← EXERCISE LIBRARYPranayama
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Nadi ShodhanaBreathing alternately through one nostril at a time using the hand to close the other. Also taught as Anuloma Viloma. Slows breath rate and demands sustained attention.
- 01Sit upright with the left hand on the knee and bring the right hand to the face, folding the index and middle fingers in so the thumb rests by the right nostril and the ring finger by the left.
- 02Close the right nostril with the thumb and exhale fully through the left, then inhale through the left for a count of 4.
- 03Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb, and exhale through the right for a count of 4 or 6.
- 04Inhale through the right for the same inhale count, then close it and exhale through the left — that completes one round.
- 05Build to 10 rounds at an even 4:4 ratio; the no-retention form of this is what is usually named Anuloma Viloma.
- 06Finish by lowering the hand and taking 5 free nasal breaths with both nostrils open.
- 01Light fingers — you are closing the nostril, not pressing the face.
- 02Always change sides after the inhale, never mid-breath.
- 03Keep the head still. The hand moves to the nose, not the nose to the hand.
- 01Adding long retentions early. Traditional texts describe ratios such as 1:4:2, but that is advanced work under supervision, and beginners should keep any hold to a short pause or none at all.
- 02Tilting the head sideways toward the hand, which loads the neck and closes the throat.
- 03Practising with a fully blocked nostril from congestion — forcing air through an obstructed side is uncomfortable and the ratio becomes meaningless. Skip it that day.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.