Nadi Shodhana Pranayama: Cleansing Energy Channels for a Balanced Mind

The breathing exercise "nadi shodhana" is a yoga technique that cleanses energy channels, stabilizes the work of the mind and nervous system of a person. The technique consists of alternating inhalations and exhalations through the right and left nostrils.

In advanced versions of nadi shodhana pranayama, breath retention(kumbhaka) after inhalation and exhalation, as well as bandhas (energy "locks") are used. This practice directly affects the subtle channels (ida and pingala) of the student, equalizing the fluctuations of the flow of prana in his energy body.

The name of the breathing technique "nadi shodhana" has a simple explanation. The term "nadi" refers to the channels in the subtle body of a person through which the life force (prana) flows. They are similar to the veins and arteries of the physical shell, but much less dense. The Sanskrit word "nadi" means 'flow', 'special path'. The meaning of the second word "shodhana" is 'to cleanse'. Accordingly, the translation of the phrase "nadi shodhana" is 'cleansing the channels'.

1. With regular practice, the duration of inhalations, exhalations and breath holding gradually increases. Over time, the energetic effect of each session increases. Accordingly, nadi shodhana pranayama is useful as a preparation for complex breathing practices. At the same time, the advanced stages of nadi shodhana are very complex in themselves. We recommend mastering this pranayama from the initial stages, according to the principle of "from simple to complex".

   The positive effect of the practice of "nadi shodhana" is also transferred to everyday life. Regular classes "train" the body to breathe slowly and deeply. Thus, the human pranic shell ( pranamaya kosha) is fully saturated with prana, and the blood - with oxygen. The breathing process uses less energy than with frequent breathing.

   Shallow breathing is a companion of anxiety and irritation. Neurasthenics are prone to intermittent breathing. With regular practice of nadi shodhana , thanks to measured inhalations and exhalations, the student's mind gradually calms down. This is especially useful for city dwellers. A sedentary lifestyle, frequent stress - all this "shakes the nerves". Those who breathe slowly and deeply are unperturbed in stressful situations.

2. When doing the Nadi Shodhana exercise, the practitioner is forced to keep part of his attention on the breath through one or another nostril. In addition, it is necessary to control the ratio of the duration of inhalations, exhalations and delays. Thanks to such fixation of attention, the mind is less distracted by incoming thoughts and ultimately calms down. A calm mind is a necessary condition for achieving a state of meditation. Practicing pranayama just before meditation promotes better concentration.

3. Health Benefits of Nadi Shodhana:

   • cleanses nerve channels, improves brain and nervous system function;
   • cleanses the circulatory system, saturates the body with oxygen;
   • removes waste air from the body;
   • strengthens immunity;
   • in combination with kumbhakas it treats psychosomatic diseases (diabetes, asthma, etc.);
   • makes a person more energetic;
   • improves digestion;
   • promotes rest and more complete restoration of strength.

Impact on pranic channels

Alternate breathing through the right and left nostrils affects the flow of energy in the pranic sheathv( pranamaya -kosha). There are thousands of nadis in the human body, but the main one is sushumna. It extends along the spine, from the very base to the crown. Sushumna is spirally weaved by two more very important channels.

• Ida is the "lunar" channel, responsible for the work of the parasympathetic nervous system and the right hemisphere of the brain. When prana predominates in ida, a person is prone to introversion and thoughtfulness.
• Pingala is the "solar" channel, responsible for the sympathetic nervous system and the left hemisphere. The "pingala" channel is associated with extroversion and active activity directed outward.

Breathing through the left nostril activates ida, and through the right nostril activates pingala. At any given moment during the day, one of the channels is more active in a person. This can be easily observed by observing the air flow through the nostrils. Either the left or the right nostril is always more active. Their activity alternates. However, in many people, the balance between ida and pingala is disrupted. During the day, one nostril may be noticeably more active than the other. Such an “excess” will certainly affect a person’s psyche.

Nadi shodhana artificially equalizes the volume of air passing through both nostrils; the ida and pingala channels are brought into balance. In general, all the nadis of the pranic sheath are gradually freed from blockages. As a result, energy flows freely throughout the body. Imbalances in the functioning of the brain and nervous system are also eliminated. Thus, the student becomes more balanced - not too apathetic, but not too twitchy. At the same time, his mind calms down and gains the ability to concentrate.

