Alternate Nostril Breathing For Calm And Focus

This guided breathing practice introduces you to alternate nostril breathing, known in yoga as Anuloma Viloma, a simple yet powerful technique for balancing the mind and returning to center. Step by step, you will learn two hand positions so you can choose what feels most natural, then settle into a slow, rhythmic breath that balances the brain hemispheres, calms the nervous system, and quiets mental chatter. Regular practice is known to reduce anxiety and stress, improve concentration, and bring the body's energy channels into harmony. This is a wonderful tool for moments of emotional overwhelm, difficulty focusing, or whenever you need to steady and ground yourself. In just a few minutes, you may notice a deeper sense of clarity, calm, and presence.

Transcript

Namaste, My name is Julia Barclay and I welcome you to this short practice that will help you to find a sense of inner steadiness, Resilience, Focus and balance. Alternate Nostril Breathing or Analome Valome helps to balance the left and the right hemispheres of the brain. It's a really beautiful one to do if you're feeling emotionally overwhelmed or your energy is scattered and you want to find that inner sense of centering, Harmony, Balance so you can be present to your environment, Your friends, Your work, Whatever it is that you need to be with right now and it just helps calm and settle the whole nervous system. So find a comfortable position, Ideally have your spine nice and upright right if you're sitting in a chair or against the wall, Whatever feels supportive to you, Find that comfortable upright position and then we will use a mudra with our hands to open and close our nostrils. There's one that is most commonly used where you bring the first two fingers into the palm of your hand, Your thumb and your little fingers are free to open and close your nostrils. So that's one to use but I'm going to recommend today a different one and I like this a lot because it adds to the effect of balancing the left and the right hemispheres of the brain as your fingertips touch. So you touch all of your four fingers tips together, Your thumbs are free to move but this touching of the left and the right fingertips is also symbolising and further enhancing that balance of left and right sides of the brain. So choose your mudra and then if you're taking this one with the fingertips you lift the elbows so they're shoulder height and then your thumbs are close to your nostrils to open and close your nostrils. So let's begin by taking a natural inhale and exhale through both nostrils and then plug your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the left slowly, Smoothly. Close the left nostril, Release the right, Exhale smoothly through the right. Inhale through the right, Close right, Exhale smoothly and quietly through the left. Relax the face, If you're comfortable let the eyes close, Inhale left, Close left, Exhale right. Inhale to a count of four, Three, Two, One, Close right, Exhale left, Four, Three, Two, One. Inhale left, Four, Three, Two, One, Close left, Exhale right, Four, Three, Two, One. Inhale smoothly and quietly through the right, Three, Two, One, Close right, Exhale quietly left, Four, Three, Two, One. Inhale four, Three, Two, One, Close left, Exhale right, Four, Three, Two, One. Inhale right, Close right, Exhale left. Soften the face, Inhale left, Inhale right, Close right, Exhale left. Release the hands down, Rest them comfortably in your lap. Take a natural breath in through both nostrils and out through both nostrils. The gaze is down or the eyes are softly closed, Another natural breath, Even breath in through both nostrils, Out through both. Let the breath relax and just notice how you feel. Notice any calming or quieting of the mind, The emotional body. Maybe you feel a little bit more present and here in your physical body. Just take a moment just to rest into this quiet inner place of balance, Steadiness. Deep breath in, Big breath out. Thank you so much for joining me and please know that you can use this at any point throughout your day as a support to bring you back to centre. Namaste.