Nadi shodana or Alternate nostril breathing is a powerful way to balance the doshas and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems by clearing the channels and for fresh prana and blood flow.
Some benefits a practitioner will experienced are slower heart beat, lowered blood pressure, improved oxygen flow, and reduced anxiety and fear.
HOW TO:
- Place your right hand’s peace sign fingers in between your bows and fully exhale. The press your thumb down on your right nostril and breathe in only through your left nostril for 4 seconds ensuring an even consistent breath.
- Then use your ring finger, plug your left nostril and hold your breath entirely for 4 seconds with both nostrils plugged.
- Then release your thumb and exhale only through your right nostril for 4 seconds.
- Immediately in inhale only through your right nostril for 4 seconds.
- Then plug your right nostril with your thumb. Hold for 4 and then release your exhale through only your left nostril for 4 seconds.
- Flow into your next inhale through your left nostril repeating this alternate pattern for 5-10 minutes making sure to end with exhaling through your left nostril.
Note: using a 4 second count is an easy starting point. You can slowly increase to 6, 8, 10, 12+ count as you get comfortable and build your endurance and lung capacity. There is also a more advanced ratio of 1:4:2 for those well practiced (breathe in for 4, hold for 16, release for 8).
