Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

Sanskrit pronunciation: Nadi Shodhana (nah-dee show-DAH-nah)

Meaning: Nadi = channel ; Shodhana or Suddhi = cleaning, purifying

Nadi Suddhi, or Nadi Shodhana as it is also called, is a Pranayama Practice known as Alternate Nostril Breathing. In Sanskrit, Nadi means ‘channel’ or ‘flow’ and Shodhana means ‘purification’. Therefore Nadi Shodhana is all about the cleansing and purification of the ‘subtle channels of the mind-body organism’ while balancing the masculine and feminine aspects.

This practice is suitable for almost anyone. It is a great practice to do when you need to re-centre yourself, or as a preparation for meditation. Try practicing first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach.

Be prepared to feel deep as Nadi Suddhi is known for bringing about strong feelings of openness, clarity and peace. You are replenishing the vital energy in the body at the same time as cleansing. So get ready to take on the world!

Before we start, you will notice that I state specifically that the practice is to start with an inhalation through the left nostril. This is important! The left side of the body is the LUNAR NADI, which is said to create amrita, the nectar of immortality. Some Yogic texts say that if you start on the right side, the SOLAR NADI, the pranayama practice becomes useless! We don’t want that! Make sure that you also finish the practice on the left side, for the same reason.

Start your practice of Nadi Suddhi by bringing yourself to a comfortable seated position. Try Sukhasana (legs crossed) or Virasana (hero pose) and don’t be afraid to pile up those cushions and blankets. You will (eventually) find yourself here for some time so you want to make sure that you are comfortable, with your spine nice and long, back, neck and head erect. You can alternatively find this position in a chair.

PIC-A

When you’re comfortable, close your eyes and bring your left hand to your left knee. You can place your hand in a mudra here – try Chin Mudra where index finger and thumb come together.

Begin by taking several rounds of FULL YOGIC BREATH, deeply inhaling through both nostrils and slowly exhaling. This will help you awaken ‘pranayama kosha’ or the energetic body and clear any obstructions that might inhibit the practice.

You will notice when the breath feels full, relaxed and natural. You are now ready to begin your practice of Nadi Suddhi.

Leaving your left hand in Chin Mudra on your knee, bring your right hand up to your face and find Vishnu Mudra (Pic-A)– folding the tips of the index and middle fingers inwards towards the palm, with your ring and little finger staying aligned. You will be using your thumb throughout the practice to close off your right nostril and your ring and little finger to close off your left nostril. Not both at the same time though!

Alternatively, some people prefer to bring their index and middle fingers to the centre of their forehead, to the third eye centre, rather than having them turned into the palm. Here you still use your thumb for the right nostril and your ring and little finger for the left nostril.

Try both and find what is most comfortable for you.

Bringing your right hand to your face, leave your elbow at chest height and begin by closing the right nostril with the right thumb. Inhale deeply though the left nostril, filling your belly. Imagine the breath travelling up through the body, from the pelvic floor, up through the left side of the body, into the top of the head. Pause here.

Then switch, realising the right nostril and closing the left. Exhale, surrendering the breath back down through the right side of the body, from head to pelvic floor. Pause gently at the bottom.

Keep the left nostril closed, and this time as we inhale, deeply, filling the lungs and belly through the right nostril.

As before, pause at the top, then switch so that you release the left nostril and close the right nostril with your thumb. Exhale through the left nostril, imagining the breath sinking down through the left side of the body. Pause at the bottom. This completes one full round of Nadi Suddhi. 

Continue the pattern for each consecutive round: inhale through left nostril, exhale through right. Inhale through the right nostril, exhale through the left, and so forth. 

Repeat for several rounds, focussing your awareness on the pathway, the flow of your breath. Up one side of the body and down the other. Remember that it is important that the breath remains slow, gentle, fluid and relaxed throughout the practice.

When you are ready to end the practice, complete your final round with an exhalation through the left nostril. Keeping your eyes closed, allow your right hand to gently lower back down to the top of your right knee. Take several FULL YOGIC BREATHS before allowing your breath to return to normal, and then you can slowly open your eyes.

Congratulations!! You have completed your first practice of Nadi Suddhi Pranayama! How do you feel? Try continuing some internal awareness here. Notice your state of mind as you finish the practice. 

If you are thinking about maintaining a regular practice, you may find it beneficial to keep a note of how the practice went, how many rounds you did and how you felt after. It can be a nice way to keep track of your progress. However, if you don’t fancy this, don’t worry about it!

When you are ready, you can slowly get up.

How often and for how long you practice Nadi Suddhi is, of course, completely up to you. Nadi Suddhi can be practiced for as little as 5 mins a day but a more regular, longer practice of 10-15 mins offers deeper benefits.

If you want to practice by time, try setting yourself a timer. Remember to start off small though, and work your way up to longer practices. If you try diving straight into the deep end with a full 30 mins practice, you will likely become tired, fed up and less likely to continue the regular practice.

Alternatively, you can keep track of the length of your practice by counting the number of rounds you do. Start with doing between 7-12 rounds, and then work your way up. A useful tip for keeping track of the number of rounds you are doing, is counting the rounds against the segments of the fingers of your left hand. There are 3 segments to each finger. Gently touch your thumb to a segment as you count it, starting with the base of your little finger. You have reached 12 when you get to the tip of your index finger.

Once you’ve got the hang of Nadi Suddhi, you can play around with advancing your practice.

There are many more techniques where you have specific durations or ratios for your inhalations and exhalations.

Try advancing your practice by counting out your inhalations and exhalations to make them even breaths. When you are comfortable with this, you can advance your practice further by extending the length of your breaths, just by an extra beat each time.

If you find that you are struggling with the extended breath, go back to a variation with a lower breath count. This can be any disturbance or difficulty in the breath.

So what is the point of practicing Nadi Suddhi? What benefits are you going to get from a regular practice?

There are many benefits linked to the practice of Nadi Suddhi, which affect mind, body and soul. Here is a list of some benefits you may (or may not) notice.

1. Infuses the body with oxygen

2. Clears and releases toxins 

3. Reduces stress and anxiety

4. Calms and rejuvenates the nervous system

5. Helps balance hormones

6. Supports clear and balanced respiratory channels

7. Helps to alleviate respiratory allergies caused by hay fever, sneezing, or wheezing

8. Balances solar and lunar, masculine and feminine energies

9. Fosters mental clarity and an alert mind

10. Enhances that ability to concentrate

11. Brings balance to the left and right hemispheres of the brain

12. Increase in memory power

13. Gain clarity, purpose and direction in your life

14. Strengthens lungs and improves breath capacity

15. Increases blood flow

15. Raise vital energy

16. Quiets the mind

17. Boost the immune system

Here are a few little bits of extra information that you may find helpful in getting the most out of your practice.

1. If your arm gets tired before you’ve finished, tuck your elbow into your side and relax your shoulders down

2. Try not to use Ujjayi breath while practicing Alternate Nostril Breathing

3. One nostril constantly blocked? Try giving your nose a good blow, or look up Jala Neti, a common way of clearing the nasal passages

4. Check your shoulders regularly. They may have a tendency to hunch up around your ears, or role forward. We want to maintain that lovely straight spine, neck and head combo, so keep checking that your shoulders are back

5. When you begin extending your practice, make sure it’s because you WANT to do it!! Not because you feel you should. This will help to maintain your regular practice.

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