Nadi shodhana Pranayama (yoga exercise for breathing). Highly effective yoga technique for physical, mental and spritual wellbeing. The word yoga is evolved from Sanskrit language. The word yoga means summation of two things. These two things are you and the nature. Yoga will help you to get in-sync with nature. As per ancient scriptures, Ashtanga Yog comprises of eight limbs.
These eight Limbs are:-
- Yam
- Niyam
- Aasan
- Pranayama
- Pratyahara
- Dharana
- Dhyana
- Samadhi
Here we are going to discuss about Nadi shodhana Pranayama. Its a type of Pranamaya.
What is Pranayama
Pranayama basically yoga exercise for breathing. It is intensivelyly utilised for physical and mental wellness. Pranayama is a Sanskrit word formed by combination of Prana and Ayam. Prana means life energy and Ayam means expansion. So pranayam means expansion of life energy.
What is Nadi shodhana
Again Nadi shodhana is a Sanskrit word , where Nadi means pathway and shodhana means purification. Here Nadis are not the nerves or any physical part of our body. One cannot see them by cutting body parts. Rather Nadi is the space being utilised for flow of energy. There are seventy two thousand Nadis within our body. Any blockage in flow of the energy will leads to various physical and mental illness.
Understand the concept of Nadi and Chakra in our body.
Step by step guide for performing Nadi shodhana
It is so simple that you can perform it at home without any specialised assistance. All you need an open space with abundance of natural fresh air and a yoga mat. Its a potent Yogic technique being utilised for metal and physical healing. The most preferred time to do this breathing exercise is at early morning hours just before sunrise. Because during this time air will have maximum oxygen content and lowest toxic contents. So let's start.
Step 1- Relax yourself
Sit comfortably on yoga mat and keep your both hands on your thigh facing upward. Sit relaxed and calm with your spine comfortably erect. Observe your breathing pattern for few seconds by keeping attention at nostrils.
Step 2- Single nostril breathing
(A) Right nostril breathing
- Raise your left hand and place your left thumb on your left nostril. Now inhale and exhale long breathes from the right nostril for ten times.
- Inhale a long breathe, hold for few seconds and then exhale. Repeat it for five times.
(B) Left nostril breathing
- Raise your right hand and place your right thumb on your right nostril. Now inhale and exhale long breathes from the left nostril for ten times.
- Inhale a long breathe, hold for few seconds and then exhale. Repeat it for five times.
Step 3- Alternate nostrils breathing
- Raise your right hand and place your thumb on right nostril. Inhale from left nostril, hold for three seconds and exhale from right nostril by closing left nostril from middle finger and ring finger.
- Now inhale from right nostril, hold for three seconds and exhale from left nostril.
- Repeat this process for twenty times.
Find out more about Nadi and Chakra here.
Benefits
(A) Physical benefits
- Body becomes active.
- Detoxify body and blood.
- Improves blood purification.
- Increases oxygen level.
- Reduce cholesterol and sugar
- Reduce uric acid.
- Fat reduction.
- Increases lungs power.
(B) Mental benefits
- Releases stress and anxiety
- Increases memory power
- Enhance inner peace and calmness.
- Enhance concentration and focus.
(C) Spiritual benefits
- Regulate and balance the flow of vital energies.
- Balances Ida and Pingala.
- Removes Nadi blockage.
- Activates Sushumna.
