Nadi Shodhana: the Breath that Balances

How often do you pause to notice that you are breathing? Taking oxygen and giving carbon dioxide is the most basic exchange between our internal and external worlds - a perpetual, life-sustaining dialogue between us and our environment - and yet so few of us even remember that we are doing it.

I’ve described the breath as an object of meditation, because it’s a constant, natural flow that you can bring your attention to again and again. Remembering the breath is a good way to step back from the chaos of our mental movie reel, because breath is the epitome of naturalness; it is so silent and simple compared to the rambling, complicated tangle of the mind.

In yoga, breath is prana, life energy. We forget that death is as simple as the inability to breathe. If we are willing to look at our human bodies honestly, we become aware of the fact that the number of breaths we are privileged to is actually limited. It is easy to forget. We could just keep ignoring the breath, sucking and blowing air in and out without giving it another thought, but I think that would be leaving a great resource untapped. I think the breath is a valuable tool for waking up to life in each moment.

Alternate nostril breathing, or nadi shodhana (“channel-clearing breath”) is a great place to start. I recently learned that our nostrils take turns breathing. Though we breathe through both nostrils, one is usually more active than the other, and they naturally switch every few minutes or so.

Breathing through the left nostril activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The PNS stimulates the right hemisphere of the brain, increases spatial performance, lowers blood sugar levels, and decreases the heart rate. Its effect is relaxation.

On the other side, the right nostril draws energy into the sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates our fight-or-flight response. The SNS rouses the left hemisphere of the brain, increases verbal performance, increases blood sugar levels, and increases the heart rate.

In short, the PNS (stimulated by the left nostril) relaxes us, and the SNS (stimulated by the right nostril) enlivens us.

The pranayama technique of alternate nostril breathing balances these channels. On the one hand, it’s calming, because it requires us to drop our mental storylines and focus on breathing. On the other, it also brings harmony to our nervous systems, like ballasts on a rocking ship. Think of it this way: the ship rocks because the sea is rough. You can’t force the ocean to give you smooth sailing, but you can equip yourself with practices that give you better balance. Try this practice as a prelude to meditation, or in any moment when you feel out-of-whack...

Your right hand is used to control the flow of breath through the nostrils. Sit in a comfortable position with upright posture. Block the left nostril with your ring finger and inhale smoothly through the right.

At the top of your inhale, release the left nostril and block the right nostril with your thumb. Exhale through the left nostril.

Inhale through the left nostril. When you reach the top of the inhale, switch nostrils again, exhaling through the right.

Repeat the cycle at least 3-5 times. If your mind wanders and you lose track of what you're doing, just gently notice and come back. I like to practice this breathing technique for 5 minutes or so before I sit meditation.

Special thanks to my teacher, Ken Lidden at ABT Yoga, not only for showing me this technique and being an all-around awesome instructor, but also for taking these pictures with my phone!