The Pranayama technique of Alternate Nostril Breathing is a favorite among yogis to calm the mind, calm the central nervous system and reduce anxiety. It is pretty easy to learn and you can do it almost anywhere you need to create a centered feeling in your mind and in your body. Even a few rounds of this breathing technique can help to slow your heart rate and trigger the Parasympathetic nervous system or rest and digest state. This is an excellent technique to use to prepare your body and mind for meditation or to recenter your mind so that you can keep going with your day.
Nadi Shodana is a Sanskrit term meaning channel clearing or channel purifying. It helps calm the mind, reduces stress and anxiety, reduces chitta vrittis (Sanskrit for the wheel of spinning of thoughts in your mind), and generates pratyahara (a sense of inward focus). This breathing exercise helps to balance and smooth the flow of prana (life force) in the Ida and Pingala Nadis (energy channels). For those interested in Ayurveda, this breathing technique can help balance all of the doshas.
Precautions and Contraindications
Don’t practice this breathing technique if you have any of the following. If you do have any of these contraindications, you can always practice this in your mind, imagining you are inhaling through one nostril, exhaling through the other. This has been shown to have similar if not the same effect on the body and the mind.
- Deviated Septum
- Sinus infection
- Irritation to the throat or sinuses
You can use the Vishnu Mudra shown above for Nadi Shodana or rest your index and middle finger to your brow or third eye center.
How to practice Alternate Nostril Breathing or Nadi Shodana
- Start with your posture. Sit nice and tall on the floor or in a chair with a long spine. Relax your abdomen
- Before you start, take your thumb and travel from the top of your nose on the right side to find the divot above your nostril and practice closing off the right side of your nose.
- Now take your ring finger and do the same thing on the left side of your nose, finding the divot above your nostril and practice gently pressing your ring finger into it to close it off.
- Close your mouth and soften your jaw. Inhale through both nostrils and exhale through both nostrils. Take one more breath through both nostrils and then softly, but completely, exhale out both nostrils.
- Take your right hand and either use Vishnu Mudra (with your index and middle finder folded into your palm) or rest your middle and index finger on your forehead (third eye)
- Use your thumb to close off your right side. Inhale through the left nostril.
- Close the left nostril, open the right nostril. Exhale through the right.
- Inhale through the right nostril. Close off the right nostril and open the left
- Exhale out the left nostril.
- This is one round of breath. Feel free to continue 3-5 more times, making sure you end exhaling out the left nostril.
- When you are ready release the technique and release you hands to your knees or your lap and return to your natural breath.
- Sit in stillness for a minute or two and notice how your body feels and how your mind feels.
If you are looking to share this with others, read this article on how to guide pranayama and practice it enough that you feel comfortable with Nadi Shodona before you begin to lead others in it.
