Nadi Shodhana
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Balance your nervous system and calm your mind with this ancient technique for "channel purification."
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What is Nadi Shodhana?
Nadi Shodhana, also called Anulom Vilom or alternate nostril breathing, is a slow pranayama in which you breathe through one nostril at a time, closing the other with your fingers and switching sides as you go. The Sanskrit name means channel purification. It is one of the gentlest pranayamas and suits most beginners.
Nadi Shodhana(NAH-dee show-DAH-nah) translates to "channel purification" in Sanskrit. It's also known as Anulom Vilomor simply "alternate nostril breathing."
This technique involves breathing through one nostril at a time in an alternating pattern. According to yogic tradition, we have energy channels (nadis) running through the body, and this practice purifies and balances these channels.
Modern science shows that alternate nostril breathing balances the autonomic nervous system, reducing stress and promoting calm, which is why it appears in our guide to breathing techniques for anxiety. Research has found it can lower heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and improve cognitive function.
What are the benefits of Nadi Shodhana?
Controlled research supports modest calming effects. During alternate nostril breathing, one study measured falls in systolic blood pressure and breathing rate alongside a rise in heart rate variability. A systematic review of 44 randomised trials found positive autonomic and cardiopulmonary effects, while noting the technique is still practised in many non-standard ways.
Lower blood pressure and higher HRV during practice
In 26 men, systolic blood pressure and breathing rate fell during alternate nostril breathing while RMSSD, a vagal HRV measure, rose, suggesting increased vagal activity. [1]
Consistent effects across many trials
A review of 44 randomised controlled trials reported positive outcomes for the autonomic nervous and cardiopulmonary systems, and evidence for improved cognitive function, while noting the technique is not yet standardised. [2]
Part of the wider pranayama evidence
A systematic review of 18 controlled pranayama trials found effects on pulse rate, systolic blood pressure and respiratory function. [3]
What People Practise Nadi Shodhana For
The traditional aims of regular practice. The measured effects are in the section above.
How do you do Nadi Shodhana?
Close the right nostril with your thumb and inhale through the left. Close both nostrils briefly, then open the right and exhale through it. Inhale through the right, close both, and exhale through the left. That is one round. Vayu paces each breath at 4-2-6-2: inhale 4 seconds, pause 2, exhale 6, pause 2.
Follow these steps to master alternate nostril breathing
Find Your Seat
Sit comfortably with a straight spine. Rest your left hand on your knee. Close your eyes and take a few natural breaths.
Form Vishnu Mudra
With your right hand, fold your index and middle fingers down. Use your thumb for your right nostril and ring finger for your left.
Inhale Left
Close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale slowly through your left nostril for 4 counts.
Hold Briefly
Close both nostrils. Hold gently for 2 counts. Stay relaxed.
Exhale Right
Release your thumb, keep left closed. Exhale through your right nostril for 4 counts.
Inhale Right, Exhale Left
Inhale right (4 counts). Close both, hold (2 counts). Exhale left (4 counts). This is one cycle. Repeat 5-10 times.
The Pattern
Inhale Left (4) → Hold (2) → Exhale Right (4) → Inhale Right (4) → Hold (2) → Exhale Left (4)
One complete cycle. Repeat 5-10 times for a full practice.
Tips for Success
Use light pressure.Gently close the nostril, don't press hard. The block should be just enough to redirect airflow.
Keep breaths equal. Try to make inhales and exhales the same length. Start with 4 counts each and increase as you get comfortable.
Practice on an empty stomach. Best done in the morning before eating, or at least 2-3 hours after a meal.
Clear your nose first.If one nostril is blocked, try the other side or use saline spray before practice. Don't force breath through a blocked nostril.
Who should not do Nadi Shodhana?
Nadi Shodhana is slow and gentle, so it suits most people. Shorten or skip the breath-holding pauses if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease, or are pregnant. Do not force air through a blocked nostril; breathe through both sides or practise another time. Stop if you feel light-headed, and never practise while driving.
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease: keep the pauses short or skip them
- Pregnancy: slow breathing is generally fine; avoid straining holds and confirm with your provider
- A blocked nose, sinus infection or recent nasal surgery: do not force the breath through one side
- Panic disorder: usually well tolerated, but stop if attending to the breath raises anxiety
Read the full breathwork safety guidelines and the guide to breathwork contraindications. This is general education, not medical advice.
