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Nadi Shodhana: The Simple and Powerful Tool to Create Calm

March 6, 2022 by Jodell Raymond

 

Nadi Shodhana, or “alternate nostril breathing,” is a simple and powerful tool to create calm and is a yogic practice intended to balance and clear the circulation of air through your nasal passages. This simple, yet powerful technique has been used for centuries in traditional medicine and yogic practices to settle the mind, body, and emotions.

Alternate nostril breathing can help:
quiet your mind at the beginning of a meditation practice
support the transition into restful sleep or during bouts of insomnia
detoxification through the airways
clearing the energetic channels within the brain and nervous system
mental clarity

Nadi Shodhana is a simple and powerful tool to use crate calm. You can use it anytime you need a mental reset. Follow these instructions from Chopra Center or watch the video linked below:

Take a comfortable seat, making sure your spine is straight and your heart is open.
Relax your left palm comfortably into your lap and bring your right hand in front of your face.
With your right hand, bring your pointer finger and middle finger to rest between your eyebrows, lightly using them as an anchor. (The fingers we’ll be actively using are the thumb and ring finger).
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out through your nose.
Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril slowly and steadily.
Close the left nostril with your ring finger so both nostrils are held closed; retain your breath at the top of the inhale for a brief pause.
Open your right nostril and release the breath slowly through the right side; pause briefly at the bottom of the exhale.
Inhale through the right side slowly.
Hold both nostrils closed (with ring finger and thumb).
Open your left nostril and release breath slowly through the left side. Pause briefly at the bottom.

Steps 5-9 represent one complete cycle of alternate nostril breathing. If you’re moving through the sequence slowly, one cycle should take you about 30-40 seconds.
Move through 5-10 cycles when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or in need of a reset button.

For additional information, go to NHAND.org/blog

VIDEOS

Yoga with Adrienne teaches Nadi Shodhana 

Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur

Resources

Chopra.com “Nadi Shodhana: How to practice alternate nostril breathing.”

https://chopra.com/articles/nadi-shodhana-how-to-practice-alternate-nostril-breathing

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: breathing, nadi, nostril, shodhana

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