The Many Benefits of the Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique

Health Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi shodhan pranayama or anulm-vilom) has many benefits including lowering blood pressure, improving cardiopulmonary function and lowering of the stress response by stimulating the vagus nerve and activating the parasympathetic nervous system(1,2) There is plentiful evidence that regular practice also improves cognitive function, attention and memory. (3) It is a very helpful practice to do daily for many reasons including: improved mood, sleep, and decision making.

Alternate Nostril Breathing and Kundalini Energy

I consistently recommend this practice as the first line practice for awakening kundalini energy in a balanced way. It is a traditional yogic technique used to prepare the subtle energy body for kundalini awakening by balancing and purifying the subtle energy channels associated with the spine (ida and pingala) and balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain. When these two opposing energies (ida and pingala, solar and lunar, male and female, sympathetic and parasympathic nervous systems), are in equilibrium, kundalini energy is encouraged to travel up the central canal (sushumna nadi) of the spinal column to the crown. It is necessary to prepare the body in this way, so when the kundalini rising occurs it is done through the central channel.

Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing): Step-by-step directions

Before you start

• Sit comfortably with a tall spine (chair or cushion). Relax your shoulders and jaw.

• Breathe through your nose only. Keep the breath gentle and quiet.

• Use your right hand: index and middle fingers rest between the eyebrows (or fold them in). Thumb closes the right nostril; ring finger closes the left.

1) Settle

• Take 3–5 easy breaths through both nostrils.

2) Begin the pattern (no breath-holding)

1. Close the right nostril with your thumb.

2. Inhale slowly through the left nostril.

3. Close the left nostril with your ring finger (so both are closed briefly), then release the right nostril.

4. Exhale slowly through the right nostril.

5. Inhale through the right nostril.

6. Close the right nostril, release the left nostril.

7. Exhale through the left nostril.

8. Inhale through the left nostril.

That completes 1 round (left → right → left).

3) Continue

• Repeat for 3–10 rounds (about 2–5 minutes), staying smooth and unforced.

4) Finish

• After your last exhale, release the hand and breathe normally through both nostrils for 30–60 seconds.

• Notice the effects before standing up.

Helpful tips

• Aim for equal-length inhales and exhales (for example, inhale 4 seconds, exhale 4 seconds). Lengthen the inhales and exhales as is comfortable for you.

• If one nostril is blocked, keep both nostrils open and imagine the breath alternating in each nostril.

• Stop if you feel dizzy, anxious, short of breath, or uncomfortable.

• Skip breath-holding unless you’ve been taught personally and it feels easy.

  
  

References

1. Mittal G. An exploratory randomized trial to assess the effect of nadi shodhan pranayama as a adjunct versus standard non-pharmacological management in hypertension. Ann Neurosci. 2025.

2. Singh S. et al. Effects of. A 6-week nadi-shodhana pranayama training on cardio-pulmonary parameters. J Phys. Educ. Sport Manag. 2011

3. Ghiya S. Alternate nostril breathing: a systematic review of clinical trials. Int J Res Med Sci. 2017.