Alternate Nostril Breathing

Tonight's class began with an introduction to Nadi Sodhana or Alternate Nostril Breathing. It's a type of pranayama or breath work that's very effective in calming the mind and the nervous system, and in turn reducing stress and anxiety. It's called alternate nostril breathing because you breath through one nostril at a time using a smooth, steady breath. Isolating the breath to one side of the body synchronizes the two hemispheres of the brain and purifies the subtle energy channels (nadis) of the body.

You can do this pranayama practice anywhere.

• Find a comfortable seated position
• Gently close the right nostril with your thumb
• Inhale with a slow, steady breath through your left nostril, then close the left nostril with your first finger and exhale slowly through the right nostril
• Keep the right nostril open, inhale, then close the right nostril with the thumb again and exhale through the left nostril
• Repeat and do approximately 3-5 rounds
• Release your hand, sit quietly, and breath gently
• Scan the body and take notice of your emotional, physical, and spiritual self  

Once you get used to the technique you can gradually increase the amount of rounds you do. 

Happy Breathing,
Namaste~
Chica

 P.S. Western medical studies have shown that the natural nasal cycle in humans alternates every 1.5 - 3 hours, where the airflow is greater in one nostril and later switches to the other side. This nasal cycle also coincides with what they call the ultradian rhythm, where either the left or the right hemisphere of the brain is 'more activite' than the other. More info on this topic can be found at http://wikidoc.org/index.php/Nasal_cycle