By balancing the flow of prana, performing nadi shodhana promotes the spontaneous emergence of dhyana. This technique creates a condition in which a balance between wakefulness and sleep occurs in the mind. The mind becomes calm and clear. This leads to the awakening of dormant energy in muladhara-chakra. The energy is directed up the sushumna. Thus, deep stages of meditation are achieved.

Remember that practice alone is not enough to be successful in meditation. Lifestyle, morality, and merit from good deeds play an important role. Therefore, we recommend that you read the articles on the yogic disciplines «Yama» and «Niyama».

First of all, choose a suitable asana for practice. At the initial stages, you can practice in easy poses — Sukhasana , Ardha Padmasana or Vajrasana. You should stay in the asana without feeling discomfort for at least 15 minutes.

For advanced stages of nadi shodhana, we recommend choosing a pose that will close the movement of the descending energy " apana -vayu". These can be: Padmasana, Siddhasana or Siddha yoni asana. When choosing an asana, it is important to consider that any muscle tension is an obstacle to the movement of prana. In addition, during the session, the back and neck should remain straight, and the whole body should be still. Any, even the slightest, body movements reduce the effectiveness of the practice. Muscle contraction provokes fluctuations in the mind, and therefore creates a condition for the leakage of prana.

Mudra

There are two ways to block the nostrils with the right hand - nasikagra mudra and mrigi mudra. Choose the method that is more convenient for you.

1. The most common version is called "nasikagra mudra" or "nasagra mudra". To perform it, join the index and middle fingers together and place them between the eyebrows, at the base of the nose. The thumb covers the right nostril, and the ring finger covers the left nostril.
2. The second variant of the mudra for nadi shodhana is mrigi -mudra. The word " mrigi " is translated as 'deer'. If you look at the shadow of this gesture, it resembles a deer's head. In this position, the index and middle fingers are bent. The right nostril is pinched with the thumb, and the left - with the ring finger.

Some teachers believe that the mudra should always be performed with the right hand. However, if the hand gets very tired, we still recommend changing it to the left. The main thing is that the changes of hands are not too frequent. The forearm should be positioned vertically, and the elbow - as close as possible to the chest. This way, the hand will get tired less. It is also allowable to support the right elbow from below with the left palm, or vice versa.

The method of mastering pranayama "nadi shodhana" is divided into stages. We recommend mastering it in the specified order.

Stage 1

• Sit on the floor with your legs crossed. Straighten your back and close your eyes. Tune in to the practice.
• Place your left palm on your left knee. Make nasikagra or mrigi mudra with your right hand.
• Pinch your right nostril with your thumb.
• Breathe smoothly through your left nostril. Mentally follow your breathing. Count the seconds spent for inhalation and exhalation. The exhalation should be twice as long as the inhalation. For example, if the inhalation lasts four seconds, then the exhalation lasts eight seconds. If you wish, instead of counting seconds, count the beats of your own heart (if you can feel them). Perform 10 full breathing cycles (inhalation/exhalation) through the left nostril.
• Next, pinch your left nostril with your ring finger. Release your right nostril and do 10 breathing cycles through it.
• Inhale and exhale through the left nostril 10 times again. Then through the right. And so on. Do the exercise until you feel tired.
• This is the first stage of the technique of performing nadi shodhana pranayama. Practice every day for at least 10 minutes. When you no longer experience any difficulties in performing the first stage, move on to the second.

Stage 2

• Take a meditative position as in the first stage. Tune in to the practice.
• Perform nasikagra or mrigi mudra with your right hand.
• Pinch your right nostril and inhale slowly through your left. Fill your lungs completely.
• After completing the inhalation, pinch the left nostril. Release the right one and exhale smoothly. Empty the lungs completely.
• After completing the exhalation, do not close the right nostril, but inhale air through it.

• After finishing the inhalation, pinch the right nostril and, releasing the left, exhale all the air. This completes the breathing cycle. The next cycle will begin again with an inhalation through the left nostril.

  Count the number of seconds spent for inhalation and exhalation. For beginners, their ratio should be 1:1. For example, if inhalation lasts five seconds, then exhalation also lasts five seconds.

  Once you have fully mastered this proportion, move on to a more complex proportion of inhalations and exhalations - 1:2. In other words, the exhalation is twice as long as the inhalation.

  Do the exercise until you feel tired. Throughout the entire session, keep your attention on your breathing and counting seconds (or heartbeats).

• Do this every day for at least 10 minutes. When you have no difficulty performing the second stage, move on to the third.

