Establishing a regular yoga and meditation practice is paramount to supporting your physical and mental health, and when you learn to incorporate intentional breath techniques, you can take your practice, and your overall wellness to another level.
Alternate nostril breathing is an ancient pranayama technique used by yogis and meditators to bring balance into their practice and into their lives, and it can be a great tool for you, too.
The practice of pranayama is foundational to the 8-limb path of yoga, being it’s 4th limb, and with the purpose of clearing the energetic channels within us called the nadis (ida, pingala and sushumna) and inviting the life force, prana, to flow freely through us.
At a more practical level, learning to regulate your breath supports your nervous system, helping you shift from fight or flight mode (sympathetic nervous system) to rest and digest (parasympathetic nervous system)
Alternate nostril breathing is one of these techniques, and it has gained popularity in recent years since it is quite accessible, and with a little practice and dedication the benefits are vast.
In this article we will explore:
- What is Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits
- Anulom Vilom versus Nadi Shodhana
- How to Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Exploring Variations of Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Contraindications of Alternate Nostril Breathing
What is Alternate Nostril Breathing
Alternate Nostril Breathing is a breath work practice that can be used in conjunction with your asana practice as well as with your meditation practice, but it can also be used by itself.
This breath control technique is mainly designed to purify and clear the subtle channels of the body and the mind hence allowing us to discover a more stable sense of balance and increasing the mind-body connection.
10 Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits
The alternate nostril breathing technique has many benefits, here are a few of them:
- Helps regulate your nervous system
- Creates physical, mental and energetic balance
- Supports your respiratory health
- Infuses your body with oxygen
- Helps reduce anxiety and stress
- Balances the right and left hemispheres of your brain
- Stabilizes your solar and lunar energies
- Enhances clarity of mind
- Fosters focus and concentration
- Aids in relaxation and sleep
Anulom Vilom versus Nadi Shodhana
Even though these two pranayama techniques are often confused as the same, Anulom Vilom and Nadi Shodhana are different variations of alternate nostril breathing that can be used to direct our energy with more intention and purpose.
Both techniques involve using vishnu mudra or alternatively bringing your index and middle finger right between your eyebrows, and using your thumb and ring finger to practice the techniques.
Both versions of Alternate nostril breathing will be helping your bring more balance and increase your sense of stability.Anulom Vilom is often practiced at a slower pace, and it can be used as a preparation to practice Nadi Shodhana, since it helps clear the nasal passages in a gentle way.
The main difference between these two variations of Alternate nostril breathing is that Nadi Shodhana often includes kumbhaka (breath retentions) as well as the activation of bandhas, while once again, Anulom Vilom remains a bit more simple and is performed at a slower pace.
How to Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing
To practice Alternate nostril breathing, first find a quite place where you can be undisturbed, sit down with your spine erect, and soften your gaze or close your eyes.
1. Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana
2. Take a few natural breaths here, noticing how you feel
3. Keep your left hand resting on your knee or lap, and create Vishnu mudra with your right hand.
4. Gently close your right nostril with your thumb, reducing the flow of air, but not completely.
5. Inhale through your left nostril.
6. Close your left nostril gently with your right ring finger, as you release your right
7. Exhale through your right nostril
8. Inhale through your right nostril
9. Close your right nostril with your thumb, release your left nostril
10. Exhale through your left nostril
11. Repeat
You can also do this pranayama starting on the opposite side.
Energetics Of Alternate Nostril Breathing
When you perform alternate nostril breathing with the inhalation through the left nostril, you foster the lunar energy (Chandra) which relates to cool, dark, passive and nurturing energies; it’s the Yin.
It encourages clearing of the ida nadi, and it supports the right side of your brain which promotes creativity, intuition, etc.
When choosing to perform this pranayam starting the inhale through the right nostril, you will be fomenting connection to Surya, the solar energy; the Yang.
This solar energy relates to warmth, activity, and strength, supporting the pingala and activating the left side of your brain, which is responsible for your logical and calculating thinking.
