Table of Contents Show
Alternate nostril breathing is primarily a yoga practice for breath control. In Sanskrit, everyone popularly knows it by the name of Nadi shodhana pranayama, which signifies the technique of subtle energy-clearing breathing.
Surprising Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing
It is one of the most effective breathing exercises, and it is a well-known meditation practice as well.
You have to perform it in a specific way, i.e., at first, take your middle finger, press and close the right nostril, and inhale through the left.
Take a deep breath, and exhale through the left nostril. Then take your left hand, close the left nostril, and switch sides.
You can also perform it, without any specialist’s assistance, to calm your mind. In this article, we will explore the various benefits you can secure by doing alternate nostril breathing.
Top 10 Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits
Nadi sadhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is one of the best breathing practices because it administers various health advantages to us. You inhale with your respective nostrils, where the right nostril makes it more energized, and the left side makes it relaxed.
You can eliminate your daily stress while keeping your nervous system, cardiovascular, and respiratory system well. This technique also helps you to be more cautious.
Let’s now evaluate the top 10 benefits of the alternate nostril technique for breathing
1. Lowers Anxiety and Stress Levels –
Continuing the activity between your left and right nostrils by performing breathing via alternative nostrils helps keep the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems in a state of equilibrium.
This is excellent for people with a high level of anxiety. This technique can diminish the overactive stress response in them, allowing them to respond to stimuli in a relatively balanced way.
2. Enhances the Cardiovascular System –
This slow breathing technique is also tremendously beneficial in maintaining good cardiovascular health. This breathing workout reduces both the diastolic and systolic blood pressure of some people after completing only one exercise set.
Consequently, the process triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, due to the widening and relaxation of the blood vessels. Many specialists recommend the practice of alternative nostril breathing for improving cardiovascular health.
3. Trains you for Yoga Meditation –
Performing yoga meditation will be tremendously difficult if your breathing patterns are irregular. You will have trouble staying still and gaining the benefits of yoga medication if you have irregular breathing patterns.
For this issue, Nadi Shuddhi or alternative nostril breathing is undoubtedly the best cure. You can get back your regular breath patterns, and yoga meditation will become “as easy as a-b-c” for you.
4. Enhances the Respiratory System –
The best benefit you can obtain from Nadi Shuddhi is the improvement of your respiratory system. It is scientifically proven that the slow breathing we perform in this technique allows us to use our lungs to full capacity.
Besides, it is an effective process to keep the pulse rate steady and it assists in maintaining your overall health. Many yogis recommend this workout to get rid of stale air in the lungs.
5. Exterminates Rumination and Worries –
People with a high level of worry and rumination must perform this breathing exercise. While performing alternate nostril breathing, you need to fix your concentration on your breath.
If you do it accurately, all your past and future thoughts and stress will fly away. Your mind will come to the present, strengthening the neural networks which will obstruct ruminations and worries.
6. Have Power Spiritual Experiences –
One of the best alternate nostril breathing benefits is having powerful spiritual experiences. People on a spiritual path will have a high level of interest in breathing and obtaining the advantages.
Be comfortably seated, and practice this breathing workout, and you can perform pranayama with ease. Get yourself established in pranayama by breathing slowly and deeply, and start to meditate.
Alternate nostril breathing primarily maintains the equilibrium between the right and left nadis, allowing prana to flow via Sushumna’s central energy channel. Then, the energy is drawn upwards, and you can feel the powerful and mystical states.
Practising Nadi Suddhi for a significant amount of time will make you enter the state of spiritual experiences comfortably. And remember that unless prana is flowing via Sushumna, meditation is mostly useless.
7. Be Happy and Peaceful –
Nadi Suddhi helps us to be peaceful and happy. In today’s world, full of anxiety and frustration, a person must have inner peace of mind.
Applying this breathing technique for a few minutes each day will reduce the negative impacts of daily life and help you be in high spirits.
8. Maintains the Body Temperature –
Having a proper body temperature is another great benefit you can have by doing Nadi Shuddhi. Morning breathing workouts are excellent having this benefit. Just remember to do it timely and in the right way, to have the best results.
9. Shapes you for Advanced Pranayama –
Many of us have odd breathing patterns due to daily stress, atmospheric pollution, and many more causes. This results in belly breathing, shortness of breath, and inequal inhales and exhales.
Alternate Nostril breathing is useful for correcting these breathing habits, making it smooth, long, and efficient. Then it becomes easier to adopt various pranayama techniques and shapes us to perform them efficiently.
Remember to start Nadi Shuddhi at a beginner’s level and not apply advanced pranayama; otherwise, it may affect your nervous system. Apply it correctly, and improve gradually to have the best benefits.
10. Maintain Brain Health –
Nadi Shuddhi plays a great role in providing good brain health. Practising this workout in the morning (preferably in the fresh air) tremendously promotes our brain health and advances our personality’s emotional and logical aspects.
Precautions
Although alternate nostril breathing is good for maintaining your overall being, you need to remember certain things before starting this exercise.
If you are feeling nauseous, experiencing dizziness, or shortness of breath, stop immediately. People with asthma problems, COPD, or any lung and heart concerns, should never try this technique.
EndNote: Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits
The above-mentioned points are the best benefits of alternate nostril breathing. Even if you are fully fit and have no medical concerns, you can still adopt the workout and derive numerous health benefits.
Stay safe and healthy!
Click here to see more articles like this!
Last Updated on by riyaspeaks