How to Alternate Nostril Breathing

Learning to breath consciously and deliberately is one of the first requirements in the yoga practice and meditation. Alternate nostril breathing is a method of breathing that tries to balance the flow of oxygen to the brain, by alternating the nostrils through which you breathe. Read on to learn how to alternate nostril breathing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Place the index and middle fingers of your right hand onto your forehead. Your thumb should hang on the right side of your nose, and your ring and little fingers on the left.

2. With your thumb, pinch closed your right nostril. While counting to eight, take one long, slow, deep breath in through your left nostril.

3. Pinch closed your left nostril with your ring and little finger (so that your nose is now pinched totally shut). Hold your breath for a count of eight.

4. Take your thumb off your right nostril. Breathe out steadily, through the same nostril, while counting to eight.

5. As soon as you finish breathing out, immediately start breathing in again through the same right nostril. Count as before to eight.

6. Pinch your nose completely shut. Hold your breath as you count to eight.

7. Breathe out slowly through your left nostril for a count of eight.

8. Repeat starting with the left nostril.

Tips & Warnings

• Breathe quietly, slowly and evenly.
• The left nostril corresponds to the right hemisphere of the brain and vice versa. Breathing through the left nostril is said to boost spatial relation skills. Breathing through the right nostril is said to boost verbal abilities.

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