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It’s not a breathing exercise we do all that
often in class, as not everyone has….I’ll be polite….an unobstructed nostril
situation post-Savasana. Nonetheless, much has been said about the potential
benefit of a quirky little technique called, “alternate nostril breathing.”
Modern science has discovered two interesting
facts surrounding alternate nostril breathing. First of all, we don’t breath
equally with both nostrils. At any one given moment, one nostril is
much easier to breath through than the other; this cycle switches every few
hours or so. Secondly, research has found that alternate nostril breathing
has a balancing effect on the functional activity of the left and right
hemispheres of the brain; upon testing the breath during times of
congestion, the electrical activity of the brain was found to be greater on
the side opposite the less congested nostril. This means that right side of
the brain, which is associate with creative activity, is stimulated through
left-nostril breathing, while the left hemisphere, associated with logical
verbal activity, is stimulated through right nostril breathing. This has
some interesting potential applications. For example, while yoga cannot
replace the medical treatment required for bipolar disorder, alternate
nostril breathing may have a mediating effect on some of its symptoms. Or,
using another example, a person preparing to give a highly logical,
data-laden speech might do well by performing some right-nostril breathing
(I’d find a private place to do this, though) just before heading to the
podium.
To perform alternate nostril breathing, close
your right nostril with your right thumb; inhale slowly through your left
nostril. Immediately close the left nostril with your right ring finger, and
at the same time remove your thumb from the right nostril, and exhale slowly
through your right nostril. Reverse: inhale slowly through the right
nostril, close the right nostril with your right thumb, and slowly exhale
through the left nostril. Work up to a minute or two of this cycle (inhale,
switch nostrils, exhale; inhale, switch nostrils, exhale....), but avoid if
you feel at all lightheaded. Also, avoid practicing alternate nostril
breathing if you have a cold or if your nasal passages are blocked in any
way, as your breath should never be forced. -ep
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