Upper back and neck
Nadi Shodhana: Alternate Nostril Breathing
Alternate nostril breathing supports balance between the two sides of your nervous system, improving concentration and promoting a calm, centred state.
How to do it
- 1
Sit comfortably with your back supported
Shoulders down. The head stays level throughout.
- 2
Close your right nostril and breathe in through the left
Use the thumb of your right hand, or whichever finger is comfortable. Ordinary depth, slow pace.
- 3
Close the left, release the right, and breathe out to the right
The switch happens at the top of the in-breath, and the out-breath leaves through the other side.
- 4
Breathe in through the right, then swap and breathe out to the left
That completes one round. In one side, out the other, then reverse.
- 5
Continue for three to five minutes
If holding a hand at your face is uncomfortable for your shoulder or wrist, do it mentally instead: imagine alternating sides and let both nostrils stay open. That version works.
What to watch for
Keeping the arm lifted long enough that the shoulder complains. Use the hands-free version rather than pushing through it. Leave this one out if your nose is blocked, or if breath practices have made you dizzy before.
Ways to adjust it
- No hand mudra: mental alternation only
- One-sided breathing if needed
Before you try it
Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.
Also part of sessions for
Each of those explains what the condition is, what the published guidance recommends, and where this movement fits.
One movement is a start. A session is the thing.
A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.
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