Stage 3

• Breathe as in the previous stage.
• Add breath retention after each inhalation (antara kumbhaka). During kumbhakas, pinch both nostrils with your thumb and ring finger. Hold the breath for a comfortable time. At the end of each kumbhaka, before exhaling, take a short inhalation to smoothly activate the respiratory muscles.
• Continue practicing until you feel tired.
• Over time, gradually increase the breath hold on inhalation. Kumbhaka should become equal to the duration of exhalation. For example, if inhalation lasts four seconds, and exhalation, respectively, eight seconds, then the breath hold should also last eight seconds. Thus, the ratio of the breathing phases of one cycle should be as follows:

  1(inhalation) : 2(kumbhaka) : 2(exhalation) : 1(inhalation) : 2(kumbhaka) : 2(exhalation).

  When this proportion no longer causes difficulties, move on to the next stage.

At the third stage, to enhance the effect of pranayama, perform bandhas ('locks') when holding your breath. Thanks to the locks, prana does not dissipate, but is directed to the central channel - sushumna . At first, do only jalandhara bandha ('throat lock'). To do this, lower your head, resting your chin on the jugular notch. When you have mastered the throat lock, add the root lock - mula bandha. To do this, contract the muscles of the perineum, pulling up the area between the urethra and the anus.

Stage 4

• Breathe as in the third stage.

• Now add breath holding after each exhalation (bahir kumbhaka). At the end of each bahir kumbhaka, before inhaling, also do a short final exhalation . The proportion of the breathing phases of one cycle will be as follows:

  1(inhalation) : 2(antar kumbhaka) : 2(exhalation) : 1(bahir kumbhaka) : 1(inhalation) : 2(antar kumbhaka) : 2(exhalation) : 1(bahir kumbhaka).

• Add the throat and root locks to each inhalation hold, and maha bandha to each exhalation hold. Maha bandha ('great lock') combines three locks at once - jalandhara, mula and uddiyana bandha. You are already familiar with the first two. Uddiyana bandha is a complete pulling of the abdomen in and slightly upward. When performing maha bandha, lower your hands to your knees.

  You don't have to do all the bandhas at once. It may be too challenging. Increase the load gradually.

  Then increase the time of breath holding. Lengthen the kumbhakas gradually. Calculate your strength. Do not rush things and do not overexert yourself.

Stage 5

Change the proportions of the breathing phases step by step in the following order:

• 1:4:2:1,
• 1 : 4 : 2 : 2,
• 1:6:4:2,
• 1:8:4:2,
• 1:8:6:4.

Use the throat and root locks when holding the inhale, and the great lock when holding the exhale.

You don't have to necessarily use all the bandhas and kumbhakas. Experiment. Find the ideal ratio of practice elements for you.

Slowly lengthen the inhalations, exhalations and breath holdings. At some point the breathing will spontaneously stop. This is kevala kumbhaka. When kevala arises , samadhi (nirvana) arises.

You should be careful when doing this exercise. If you have any mental or physical problems, we recommend that you consult a specialist.

In case of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases it is not recommended to do kumbhakas and bandhas. People suffering from these diseases can do the first two stages of pranayama (without bandhas and kumbhakas) described in this article.

Also, kumbhakas and bandhas should not be done by women during menstruation and pregnancy.

In case of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, one should not do uddiyana -bandha, that is, pull in the stomach. Any serious mental disorder is also a contraindication to the practice of nadi shodhana.

1. Do not do nadi shodhana if your nose is blocked. Forcing your breath is not very effective and can cause even more problems. Before doing this, you can rinse your nose with a salt water solution (jala neti) and clear your nasal passages with a special cord (sutra neti). If this does not help to clear your nose, refrain from practicing nadi shodhana.
2. At the initial stages of practicing pranayama, various side effects may occur. For example, insomnia is a sign of increased activity of the body and mind. Skin rashes may appear - a sign of cleansing the body of toxins and poisons. There are many other options for side effects: constipation, diarrhea, etc. All this is associated with the cleansing of nadi. If such reactions of the body begin to cause inconvenience, reduce the time of daily practice or take a short break from classes. Perhaps you should pay attention to nutrition; it should be healthy, light and energetically clean.

List of references:

1. T.K.V. Desikachar. "The Heart of Yoga".
2. Swami Satyananda Saraswati. " A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya ". Volumes 1 and 2.
3. Swami Satyananda Saraswati. “Asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha.”
4. Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati. “Prana Pranayama Pranavidya”
5. Swami Swatmarama. "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" with commentary by Swami Muktibodhananda .
6. B.K.S. Iyengar. "Light on Yoga".