Breath Practice:
Ocean Sounding Breath

Ocean Sounding Breath

The Ocean-Sounding Breath uses a constriction of the glottis at the back of the throat to make a hissing or whispering sound while breathing slowly and smoothly from the nose. The muscular action of this technique is identical to what happens in the throat during a whisper. Because of this, Ocean-Sounding Breath can be combined with any deep breathing technique.

The sound of the breath can provide an excellent point of focus for the mind, especially in noisy or distracted environments. The small opening in the throat that the breath passes through also increased the time the air spends in the sinuses, where it is warm and moistened, making it easier for the lungs to process. The same small opening means that the internal pressure of the body changes much more slowly between inhale and exhale, which in turn means that Ocean-Sounding Breath can help support the body in motion when combined with postures.

  • Deepens awareness of breathing mechanisms

  • Tones breathing musculature

  • Encourages the relaxation response

  • Focuses attention

  • Contributes to postural support

Instructions:

1.     Sit on the floor, a cushion or chair with a posture that feels steady but comfortable, and allows the spine to elongate and the abdomen to relax.

2. Close your eyes if you choose. Relax your jaw, the features of your face, and shoulders. Breathe in and out through the nose naturally with no extra effort.

3. Begin with several rounds of Complete Breath.

4. Keeping the face and jaw relax, contract the glottis, making a whispering sound in the back of the throat, and continue to breathe in and out through the nose.

5. Focus your attention on the whispering sound, and continue the Ocean-Sounding Breath for several minutes.

6. To release, gradually reduce and let go of any efforts to breathe in a particular way and let the breath come and go naturally and automatically. Pause to integrate.

  1. Hold up your palm in front of your face. Breath in through your nose and out from your mouth as you whisper hhhaaa

  2. Now closing your mouth, inhale through your nose and exhale through your nose while making that hhhaaa sound at the back of your throat.

  3. Notice the sound you  hear as you whisper hhhaaa with your mouth closed as you inhale and exhale. 

  4. Continue this pattern for a few rounds as you hear the ocean sounding breath (whisper) in your body

Teaching Cues for Students

Implementation & Development

See our Child Development Page for more information to help tailor your instruction to best meet the needs of your students.

All children learn best given clear, concise, instructions, trying to reduce directional cues down to 4 steps.

Enjoys learning through games, songs, and stories. Cues for Ocean Sounding Breath can be woven into a song, built into an entry routine, or integrated into ELA lessons to draw connections between the qualities of the ocean (calmness, ever changing and adapting, tranquil) and the breath practice.

For young children it be be useful to break this practice up and first have them breath using their hand as if they are fogging up a mirror to get them to make the sound and sensation. They can then try to create this same sensation closing their lips.

Keep cues limited, simple, and be consistent with your working to help build a predictable routines. Modeling and pointing to the body parts you are engaging is useful.

Still enjoy routine, learning through games, group activity.

Appreciates praise and being noticed. After you teach the Ocean Sounding Breath, and students are comfortable and familiar, you may engage student leaders to guide the group.

Middle-aged children can begin to more easily understand that the Ocean Sounding Breath can be an advantageous practice to help you move through difficult yoga postures or practices. It may be helpful to layer in this practice as an option to help build resilience.

Slightly longer attention spans, may be able to take in more instructions. You might invite students to notice the connections between the Ocean Sounding Breath practice, how they feel, and the quality of their minds, and feelings.

As adolescence begins and continues, students will start to feel preoccupied with body image. It is important to cultivate a safe space for students to practice the Ocean Sounding Breath where they don’t feel singled out and they have the option to close their eyes or to soften their gaze.

As students assert a greater level of autonomy, it is important to build in more opportunities for choice and agency. If possible give students options as which breathing practice they would like to explore., or choices within that practice. This can be as simple as choosing their count, choosing the direction of the count, etc.

 

Video

 

Principles

For many students, uncertainty about how to make the “ocean sound” of this breath can be a challenge. Let students know that the way to make this sound is exactly the same way they make a whisper. You can teach the pattern gradually by having students whisper ‘hhhhhaaaaaaa’ through the mouth while feeling what’s happening in the back of the throat. Then have them do the exact same thing with their throat and exhale through the nose to find the Ocean Sounding exhale.

The inhale can be a little trickier, as most people don’t have much practice or experience whispering on an inhale, and because the glottis is closed, the feeling of air on the back of the throat can be tickly or irritating if trying an ocean sounding inhale through the mouth. But if a student can feel how the muscles engage in and around the throat to whisper, and they can sustain that engagement as they breathe in and out through the nose, they can feel confident that they’ve got their Ocean Sounding Breath.

Options

Like Complete Breath, this technique can be an excellent one to partner with movement during a posture practice, both as a support for the body and a focus for the mind. As always comfort takes priority over technique, and especially if the postures are intense or moving briskly, the body may need more oxygen. Encourage students to be curious where their Ocean Sounding Breath helps them as a practice, and to breathe normally whenever they need to or choose to.

Precautions

  • Respiratory inflammation: practice moderately

  • Sinus congestion: practice moderately: substitute Complete Breath with the mouth as needed

Helpful Hints

  • Never overdo any breathing exercise or force your breath into a pattern that is uncomfortable. If you begin to feel anxious or lightheaded, stop practicing and breathe normally.

  • Practice with self-compassion and non-judgement.

  • Ocean Sounding Breath can be done from a seated, standing, or reclining position.

  • Content from NYCDOE YMTP² curricular materials