Nadi shodhana: alternate nostril breathing, step by step

Anuloma viloma, nadi shodhana, alternate nostril breathing: three names, one practice. It appears in almost every traditional class, including ours in Fort Kochi, and it is usually the first pranayama a new student is given, because it is difficult to do badly and it works.

What it is, and what it is for

Nadi means channel; shodhana means cleansing. The classical idea is that the breath flows through two main channels, ida on the left and pingala on the right, and that alternating between them balances the two and prepares the mind for meditation.

You do not have to accept the model to feel the effect. Breathing slowly and evenly through one nostril at a time lengthens the breath, evens out its rhythm and gives the attention a simple thing to follow. People usually describe feeling calmer and clearer within a few minutes.

It belongs to the same family as the other practices in pranayama for beginners, but sits at the opposite end from kapalabhati: one stimulates, this one settles.

The hand position

The traditional hand shape is Vishnu mudra, with the right hand:

• Fold the index and middle fingers into the palm, or rest them lightly on the brow.
• The thumb closes the right nostril.
• The ring finger, with the little finger resting beside it, closes the left.
• Press on the soft part beside the nostril, not on the bone, and only firmly enough to stop the air.
• Keep the right elbow down and the shoulders relaxed. If the arm tires, support it with the left hand.

Left-handers use the right hand too, by tradition, but the practice works either way. Comfort matters more than convention.

The practice, step by step

1. Sit tall on a cushion or a chair, spine upright, shoulders soft, eyes closed.
2. Take three ordinary breaths to settle.
3. Close the right nostril with the thumb. Breathe out fully through the left, then in through the left.
4. Close the left with the ring finger, release the thumb, and breathe out through the right.
5. Breathe in through the right.
6. Close the right and breathe out through the left. That completes one round.
7. Continue for five to ten rounds, then rest the hand and breathe normally, noticing how the mind feels.

The breath should be silent, smooth and unforced throughout. If you can hear it, you are working too hard.

Counting, and ratios

Retention, kumbhaka, is a real part of the practice and the part most often rushed. It is worth learning in a class or a private session, where someone can watch your face and tell you that you are straining before you notice it yourself.

How long, and when

• Start with three to five minutes. Five to ten rounds is plenty in the first week.
• Build to ten minutes over a month or two.
• Before meditation is the classical placement; it makes sitting still much easier.
• Evening works well too, unlike kapalabhati. It is one of the few practices that suits the hour before bed, which is why it appears in yoga for better sleep.
• Empty stomach, or at least two hours after a meal.

Common mistakes

• Pressing too hard, which tenses the face and neck. Light contact is enough.
• Lifting the elbow and letting the shoulder climb.
• Forcing a blocked nostril. If one side is congested, practise mentally, imagining the alternation, or wait until it clears.
• Making the inhale long and the exhale short. It should be the other way around.
• Adding retention too early. If the breath afterwards is ragged, the retention was too long.
• Slumping. A collapsed chest shortens every breath that follows.

Cautions

This is one of the gentlest practices in yoga, and most people can do it safely. Even so: stop if you feel dizzy or light-headed and breathe normally. Leave out breath retention if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma or epilepsy, and simply do the even version instead. If breathing through the nose is difficult because of a cold, sinus problem or a deviated septum, wait rather than force it.

If anxiety is the reason you are here, the practices in yoga for anxiety and stress are worth reading alongside this one. And if you want to learn it properly, an afternoon class at the school includes pranayama every day.

Common questions

How do you do alternate nostril breathing?

Sit tall. Close the right nostril with the thumb and breathe in through the left. Close the left with the ring finger and breathe out through the right. Breathe in through the right, close it, and breathe out through the left. That is one round.

How long should you practise nadi shodhana?

Start with three to five minutes, or five to ten rounds, and build towards ten minutes over a month or two. Daily practice matters more than length.

When is the best time for alternate nostril breathing?

Before meditation, or in the evening before bed. Unlike stimulating practices such as kapalabhati, it calms rather than energises, so it suits the end of the day. Practise on an empty stomach.

Who should avoid nadi shodhana?

Almost nobody needs to avoid the simple version, but leave out breath retention if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma or epilepsy. Stop if you feel dizzy, and do not force a blocked nostril.