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Nadi Shodhana/Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Sylvia Young
- Jun 8, 2019
- 2 min read
Do you know yoga is more than the practice of asanas (physical postures)? Asana is just the 3rd limb of yoga. Pranayama(breathing) is the 4th limb. Breathing is the only bodily function that you perform consciously and unconsciously. However, breathing patterns reflect your mind and body health. Pranayama is the practice of consciously controlling the breath in and out of your body. Pranayama is a mindful use of our life force, in Sanskrit, life force is called Prana. Pranayama practice can actually improve concentration, health, focus, clarity, purpose, patience and compassion, which could also lead to a meditative state.
Nadi Shodhana/Alternate nostril breathing is one of the Pranayama techniques which can balance the hemisphere of our brains and two energy channels (Ida and Pingala) in our body. Ida Nadi controls the left side(cool side). When we breathe thru left nostril, it connects to the left hemisphere of our brain and stimulates the relaxation response, making us calm, less stress. Pingala controls the right side(warm side). When we breathe thru right nostril, it connects to the right hemisphere of brain which energizes us for action, making us active, energetic. So this Pranayama can well balance these two channels(Nadis).
How to do:
▪️find a comfortable seated position
▪️middle and index fingers place on third eye center(the space in between eye brows); thumb for closing right nostril; ring finger for closing left nostril.
▪️take a deep breath in thru both nostrils, hold the breath, close both nostrils, count to 5(you may modify the count of breath retaining).
▪️release thumb, exhale, out thru the right nostril.
▪️inhale thru the right.
▪️hold the breath, close both nostrils, count to 5
▪️exhale, release ring finger, out thru the left. .
▪️then inhale thru the left, hold, close both, count to 5.
▪️exhale thru the right. (Repeat the above, do 12 rounds) .
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