Yoga is a science and an art form of transformation. Consider here that “transformation” doesn’t have to be something that is very involved and huge in order to be extremely effective and powerful. Yoga is a beautiful and multi-layered practice that can shift our current state any time of any day. We don’t even have to gather our gear and get ourselves into a yoga studio to make this happen. It is accessible (and quick) to find those necessary ‘recharges’ throughout our day – whenever needed – just simply focusing our attention to the Breath.

Breathing is the most vital part of human life. And yet, when things get busy or stressful, our breath is one of the first things to suffer. Poor breathing patterns negatively impact the body on many different levels. Yogic breathing techniques are simple and can be integrated throughout a day, seamlessly. The benefits of consciousness and proper breathing include: elicits the relaxation response in the body; creates a balanced source of energy moving through us; increases our lung capacity; boosts the immune system; feeds our organs with vitality; stabilizes the mind; maintains emotional equilibrium; facilitates the reduction of depression… just to name a few.

So, the next time you feel tired, sad, overwhelmed, unfocused, burnt out, or just feel you need a little “pick-me-up,” try this yogic breathing technique (this one can also be helpful for insomnia, and is safe to do for those on the fertility journey, as well as throughout pregnancy):

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama  (means: “alternate nostril breathing” or “channel cleansing breath”)

Benefits:

• Lowers heart rate, reduces stress and anxiety & soothes the system
• Said to synchronize the two hemispheres of the brain
• Said to purify the subtle energy channels (nadis) of the body so the prana (life force) flows more easily

Notations:

• You can practice this breath work up to 15 minutes at a time.
• You are breathing normally through each nostril (no constriction/sound at back of throat).

How-to Step by Step:

Sit in a comfortable seat, with a tall spine, soft shoulders and a long back of neck (chin slightly down).

• Gently close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale through your left nostril fully, then close it with your ring and/or little fingers.
• Open and exhale slowly through the right nostril.
• Keep the right nostril open and inhale through it.
• Then close it, and open and exhale slowly through the left.
  This is  one cycle.**
  Repeat 3 to 5 times (or more), then release the hand at the nose and go back to normal breathing though both nostrils.
  Feel the impact on your body, mind and spirit!

**Depending on your needs this breath can be practiced in a few different ways:

• To balance: begin with the LEFT nostril — do many rounds back and forth — and end with the RIGHT nostril
• To calm (also good for interrupted sleep): begin with the LEFT nostril — do many rounds back and forth — and end with the LEFT nostril
• To energize: begin with the RIGHT nostril — do many rounds back and forth — and end with the RIGHT nostril

by Wendy Obstler, CYT, E-RYT
Beverly Hills Posture Yoga Therapist and Instructor
Strong Yoga^® 4Women, Certified Lead Teacher
Therapeutic Flow Yoga,™ Certified Yoga Therapist
Read about Wendy on our website.

Nadi Shodhana pranayama. Nadi means ‘channel’ or ‘flow’ of energy and shodhana means ‘purification’. There are multiple levels of practice for nadhi shodhana and the text Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha suggests practicing each technique for six months before advancing to the next. I will only go through the most basic technique, the alternate nostril breath, which can be performed by anyone. It balances the Ida and Pingala nadis that travel up the spine, interweaving the chakras. The Ida nadi is similar to Yin. It is the feminine, lunar energy that dominates the left hand side of the body and is related to the parasympathetic nervous system, which tells you to relax and keeps you calm. Alternatively, the Pingala nadi is the Yang side and is masculine, solar energy. It dominates the right hand side of the body and relates to the sympathetic nervous system, i.e. fight or flight reactions and cortisol levels. Constantly high levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, can lead to many problems as it catabolises protein into amino acids which are then released into the blood as energy. This inhibits muscle development. When cortisol is elevated, the heart beats faster causing blood pressure to rise, breath to become shallow, blood vessels are constricted, blood sugar rises, the blood supply to the digestive organs is reduced, less growth hormones and sex hormones are released and the immune system is suppressed.

In Nadi shodhana, as the alternate nostrils are used to breathe, Ida and Pingala become balanced. It is a good idea to practise a Jala Neti before hand as one nostril may be blocked, especially if practicing in the morning. Usually after sleep, the right nostril will be blocked as you will be breathing with the Ida side as you are more relaxed. The dominant nostril will will change every 90 minutes, according to the physical, mental or emotional state you are in, and people often have one nostril bigger than the other. In this way you can tell if they are more likely to be relaxed and laid back or high strung and fiery. The ratio of the inhale and exhale should be equal and the text suggests counting 1 Om, 2 Om, 3 Om…

The idea is that the breath will eventually (after a few years of practice) increase to a ration of 24 for the inhale which was a traditional technique from the classical texts which use the Gayatri mantra as a metre to measure the length of pranayamas; the Gayatri mantra has 24 individual mantras. It is a truly beautiful mantra and worth taking a listen to even if you aren’t using it for pranayama.

