Inner World of Yoga – Day 19
When you are in easy and full breath, bring the fingers of the right hand to the nostrils. You will alternately be placing the thumb on the right nostril and the ring finger on the left.
Instructions for One Full Round of Simple Nadi Shodhana.
- Close off the left nostril completely with the ring finger, trying not to push the nose out of alignment, and breathe in through the right nostril.
- Once inhalation is full, close off the right nostril with the right thumb, and open the left to exhale through the left nostril.
- When exhalation is complete, leave the left nostril open and breathe in through the left.
- When inhalation is complete, close off the left nostril with ring finger, open the right nostril and exhale through the right.
This is one full round.
Begin again with step 1. by inhaling through the right nostril again and so on…
TIPS and ESSENTIALS
- Keep the spine long but not rigid, and the limbs and face relaxed, just as in Breath Awareness.
- Remember you want to alternately completely close the inactive nostril, without pushing the nose side to side. Try to keep the nose in its natural alignment.
- In this simple Nadi Shodhana practice the breath is easy and full. It is a continuation of the ease of Breath Awareness.
- If you begin to feel the breath is forced or pushing, feel pressure or you begin to feel short of breathSTOP, and go back gently to breath awareness. You can begin Nadi Shodhana again only once your breath has resumed being relaxed, easy and full. Never rush the practice.
- When you are relaxed in the breath, just as in Breath Awareness, you will begin to find the lengthening “spaces of no breath” between inhale/exhale, and exhale/inhale. When that happens, you may find yourself naturally closing off both nostrils for a second or so. This is a natural progression of the practice.
- Another natural progression of the practice is incorporating the 1:2 ratio of inhalation to exhalation. Just remember if the practice feels forced, you feel pressure in the head any other part of your body, or you feel out of breath, you must stop the practice, and go back to Breath Awareness, returning for another try only when breath is soft, easy and full once more.
