Nadi Shodhana Pranayama
Pranayama is an ancient set of techniques that aim to control and expand our breath. The word ‘Prana’ is specifically talking about energy that governs all life, the life force that is within and all around us. You can grasp this idea of Prana through using your visualisation and imaging that you are a Fish swimming in what… a body of water right? The fish cannot live without this water, as as it swims through the water, it sends vibrations through the ocean so that surrounding fish can feel and sense that is it around them. Well, imagine Prana now as the body in which we human live in although we just cannot see it, it is in the Air.
So, rather than pranayama just always talking about the breath, we are also managing and directing this flow of Prana throughout our body. When Prana is flowing well, then out bodies can remain healthy and happy. If not, this is where disease and illness will occur. Sometimes in yoga classes, you will hear this concept of ‘blockages of Prana’ in the body. This is literally happening if we are not making the effort to help its flow. Things like holding on to emotions (they get stored in our body, so let them go!), being too sedentary, eating bad foods and substances, lack of fresh air and an unclean environment (toxins) are just some factors that might stop the flow of Prana within us.
Prana flows through something we call Nadis. This means energy channels or lines. In Chinese medicine they know them as meridian lines. These are subtle pathways that cannot be seen by the human eye and there are 72,000 of them in our bodies. For thousands of there have been observations and confirmation of these pathways in many different ways and their effect on our health, vitality and wellbeing. There are however, three main pathways that we focus on in our pranayama practice. These are, Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadi. The Ida Nadi governs the left, feminine side of the body and is ruled by the moon. Pingala Nadi governs the right, masculine side of the body and is rued by the sun. When these two nadir are balances and Prana is flowing well, they dance and twist up the spine and activate the Sushumna Nadi, the central energy channel of the body. Once this is activated and Prana is flowing through it, then one can see great power, health and strength in his body. It is believed that once the Sushumna is activated, we can access our kundalini energy.
Nadi Shodhana meanings 'purification of the energy channels’, being Ida and Pingala. The pranayama can sometimes be known as alternate nostril breathing as we control the breath so that at a given time we are only breathing through one side at a time. It is done by making the Vishnu mudra with our right hand and using your thumb (fire element) and fourth finger (earth element) to open and close the nostrils. You can being by doing 5 rounds on each side, alternating as you go through and ensuring that your inhale and exhale is long and with no sound. As you get more advanced you can increase the rounds, once you can practice for more that 2 minutes this is when you will see most of the benefits arise. The advanced practice would be to begin adding Kumbhaka (retention of the breath) on both the inhale and exhale. Best to practice this in a ratio of 1:4:2.
Benefits of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama are:
Nadi Shodhan pranayama helps relax the mind and prepares it to enter a meditative state.
Practicing it for just a few minutes every day helps keep the mind calm, happy and peaceful.
It helps in releasing accumulated tension and fatigue.
Regulates the nervous system and maintains the Rest and Digest division (parasympathetic).
Opens sinuses (more benefits if you practice Neti Pot in the morning before practice)
When to practice:
Best in the morning between 4-6am or evening 4-6pm.
On an empty stomach
Practiced after Asthanga Vinyasa Primary Series before Savasana.
Contraindications:
If you have severe blockages in your sinuses (a flu or any condition)
advanced practices (adding retention of the breath) should be avoided for people with High Blood Pressure or Pregnancy.
