A Balancing Breath.

Pranayama, or breath control used to harness our prana (energy), is equally as important in a yoga practice as the asanas (the yoga postures we are all so familiar with), but pranayama can be a beneficial tool even when used on its own.

One form or pranayama is alternate nostril breathing, where we breathe in through one nostril and exhale through the other (brief instruction follows at the end of this post).  Alternate nostril breathing will help to balance our breathing between both nostrils, thereby balancing our energy; it will help you to feel centered.

To practice alternate nostril breathing either stand comfortably upright or sit in a comfortable cross legged position; before you begin take a moment to notice your current breath, maybe even place your hand underneath your nose so you can feel which nostril your exhale comes out of.

If at anytime during this breathing exercise you feel short of breath, stop, take a few normal deep breaths and then begin where you left off.

Let's begin...

You will want use your right hand, keep your ring, pinky finger and thumb extended and curl your middle and pointer finger into your palm.

• Close your right nostril using your thumb and inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
• Release your right nostril and close your left nostril with your ring and pinky finger, exhale through your right nostril.
• Keeping your left nostril closed, inhale slowly and deeply through your right nostril.
• Release your left nostril, close your right nostril with your thumb and exhale through your left nostril.
• Keeping your right nostril closed, inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
• Release your right nostril, close your left nostril with your ring and pinky fingers and exhale through your right nostrol.
• Repeat 5-10 times on each side

Notice how you feel after this exercise.  You can complete this breathing exercise whenever you need to calm and center yourself (i.e. maybe you are nervous, lethargic, irritated, etc.).

This breathing technique can also be used as a preparation for meditation.