide us with much-needed relief in moments of intense emotion or chaos. To learn more about conscious breathing, check out Max Strom's book A Life Worth Breathing.