Alternate Nostril Breathing: Nadi Shodhana and Anulom Vilom
One of the first pranayama (breathing) techniques I learned when I was a teenager was alternate nostril breathing. My uncle patiently demonstrated the technique, and I tried to copy it. It’s not something that I stuck to, and over time, I neglected it completely. Looking back, one of the biggest obstacles to getting the technique right was the fact that throughout my life, no one ever taught me how to breathe properly. Breathing properly is the most fundamental skill one can learn as a human being, and yet it was completely absent from any school curriculum.
Years went by, and as my anxiety increased, the quality of my breathing became worse. Eventually, I found my way back to yoga, and eventually, as an adult, I finally learned how to breathe with my entire body. Alternate Nostril breathing, while focusing on the movement of air in and out of the nostrils, requires us to breathe with our whole bodies. The air originates in the stomach and moves up the rib space, the heart space, and eventually up the nostrils.
But what is alternate nostril breathing, and why is it such an important technique for yogis to learn? In my yoga teacher training, alternate nostril breathing was referred to as Nadi Shodhana. Sitting up tall, with your spine straight and both hands on your knees, you take your right hand and place your right thumb against your right nostril. You inhale through the left nostril, and then you place your right ring finger on your left nostril. Release your right thumb from your right nostril, and then exhale out the right. You can then inhale through the same nostril that you have just exhaled through.
Doing rounds of this is actually called Anulom Vilom. In order for it to be called Nadi Shodhana, you have to hold your breath in before you exhale. So, you would inhale through the right nostril, close both nostrils for say, ten seconds, and then exhale out the left. Breath retention is an essential component of Nadi Shodhana, even though it is often conflated with Anulom Vilom, which does not require you to hold your breath.
Nadi refers to energy channels that run through the subtle body, connecting the chakras. There are 72,000 nadis running through our subtle body, but there are three that are the most significant: Pingala Nadi, Ida Nadi and Sushumna Nadi. Pingala nadi represents the right side of our bodies, the masculine, sun, or yang energy, while Ida nadi represents the left side of our body, the feminine, moon, or yin energy. Sushumna Nadi runs along the spinal cord, starting at the base of the spine. The purpose of alternate nostril breathing is to balance these channels so that energy can flow freely along the central channel, Sushumna nadi and balance our chakras, which sit along our spine.
Beyond the energetic, subtle body, alternate nostril breathing has proven benefits for our physical and mental well being. A regular practice can improve lung strength, regulate the nervous system and reduce high blood pressure. Research has shown that even four weeks of ten minutes a day of consistent practice enhanced respiratory function. The more oxygen you can exhale, the stronger and healthier your lungs can become. Strong lungs that exhale large quantities of oxygen can clear the lungs of mucus and other unwanted fluids that can accumulate with bronchitis and other respiratory illness. In addition to the physiological, alternate nostril breathing can to calm and focus the mind and reduce anxiety.
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References:
Jahan I, Begum M, Akhter S, Islam MZ, Jahan N, Haque M. Effects of alternate nostril breathing exercise on respiratory functions in healthy young adults leading stressful lifestyle. J Popul Ther Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Mar 19;27(1):e104-e114. doi: 10.15586/jptcp.v27i1.668. PMID: 32320171
Raghuraj P, Telles S. Immediate effect of specific nostril manipulating yoga breathing practices on autonomic and respiratory variables. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2008 Jun;33(2):65-75. doi: 10.1007/s10484-008-9055-0. Epub 2008 Mar 18. PMID: 18347974
Sinha AN, Deepak D, Gusain VS. Assessment of the effects of pranayama/alternate nostril breathing on the parasympathetic nervous system in young adults. J Clin Diagn Res. 2013 May;7(5):821-3. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2013/4750.2948. Epub 2013 May 1. PMID: 23814719; PMCID: PMC3681046.