Alternate Nostril breathing or Nadi Shodhana Pranayama or Anuloma Viloma Pranayama
This is one of the most popular and powerful pranayama and has many health benefits. If you are not holding your breath then it called anuloma viloma. Breathing exercises are very good to improve immunity and help to heal the body fast. In today covid 19 corona epidemic season it is very important to do some pranayama exercises daily to become healthy and keep the immune system at its optimum level. When you do pranayama body moves to a very relaxed conditions, cells get more oxygen and that will help to improve the overall health level. It also lowers stress level and improve cardio vascular function. It also improves lungs and respiratory system performance.
How to Do Nadi Shodhana Pranayama ?
First sit in a comfortable position with legs crossed. You can site either in floor in a yoga mat or bed. Lift your right hand up toward your nose. First exhale fully and then close your right nostril using your right thumb. Inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your fingers. Hold it for some time. Then open the right nostril and exhale through this side. Rest for few seconds and then again inhale through the right nostril and then close this nostril. Hold it. Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side. This is one cycle of alternate breathing pranayama. Initially do it for 2-3 minutes daily. Slowly you can increase it to 10-15 minutes 1-2 times daily.
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama Timer Tool
This video is a timer to practise alternate breathing pranayama. With this you can easily practise it by following the instructions on the screen. Just sit comfortably and do as per the text displayed in the video. Try not to think about anything else. Fully concentrate on this. Also remember to keep your back strait while doing pranayama, meditation etc.
Alternate Nostril breathing Steps and Timing : 4:16:8
There are many different method and steps for this pranayama. In this video we are following 4:16:8 method. In this you will inhale for 4 seconds, hold breath for 16 seconds and exhale through next nostril for 8 seconds. There will be gap to relax for another 16 seconds. Once you complete inhaling and exhaling through both nostrils it will become one round. 2:8:4 and 4:16:8 are basic breathing and retention ratio. Once you are experienced you can increase it to many advanced levels like 8:32:16, 12:48:24 etc. When these numbers increase benefits also will increase exponentially. But it will be difficult to do these levels at initial stage.