Nadi shodhana is a slow breathing pranayama that involves inhaling and exhaling alternately through each nostril, as well as breath holding and tribandha. Nadi shodhan includes all of the elements of pranayama.
If you do alternate nostril breathing without breath holding and tribandha it is called anulom vilom.
Benefits and Contraindications
Benefits
This pranayama is very beneficial for calming and balancing the body and is very good for relieving stress and anxiety.
Contraindications
The main contraindications with this practice are associated with breath holding and engaging the bandhas. If you have any medical conditions such as a heart conditions, high blood pressure, and/or have had a stroke or recent abdominal surgery, for example, you should avoid breath holding and bandhas and instead do anulom vilom (i.e., alternate nostril breathing with no breath holding or bandhas).
Technique
Nadi shodhana is alternate nostril breathing but with breath retention and bandhas.
After each inhalation the breath is held and all three bandhas are activated (tribandha) and held for a period of time. It is important that the bandhas are done correctly and in the correct order (see the section on bandhas).
Breathing is done to a count. Those new to nadi shodhana can start with a count of 3 for inhalation, 3 for breath hold, and 3 for exhalation (3:3:3). This can be gradually increased to 4:4:4, 4:4:6, 4:4:8, 4:6:8, 4:8:8, and eventually to 6:12:12.
Take it easy and do not go beyond your safe limitations.
Step-by-step
- Sit or lie in a comfortable posture suitable for breathing exercises with your back straight but relaxed, and your eyes gently closed.
- To start, both hands can be in Jnana mudra resting on your thighs. If you’re lying down just have your hands resting by your sides.
- Go through a body check to relax your body (2-3 minutes).
- Breath awareness – observe your breath at the nostrils and any associated sounds, as well as movements of the chest/abdomen (1-2 Minutes).
- Take two full, slow, deep breaths in and out.
- Rest for a few seconds.
- Bring your right hand up towards your nose in prana mudra.
- Slowly exhale fully and completely through both nostrils.
- Close the right nostril with your thumb and inhale slowly, deeply, and fully through the left nostril.
- Block both nostrils (with thumb and third finger of right hand), tie up jalandhara bandha, moola bandha, and uddiyana bandha. Hold breath.
- Release uddiyana bandha, moola bandha, and jalandhara bandha, keep the left nostril closed and open the right nostril. Exhale slowly through the right nostril.
- Inhale slowly, deeply, and fully through the right nostril.
- Block both nostrils (with thumb and third finger of right hand), tie up jalandhara bandha, moola bandha, and uddiyana bandha. Hold breath.
- Release uddiyana bandha, moola bandha, and jalandhara bandha, keep the right nostril closed and open the left nostril. Exhale slowly through the left nostril.
- This completes one full cycle of nadi shodhana.