ALternate Nostril Breathing
Sanskrit : I’ve come across two versions. Anuloma viloma which alternates the nostril breathing without a hold and Nadi Shodhana involves holding the in breath for varying amounts of time.
I enjoy alternate nostril breathing as it brings my attention inwards, takes me out of monkey mind and sometimes even helps with blocked sinuses. If you have a lot of congestion however alternate nostril breathing is very difficult and that should be addressed first. I find a nasal rinse helpful for my congestion during hayfever season. Nasal rinsing should always be discussed with a doctor or pharmacist first.
When we breathe in through our nose the air is humidified, filtered and warmed as it moves through the nasal cavity into the nasopharynx (back of the nasal cavity) before it reaches the rest of the pharynx (throat area), then the trachea (windpipe) and from there into the lungs. The nasal cavity has little microscopic hairs called cilia which capture debris. It is also a layered structure which warms and humidifies the air before it enters the rest of the body.
When we breathe in through our mouth we bypass the humidifying, warming and filtering mechanism of the nasal cavity and this can cause problems with our breathing and body balance (homeostasis).
Nose breathing and diaphragmatic breathing go hand in hand (see my blog post on diaphragmatic breath Breath Space — YogaSpace ). By performing alternate nostril breathing we can take ourselves out of a stressful state and into a calmer state. I like to use this breathing technique before making important decisions as it makes me pause and takes me out of reaction mode.
Step 1
Middle and index fingers are placed between the eyebrows.
The thumb closes the right nostril.
Breath in through the left nostril.
Pause.
Step 2
Close the left nostril with your ring finger.
Take the thumb away from the right nostril.
Breathe out the right nostril.
Pause.
Breathe back into the right nostril.
Pause.
Step 3
Close the right nostril with the thumb.
Release the left nostril.
Breathe out the left nostril.
Repeat from the top at step 1
The breath pace and breath length can be carried out as slowly and as deeply as you are comfortable with. Only when you are very comfortable with the technique should you begin to add a longer hold at the end of an inhale and exhale.
I like to keep count of my breaths on my resting hand. Once I’ve completed a whole cycle of nostril breath from left to right I move to the next finger crease. That’s about 12-16 breaths if I keep count correctly!
My resources:
Yoga for you by Tara Fraser. 2001 edition
yogawithsubhash.com
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