Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

This is an additional technique to facilitatie the practice of Meditation. By doing this kind of pranayama the meditation becomes easier and the experiences during meditation become more clear and profound.

The Nadi Shodhana Pranayama is the easiest pranayma and also the basis of all other pranayama techniques.

By practising this pranayama the energy channels in the subtle/astral/energy body are cleaned. This is very important, because the condition of our subtle body has a direct effect on the condition of our physical body.

If there are impurities in our subtle body, this can cause disease or imbalance in our physical body. Also, impurities in our subtle body will have a clouding effect on our mind and daily consciousness. Meditation can clear these impurities, but combined with this Nadi Shodhana Pranayma the benefits will be multiplied.

Technique :

Sit with an erect spine at a chair or at your bed or your sofa. Use alternately the thumb and the ring+little finger of your left or right hand to switch between the left and right nostril (altenate nostril breathing), while the other hand can rest on the knee and can be used for counting the number of cycles.

In this example the left hand is uses for closing the nostrils.

Close the right nostril with the ring finger of the left hand. The little finger rests upon the ring finger. Breath out through the left nostril in a comfortable way, neither too fast neither too slow. Then inhale, in a comfortable way, through the left nostril until the lungs are full and close also the left nostril with the thumb for just one second. Then immediately open the right nostril by releasing the ring finger and little finger and exhale, in a comfortable way, through the right nostril until the lungs are empty. Wait one second and then inhale through the right nostril until the lungs are full again, keep the air in again for one second and exhale again through the left nostril.

This completes one cycle of the Nadi Shodhana Pranayama.

For an minimum effectivity it is necessary to do at least 4 or 9 cycles. For example you can do one round, consisting of 4 or 9 cycles, in the morning, and one round in the evening.

It is best to practise this pranayma after meditation. Meditation makes our mind rest in Consciousness. By Pranayama our Consciousness is set in motion.