Balance through Breath - Nadi Sodhana
Calming the mind with alternate nostril
breathing pranayama practice
Pranayam is the practice of placing
awareness on your breath combined with controlled inhalation and exhalation. Different
breath exercises have different effects on the body. Some are cooling, others warming, some
cleanse while others invigorate. Among the best known is Nadi Sodhana , a
simple technique which uses alternate nostril breathing to unblock the nadis,
or energy channels in the body.
The
Nadis tend to become blocked when we over-indulge as well as when we
intentionally or unintentionally use negative thought processes. It can
be practiced anywhere and requires no equipment or preparation.
Nadi Sodhana relieves headaches, purifies
the respiratory organs and tones the nervous system . In yoga this exercise is used to prepare the
body for further practice and meditation.
It can help to relax the mind and consequently release tension from the
body when practiced daily for a few minutes at a time.
In Nadi Sodhana alternate sides of the nose
are engaged, drawing in breath through one nostril and exhaling through the
other.
Start by sitting in a comfortable position
with a straight back.
- Close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale through your left nostril.
- Now close the left nostril with
your third and fourth finger and open the right one. Exhale through the right nostril.
- Inhale through the right
nostril and close it with your thumb.
Exhale through the left nostril.
This is one full round. Aim for three rounds to start with. Increase your practice gradually to up to ten
rounds. Keep the ratio of inhalation to
exhalation at 1:1 initially. Aim at
lengthening the exhalation as you become more confident in your practice.
Pranayam seeks to balance the five pranas
of the body – the channels through which breath, energy and indeed life itself
circulate through the body. For instance
Prana brings energy downward towards the navel.
Apana, it’s counterforce, draws waste and impurities upward towards the
centre of the body. When the two types
of prana meet they are, in yogic tradition, burnt by Agni, the purifying fire
at the navel chakra (centre). Agni
brings mind and body together. If you
are not a yogi or if you struggle with yogic interpretations think of it as
oxidization of waste matter which in turn aids elimination of toxic elements
from the body and generates vital energy.
Pranayam is always done on an empty
stomach. Try and stick to the same time
for daily practice as the mind tends to accustom itself to routine. Seek out the help of an experienced pranayama
practitioner for individualized guidance since certain physical conditions may
require specific adaptations to breath awareness exercises.
Full instructions and info on Pranayam and
Nadi Sodhana can also be found here:
Hello Aloe! 
Hello Aloe! 