Watch Gayatri Mantra on YouTube.

For now I am content to inhale for four and exhale for four. As my mind starts to drift away from the pranayama, I bring it back to the point where my fingers are resting on my third eye and keep my awareness on that sensation as I release the count and just breathe.

18 minutes in this way and I feel balanced, relaxed and ready to take on the day.

Until I get a call from my doctor. I have forgotten to get a second blood test. I have a low white blood cell count. Probably stress related. I need to get to the doctors before 9.30am in order to get my blood taken so I can get the results before I leave. As in, the morning I leave for Mexico. By then, there won’t be much I can do about it except to breathe. But that’s all any of us can ever do. Just breathe.

This image from yoga-art.net shows the Ida and Pingala channels interweaving the chakras (wheels of energy that dominate areas of the subtle, spiritual, body).Very briefly:

Mooladhara: Red, root or base chakra is our connection to earth

Svadhisthana: Orange, sacral chakra is our creative seat and sexuality

Manipura: Yellow, solar plexus chakra, is power centre, ego, self esteem and confidence

Anahata: Green, the heart chakra, is love, compassion, connection

Vissudha: Blue, the throat chakra is communication, speaking truth

Ajna: Indigo blue, the third eye chakra, is our intuition, psychic perception, imagination and dream state or subconscious

Sahasrara: Crown chakra, wisdom, knowledge, the connection the universe, to the divine or higher self or spiritual realm.

With Chrisandra Fox

Photography: Faern, Faernworks.com

When the dance of life has us falling off center, how we find it again? Yoga teaches us that while we may not always be able to change our external conditions – in the moment – we can manage our energy to directly influence our state of mind.

Prana, our intelligent life energy or “the original breath” facilitates all our physical life processes and influences our mental state. Yoga says that to understand your mind, get to know your prana, or life’s energy. In order to know your prana, get to know your breath.

Prana flows in channels, or nadis, throughout the body. According to the tradition, there are 72,000 of these channels. Of these, three are most important for the purposes of hatha yoga: the solar channel (pingala), the lunar channel (ida), and the central channel (sushumna nadi).

The sun channel . . . The moon channel . . .and the central channel, or the Supreme Highway . . .

Practicing nadi shodhana breath can help balance the ida and pingala, thus bringing both mind and body to the same place, where we might realize our true sense of center.

The Pranayama

Sit in siddhasana, or another pose in which you can be seated with an elegant spine. Draw your left foot in. . .

As you inhale, lengthen your spine. As you exhale, draw your chin in toward your chest. Lift your sternum toward your chin to create jalandhara bandha. This position will help to contain the energy while you breathe.

Bring your left arm out and rest your hand on your left knee. Press the thumb and index finger together lightly to create jnana mudra. This seal creates a . . .

Bend your right arm and draw the index and middle fingers to the base of your right thumb. You’ll use your right thumb and the ring and pinky finger of your right hand to alternately block the right nostril and the left nostril. As you block one side, keep the finger of the opposite side resting on the upper part of the nasal passageway, so that you can slow down the flow of breath. Your fingers stay on your nose throughout each side; you’ll uncover the lower part of the nasal canal to create a long thin stream of breath as you inhale and exhale.

Bring your right thumb to the right side of your nose and close off the right nostril. Inhale through your left nostril. Close off your left nostril with your third and fourth fingers, open your right nostril and exhale through the right nostril.

Inhale through your right nostril. Press your thumb against the nose, slide your third and fourth fingers lightly along the bridge of your nose and exhale through your left nostril.

Inhale through your left nostril. Close off your left nostril, open your right nostril and exhale through your right nostril.

Inhale through your right nostril. Close off your right nostril, exhale through your left.

Inhale through the left. Close off the left, exhale through the right.

Continue . . .

• Chrisandra Fox is pursuing a yogic path of liberation and shares these practices in 5 weekly classes at Yoga Tree. She is a primary teacher in Yoga Tree’s 200-hour Teacher Training and leads The Heart of Renewal Retreats.

• Faern is an Artist, yoga practitioner and Photographer in San Francisco. Besides making as much time for tea as possible, you can find Faern in a yoga class, at her current art show or wandering the city via public transportation. You can visit her in various places online: FaernWorks website, Twitter, Facebook, Faern in the Works Blog.

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Lower your blood pressure, curb stress, and bring balance to both sides of your brain in this breathing sequence with Adi. The practice is called Nadi Shodhana Pranayama and translates to “channel cleaning.” Try it out and let the layers of stress and anxiety peel away.