Nadi Shodhana: Alternate Nostril Breathing - Calm & Balance

Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is a powerful pranayama technique used to calm the mind, balance the nervous system, and restore inner equilibrium.

In this short, accessible practice, you’ll be guided through the foundational technique step by step. This breathwork helps regulate stress, improve focus, and create a sense of grounded clarity.
This practice is ideal for moments of anxiety, overwhelm, or when you need to reset and return to center. It can be done anytime—before meditation, after movement, or as a standalone ritual.

No prior experience is needed. Simply find a comfortable seat and breathe.

Benefits may include: reduced stress and anxiety, improved focus and mental clarity, nervous system regulation, balanced energy (left and right hemispheres), and a deeper sense of calm and presence. Enjoy and let me know what you think of the practice in the reviews!

Video by Erick Melanson

Transcript

Hi, I'm Kayala. Welcome in. Today we're going to practice a breath work called Nadi Shodhana. So Nadi Shodhana translates to alternate nostril breathing. And what this breath practice does is it activates the parasympathetic nervous system and it also balances the right and the left side. You can think of it like channels. Your body has all these different rivers and channels. If you had a right channel and a left channel, This breath practice will have an even keel so that the center channel is wide open and has more space. Okay, So you can start in a comfortable seated position and you'll use your right hand. So I'm not mirroring you, But use your right hand and close down your thumb to your right nostril. So we can just practice a little easeful way of getting into this. So with your right thumb on your nostril, Just begin by breathing in through the left nostril. Just see how that felt and relax your hands into your lap. Okay, So when you close your nostril, It's just a really gentle touch and you felt that through the left side. Now you're going to use your ring finger on your left nostril, So that's the opposite side, And you're going to practice breathing out down the right side. Okay, So just practicing that. So ring finger to left nostril. Breathe all the air out through the right side and just release that. Okay, So now we'll put the two together. So you can think of this like a big rainbow where you're changing your nostril and your finger placement between the right and the left side. Okay, So let's start. Right thumb, Right nostril. Breathe through the left nostril only. Use your ring finger to close the left nostril and breathe down the right nostril. Stay here, Breathe in. Switch sides and breathe out. Okay, Just relax from that. Now you've got the basics. So what we'll do is alternate the sides. That's the alternating nostril breathing. It's in the name. And you can place your two peace fingers in between your eyebrows. So you can do that lightly. Okay, So we'll try all together. Okay, So right hand, Thumb, Right nostril. Two peace fingers in the center of your forehead. So from the side looks like this. Okay, Ready? Start by breathing up the left nostril. Close off the left nostril. Breathe down the right side. Stay on this side. Breathe in through the right nostril. Close right side. Breathe down the left side. That was one cycle. Breathe in here, Left side. Close left nostril. Breathe down the right side. Breathe in through the right nose. Switch and breathe down the left side. Let's keep practicing. Keep going. If your arm starts to become tired, You can use your left hand to support your elbow. Noticing if you can sit a little taller. Notice if one nostril passage feels more clear or a little more stuck. Just seeing what you can notice as you move through this practice. One more full round. And without rush or worry, Just finish your last round and then bring your hands to your lap. And then the real magic is just noticing here in this space after the breathing practice if anything's changed. If the sensation within your body has changed, Or your energy state, Or that sense of that wonderful breath coming in and out through both nostrils. So just sit tall and breathe equally between both sides, Just noticing any after effects. And then take a big breath in through your nose. Big sigh through a wide open mouth. Sending one hand to your heart. Just noticing how you feel. Carrying this feeling with you through the day. Release your hands down to your lap. Slightly tuck your chin into your chest. You can blink open your eyes. That practice was called Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing. So now you have another tool in your toolbox to use for your own practice. Thank you.