Sitting in baddha padmasana, the yogi should inhale through the left nostril and hold the breath to capacity, and then exhale through the right nostril.

-2.07 HYP

 

Then inhaling through the right nostril, gradually fill the abdomen, perform, kumbhaka as before, then exhale completely through the left nostril .   

-2.08 HYP

 

Inhale with the same nostril through which exhalation was done, hold the breath to utmost capacity and exhale through the other nostril slowly and not forcibly.                 

-2.09 HYP

Otherwise known as Alternating Nostril Breath, this pranayama soothes the Central Nervous System and calms the mind. It's actually designed to purify the 72,000 nadi channels that allow prana to flow through our bodies. It is practiced with your mouth closed, breathing in through one nostril while blocking the other with your finger. An excellent breathing exercise for improving blood circulation. Removes heart blockages. Releases stress, anxiety and depression naturally. Effective in high blood pressure. Cure asthma, sinus, allergy.

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How to do it

Sit up nice and tall, neck tall, chin back. First take a few breaths in through your nose and out through your nose. Next start to pull your inhales into your belly to lengthen your breath. Bring your right hand up by your face, fold your index and middle fingers into the mound of your thumb and keep your ring and pinky fingers extended. The thumb will be to close your right nostril, your ring and pinky fingers to close off your left nostril. For this breath we will be closing one nostril and breathing through one open nostril at a time. Place your thumb next to your right nostril and your other two fingers go to the outside of the left nostril. Exhale all of the air out of your body, and block off your right nostril and inhale in through your left nostril. At the top of your inhale, close your left nostril and exhale out of your right nostril. Keep your left nostril closed now and inhale in through your right nostril. At the top of your inhale, close your right nostril and then exhale through the left nostril. When you have exhaled through the nostril we started with (left in this case) that is one round. We are going to breath in this manner for 4 more rounds. Try and breath calm and controlled the whole time. Once you've completely your 5th breath, exhale completely through your left nostril, release your right hand down to your knee and inhale deeply through both nostrils and exhale slow, steady, and in control. 2 more nice deep, controlled breaths.

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Benefits of Alt. Nostril Breath

This is the breath of balance. Its said to cleanse all 72,000 nadi channels, including the 3 major channels, the Ida, the Pingula, and the Sushumna channels. The Ida and Pingula represent the to opposite energies of Yin and Yang, the Sushumna is the balance of the two and the awakening of kundalini energy that lay dormant wrapped around our muladhara chakra like a serpent. Too much Yin and we become lazy and lethargic, too much Yang and we start to experience anxiety and unnecessary actions that waste our energy. When both energies are balanced we experience a calm and tranquil mind and are better prepared for whatever the universe brings to us. This breath detoxes our body and clears all the chaos and clutter that stress brings to our minds. Practicing alt nostril breath brings balance and peace into your life. If life is too stressful, increasing the yin energy in your system will help calm your uneven mind. If you cant seem to find the motivation to take action, increasing the yang energy in you will help pull you off the couch and out into the world to take action. This breath bring balance to your body, mind, and spirit. The left nostril is associated with Yin energy and is breathed through in order to calm and relax the body and mind. The right nostril is associated with Yang energy and is used to increase the amount of prana or energy flowing throughout the body.

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Don't Force Anything! It is in our nature to try and perfect things, so when you first begin a pranayama practice you may feel the urge to try and perfect it right away. If we approach pranayama in this way it can lead to injury, so it's important to approach each practice with an idea of using the least amount of energy possible. If a noise is too loud, this shows that there is an excessive inner struggle going on. It requires the use of various muscles for exhaling, and for controlling the breath to make the sound. When practicing, it is important to use the muscles gently, so that the internal energy flow is gentle so that stress isn't created 

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