Hello my loves,
My name is Chris and welcome to another guided meditation.
In today's practice we'll go over Alternate Nostril Breathing or Nadi Shodhana in Sanskrit.
Nadi Shodhana is a super relaxing and balancing breathing technique that both my students and I love.
Nadis in Sanskrit are the subtle vital life force energy channels that flow throughout our bodies just like our veins.
And Shodhana means cleansing or purification.
So when we practice this technique we're in a sense cleansing or purifying our entire energetic highway in the body.
But on a more scientific or physical level,
Research tells us that our right nostril corresponds with and stimulates our sympathetic branch of our nervous system or that fight or flight response while that left nostril corresponds with and triggers our parasympathetic branch of our nervous system or that rest and digest response.
So therefore when we focus or alternate our breathing patterns from right to left nostril dominance we're ultimately rewiring our entire nervous system and therefore helping to bring it into balance.
This in turn leads to a laundry list of benefits such as decrease in stress and anxiety levels,
Lowered blood pressure,
Better quality of sleep,
And even improved energy and digestion.
To practice this technique let's come to a comfortable seated position.
While practicing this technique we can often use a mudra or a hand gesture with our right hand that helps to establish more of that mind-body connection,
Promoting more of that mindfulness that we tend to seek for.
Our left hand can stay on our lap,
Palms up or down,
Whatever's comfortable.
We'll take our right hand and curl the pointer and the middle finger down and leave the thumb,
Ring and pinky finger out.
We'll use the thumb to close the right nostril and the ring finger to close off the left.
So let's start by using our thumb to close off our right nostril and then exhale completely.
We'll begin our practice here by inhaling left nostril for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale right for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Inhale right for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale left for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Inhale left for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale right for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Inhale right for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale left for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Inhale left for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Inhale right for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Inhale right for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale left for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Inhale left for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale right for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Inhale right for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale left for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Inhale left for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale right for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Stay here.
Final round.
Inhale right for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Close both nostrils.
Exhale left for 4,
3,
2,
1.
Release the hands.
Come back to your normal breathing pattern.
Notice how the body and the mind might feel.
Maybe you can bring your hands to prayer at heart center,
And we'll bow to the great wise teacher that resides inside each and every one of us,
Thanking you all truly for coming to this practice today.
Namaste.
Love you all.
