Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Classical pranayama, described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika

IntermediateCalm & RelaxFocus

Breathe in one nostril, out the other, then reverse. Nadi shodhana means channel cleaning. You close one nostril at a time with the thumb and ring finger of the right hand, which gives the practice a physical anchor most people find unusually absorbing.

The rhythm

Breathe inBreathe out

How it goes

  1. 1Rest your left hand on your knee. Bring your right hand to your face.
  2. 2Close the right nostril with your right thumb. Breathe in through the left.
  3. 3Close the left nostril with your ring finger, release the thumb, and breathe out through the right.
  4. 4Breathe in through the right nostril.
  5. 5Close the right, release the left, and breathe out through the left. That is one full cycle.

What it is for

Research

  • Associated in several small trials with improved attention task performance and reduced blood pressure immediately after practice.

Traditional use

  • Traditionally practised to balance the ida and pingala channels and to prepare the mind for meditation.

Before you start

  • •Skip this one if your nose is blocked. Forcing it is not useful.

Session length

The timing of each breath is the technique itself, so it is fixed. How long you sit for is yours.

Cycles1m 40s
5

Fixed by the technique

Sound

Background sound

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

5 cycles · 1m 40s