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Are you breathing too loud in yoga?


ISSUE 02



A yoga instructor posed a question through a forum — “What should I do when a student is breathing too loud?” I paused, considering before replying with a few questions of my own.


“Was the student practicing their Ujjayi breathe or having trouble with allergies?” I didn’t quite understand the problem. The teacher replied, “No, the sound of their breath is disruptive to me and the other students.”


Is there such a thing as breathing too loud, in a yoga class?


  1. Loud is subjective and relative, not just to a specific person but it varies across cultures and situations. What is the relative comparison or more likely to whom is this student’s breathing being compared?

  2. A person’s sex significantly affects the respiratory system’s structure and function. Women have smaller lungs and airways than men and rib-cages also differ in terms of shape, altering one’s breath.

  3. Also, there are a variety of medical conditions, like the blockage or narrowing of the airway, that create audible sounds when inhaling or exhaling.


Ujjayi breath is an advanced pranayama used to create the sound of the universe (AUM) and assists in synchronizing movements with the breath. The aim is for your breath to be louder than your thoughts. When done properly, Ujjayi breath soothes the nervous system, calms the mind and lowers blood pressure, without strain or stress.


As a yoga instructor, this question illuminates how far yoga in the West has strayed from its roots and continues to miss the mark. Just as there’s no perfect asana, only an asana that’s perfect for your body. There’s no perfect breath, except the breath that’s accessible in that moment. So, no. You’re not breathing too loud in yoga.


It’s important to remember that the practice of asana is a stressor on the body. And when we are stressed, our breath is shorter and louder. Some believe that Ujjayi breath should not be practiced in public classes. I would take that a step further, asserting that yoga should not be practiced publicly.


For thousand of years, yoga was taught privately. And it continues to be taught this way in many parts of India. However, the one-to-one model doesn’t maximize profits. And therefore, yoga studios are packed with students, at various levels of experience, stifling personal development through the distortion of group observation.


The act of observation, hinders the practice through ‘de-individuation’ — the loss of self-awareness in group settings, along with comparison and performance. Public group classes counteracts personal development and spiritual evolution, not the volume of one’s breathing pattern. No one should be expected to change the way they breathe, or any other part of themselves in exchange of others’ comfort or one’s acceptance.

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