Restore Balance With Alternate Nostril Breathing
Alternate Nostril Breathing, or Nadi Shodhana is a simple but extremely powerful practice to restore balance when life get overwhelming. Did you know that Hillary Clinton practiced this breathing exercise to relieve stress and anxiety following the 2016 presidential election? Alternate Nostril Breathing serves to regulate the flow of air through your nasal passages and restores balance in the left and right hemispheres of the brain, clearing energetic channels. By practicing this breath regularly, you can effectively bring a renewed sense of clarity to your everyday life.
Just as the activities of the mind influence the breath, so does the breath influence our state of mind. ~T. K. V. Desikachar
How To Practice Alternate Nostril Breath:
Find a comfortable cross-legged seated position. Take a moment to ground yourself, and place you left hand on your left knee.
Hover your right thumb over your right nostril, and your right pinky-finger over your left nostril.
Close your right nostril with your thumb, and inhale deeply through your left nostril. When you reach the top of the inhale, close both nostrils and hold the breath for 3 seconds.
Keep the left nostril closed and exhale completely through the right nostril. At the end of your exhale, inhale again through the right nostril.
At the top of your inhale, close both nostrils and hold for 3 seconds.
Repeat.
Practice this breath regularly to lower stress, improve cardiovascular and lung function, lower heart rate, and give you an overall sense of peace and wellbeing.