Left Nostril Breathing
The exact mirror of Surya Bhedana: in through the left, out through the right. Cooling and quietening — the evening practice, and the one for heat, anger and insomnia.
Meaning of the name
Piercing the moon. The left nostril is the moon channel — iḍā — cooling, receptive, quiet.
How to practise
- 1
Sit upright and make Vishnu Mudra with the right hand.
- 2
Close the right nostril with the thumb and inhale slowly through the left.
- 3
Close the left with the ring finger, release the thumb, and exhale slowly through the right.
- 4
Continue for nine rounds, always inhaling left and exhaling right.
- 5
Practise in the evening, or whenever the system is over-heated.
Benefits
- Cools the body and calms an over-stimulated mind
- Reduces anger, irritability and acidity
- Helps insomnia when practised in the last hour before bed
- Lowers blood pressure
- Useful in fever and in hot weather
What happens in the nervous system
The mirror finding to Surya Bhedana: left-nostril breathing is associated with parasympathetic dominance and greater right-hemisphere activity. Practised for a few minutes before sleep it lowers arousal measurably, which is why it is the more useful of the two for most people in most circumstances.