How does Vayu guide Nadi Shodhana on the wrist?
Vayu paces the timing and leaves the fingers to you. Each inhale is a ramp of taps that starts fast and slows, each pause clicks once a second, and each exhale is a ramp from slow to fast. Use each pause to switch nostrils. The default is 4-2-6-2, with a faster 2-1-3-1 setting for shorter breaths.
Switch sides in the pauses
The two-second pause after each inhale and exhale is your cue to move your fingers. The haptics do not say which nostril; you alternate as in the steps above.
Normal and Fast
Normal is 4-2-6-2 and Fast is 2-1-3-1. Choose in Haptic settings on the phone; a change reaches a watch session that is already running.
Where it lives
On the watch it appears as Alternate Nostril. Sessions run from 1 to 15 minutes on the phone and 2 to 15 minutes from the watch.
HRV after, not during
When the session ends, Vayu reads the HRV (SDNN) your watch recorded and uses it to shape the next session. It does not measure HRV while you breathe.
How every phase feels on the wrist, and why HRV is read after the session rather than during it, is explained on the haptic breathing page.
Practice with Visual Guidance
The Vayu app guides you through each breath with visual cues and gentle audio prompts. Perfect for learning the rhythm of Nadi Shodhana. If you want to set your own ratio, use the anulom vilom timer, and for the forceful counterpart to this gentle practice, see bhastrika breathing apps.
Download FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What is Nadi Shodhana breathing?
Nadi Shodhana, also called alternate nostril breathing, is a pranayama technique where you breathe through one nostril at a time while blocking the other. The name means "channel purification" in Sanskrit. It is believed to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain and the sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous systems.
How do you do alternate nostril breathing?
To do Nadi Shodhana: 1) Sit comfortably with a straight spine. 2) Use your right hand with the thumb on your right nostril and ring finger on your left. 3) Close your right nostril, inhale through left. 4) Close both, pause briefly. 5) Open right nostril, exhale. 6) Inhale through right. 7) Close both, pause. 8) Open left, exhale. This is one complete cycle.
What are the benefits of Nadi Shodhana?
Benefits include: balancing the nervous system, reducing anxiety and stress, improving focus and mental clarity, preparing the mind for meditation, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, balancing hormones, improving respiratory function, and promoting emotional balance.
How long should you practice Nadi Shodhana?
Beginners should start with 3-5 minutes (about 5-10 cycles). As you become comfortable, you can increase to 10-15 minutes. For deep meditation preparation, 15-20 minutes is beneficial. Practice daily for best results, ideally in the morning or before meditation.
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Other breathing techniques
One page per technique. The full list with patterns is on the pranayama and breathing techniques hub.
- Box breathing (4-4-4-4)Four equal phases of four seconds: inhale, hold, exhale, hold. A steady, structured reset for focus under pressure.
- 4-7-8 breathing (4-7-8)Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. A long hold and a longer exhale, most often used to wind down before sleep.
- Cyclic Sighing (3-1-6)Two inhales through the nose, then one long exhale through the mouth, repeated for about five minutes. Vayu paces it 3-1-6.
- Extended Exhale (3-2-6-2)An exhale twice as long as the inhale, with short pauses. Vayu paces it 3-2-6-2 for calm without long holds.
- Coherent breathing (5 to 6 breaths per minute)Slow, even breathing at about 5 to 6 breaths a minute, the range where heart rate variability responds most.
- Bhastrika (4-2-4-2)Full, forceful breaths in and out through the nose. Vayu paces it as deliberate rounds, 4-2-4-2 by default.
- Kapalbhati (60 exhales per minute (normal speed))Short, sharp exhales driven by the belly, with passive inhales between them. Vayu paces one exhale per second by default.
Sources
- Telles et al. 2014, Medical Science Monitor Basic Research: blood pressure and heart rate variability during yoga-based alternate nostril breathing practice and breath awareness. During alternate nostril breathing, systolic blood pressure and breathing rate fell while RMSSD rose
- Ghiya 2017, International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: alternate nostril breathing, a systematic review of clinical trials. Review of 44 randomised trials of alternate nostril breathing on autonomic, cardiopulmonary and cognitive outcomes
- Jayawardena et al. 2020, International Journal of Yoga: exploring the therapeutic benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing), a systematic review. 18 controlled trials; effects on pulse rate, systolic blood pressure and respiratory function