Whether you choose to foster one or the other, or both, consider doing this pranayama every day for 3 to 9 rounds or more, bringing you back to balance at any time of your day.
Exploring Variations of Alternate Nostril Breathing
If you’ve ever practiced alternate nostril breathing in a yoga class, a meditation session, or by itself, chances are you’ve practiced Nadi Shodhana.
In Sanskrit, Nadi Shodhana translates to subtle energy clearing technique.
1. Nadi Shodhana with Kapalabhati
Kapalabhati means shining skull, and it is also known as Breath of Fire.
It is an awakening and energizing pranayama that when combined with Nadi Shodhana, can be an excellent way to invigorate and harmonize your body, mind, and energy.
Kaphalabati utilizes two bandhas: mula bandha and jalandhara bandha, as well as gyan mudra, and it entails pumping the abdomen, making the inhales passive, and the exhales active and forceful.
If you’ve never practiced Kapalabhati by itself before, consider familiarizing yourself with it here first.
Here is how to combine Nadi Shodhana with Kapalabhati pranayama:
First find a quite place where you can be undisturbed, sit down with your spine erect, and soften your gaze or close your eyes.
- Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana
- Take a few natural breaths here, noticing how you feel
- Keep your left hand resting on your knee or lap, perhaps in gyan mudra, and create Vishnu mudra with your right hand.
- Gently close your right nostril with your thumb, reducing the flow of air, but not completely.
- Inhale softly through your left nostril
- Close your left nostril gently with your right ring finger, as you release your right hand
- Exhale forcefully through your right nostril.
- Close your right nostril again
- Inhale through your left nostril
- Close your left nostril gently with your right ring finger, as you release your right hand
- Exhale forcefully through your right nostril.
- Continue for ten to thirty rounds
First, allow the pace to be slower, and with practice, increase the pace until you create the same “pumping breath” you do with traditional Kapalabhati.
2. Alternate Nostril Breathing with Kumbhaka
For the ultimate balancing of energies and to truly ground you and help you relax, consider practicing Nadi Sodhana with breath retention, also known as Kumbhaka.
How long the retentions are will be completely up to you, your lung capacity and level of comfort with the technique, but keep in mind that the goal here is never to create tension in your body during the practice of this breathwork.
To practice this, find a quite place where you can be undisturbed, sit down with your spine erect, and soften your gaze or close your eyes.
- Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana
- Take a few natural breaths here, noticing how you feel
- Keep your left hand resting on your knee or lap, and create Vishnu mudra with your right hand.
- Gently close your right nostril with your thumb, reducing the flow of air, but not completely.
- Inhale through your left nostril
- Hold your breath for 2-5 seconds (antar kumbhaka)
- Close your left nostril gently with your right ring finger, as you release your right thumb
- Exhale through your right nostril
- Hold yourself empty of breath for 2-5 seconds (bahya kumbhaka)
- Inhale through your right nostril
- Hold your breath for 2-5 seconds (antar kumbhaka)
- Close your right nostril gently with your right thumb, as you release your right ring finger
- Exhale through your left nostril
- Hold yourself empty of breath for 2-5 seconds (bahya kumbhaka)
- Repeat for a few cycles.
Contraindications of Alternate Nostril Breathing
If you are ill, pregnant, have hypertension or any other condition, please first consult your physician before engaging in any of these techniques
Conclusion
Alternate nostril breathing is an excellent pranayama technique to help balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain as well as the lunar and solar energies within all of us.
Like many other pranayama techniques, it can be explored in conjunction with an asana practice like this one to reap even more benefits, it can be explored as a tool for centering and as a one pointed focus when meditating, and it is also often practiced by itself to enhance concentration and focus, regulate our nervous system, and even aid in relaxation and sleep.
If you’re interested in exploring other pranayama techniques to support your yoga and meditation practices as well as your life off the mat, check out this article.
