It was about June 2018 when my life changed forever as I woke up one morning and noticed an annoying ringing in my ears. My first reactions were shock, worry and confusion but rather than overreact I told myself I would give it a few days hoping it would pass. When the ringing didn’t stop my anxiousness increased and after visiting my GP and consulting an ear specialist I was told that I have a condition called tinnitus. The word ‘tinnitus’ is from the Latin for ‘tinkling or ringing like a bell’. Approximately 17 to 20 per cent of Australians suffer from some degree of tinnitus, varying from mild to severe. Upon being informed that there is no cure for tinnitus my first reaction was how am I ever going to sleep or meditate again with this annoying ringing in my ears!Learning to live with the condition was certainly difficult for the first month or two but eventually things started to improve and eventually I was again able to sleep in peace. Although there is no cure for tinnitus, you can learn to manage your tinnitus to the point where it is no longer a problem for you. When I researched methods for managing tinnitus I would often come across the suggestions around mindfulness, meditation and in some instances yoga. Being a ‘yogi’ this was encouraging but I knew I still had to find a way to make it work for me and a key to doing that was ujjayi pranayama.
Ujjayi is commonly translated as “victorious breath,” and has been used for thousands of years to enhance hatha yoga practice. Also commonly referred to as the “oceanic breath,” the sound that Ujjayi provides helps us to synchronise breath with movements during yoga, making the entire yoga practice more rhythmic. In my circumstance that “oceanic breath” enabled me to focus my mind and mute the ringing in my ears which previously brought me so much discomfort. It is said that Ujjayi has a balancing influence on the entire cardio respiratory system, releasing feelings of irritation and frustration and helps calm the mind and body. I can certainly vouch for this to be true as irritation and frustration are certainly the emotions and feelings which are the strongest when learning to live with tinnitus. A key to living a regular life with tinnitus is learning to let go and ujjayi assisted me in achieving that goal. Whether it was in my meditation practice or going to sleep at night the ‘oceanic breath’ was a means for me to find balance and centre myself when I became irritated, frustrated or distracted by the ringing in my ears.
The use of ‘white noise’ apps on my phone is what I needed when first trying to fall asleep with the tinnitus but ultimately the ujjayi breathing was all I needed. I still remember the sense of accomplishment I first felt when I managed to fall asleep without my phone so I can now say ujjayi breathing is a special thing. I hope that like I did you can also find the many benefits that come with that soothing sound of the ocean.
Andrew Rose
Note:
Talk to your Yoga in Daily Life teacher to learn how to practice Ujjayi Pranayam.
Caution:
This article is a personal experience and not intended as a medical recommendation.
