Nadi Shodhana Benefits: How To Do Alternate Nostril Breathing
What is nadi shodhana? The short answer
Nadi shodhana is alternate nostril breathing: a slow, gentle yoga breath (pranayama) where you use your fingers to breathe in and out through one nostril at a time, taking turns. In Sanskrit, nadi means channel and shodhana means cleansing, so the name means “cleansing the channels”. It is also called anulom vilom in India, though some teachers treat that as a slightly different version.
The main benefits people notice are a calmer, clearer mind, better focus, and easier sleep. Research has also found that alternate nostril breathing can lower blood pressure a little, though the studies are mostly small. At Flametree Yoga Studio in Darwin, Chris Lalor teaches nadi shodhana in the 6.30am Pranayama classes on Tuesday and Thursday, in the studio and LIVE online. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree.
Here is this page in short form:
- What it is: breathing through one nostril at a time, guided by the fingers.
- Benefits: calm, focus and sleep (known from practice), and a small drop in blood pressure (supported by research).
- How to do it: eleven simple steps, below, with the Iyengar finger position.
- Who should take care: skip the breath holding if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure or a heart condition.
- Where to learn: Darwin or LIVE online, with a certified Iyengar teacher.
The Iyengar hand position for nadi shodhana: gentle pressure from the thumb on one side, and the ring and little fingers on the other, opens and narrows each nostril. The index and middle fingers are folded in. Other traditions use a slightly different hand position.
How alternate nostril breathing works
Each nostril is a separate pathway. By narrowing one side with the fingers and breathing through the other, the breath becomes slower, finer and more even than normal breathing. Nadi shodhana is a “digital” pranayama, which simply means it uses the fingers (digits).
What the yoga tradition teaches. Yoga tradition links the right nostril with heating, active energy and the left with cooling, calming energy. Nadi shodhana balances the two, so that neither side is dominant. The tradition also teaches that it cleanses the energy channels (nadis) of the body. These ideas are known from long practice and have not yet been tested by modern research.
What students notice. Because the fingers, the nostrils and the count all need attention, nadi shodhana keeps the “monkey mind” busy. Many students tell us that if they start feeling scattered, a few rounds leave them settled and calm. It is a form of mindfulness you do with your hands and breath, rather than by trying to sit still and think of nothing.
Slow breathing is linked with the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the “rest and digest” mode of the body.
Nadi shodhana benefits
What research has found so far
- Blood pressure. A 2024 review of alternate nostril breathing found it lowered blood pressure compared with no practice (about 7 points systolic and 5 points diastolic, across 6 trials). The authors warned that the trials varied a lot and were mostly not blinded, so better studies are needed. (Nam and others, Complementary Medicine Research, 2024, read the review.)
- Heart rate. A 2023 review of breathing exercises, including alternate nostril breathing, Bhramari and slow breathing, found modest drops in blood pressure and heart rate compared with control groups. (Garg and others, International Journal of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Risk and Prevention, 2023, read the review.)
- Still being studied. The same 2024 review reports early findings on fatigue and memory. These are promising but not yet firm.
For more on breathing and blood pressure, see how to lower blood pressure. Breath practice is a helper alongside medical care, not a replacement for it.
What practice already knows
Students commonly tell us nadi shodhana brings calm, clearer thinking, better focus and easier sleep, and that it helps them manage a quick temper and feelings of anxiousness. The benefits often come quickly and are easy to notice. Yoga tradition has taught these effects for centuries, well before modern research began to test them.
Benefits students report from breath meditation at Flametree: calm, energy, mood, focus and sleep.
The benefits listed here are only part of the story. Flametree has written more on the benefits of pranayama in what is pranayama, Bhramari pranayama benefits and the wonders of pranayama. Dr Timothy McCall’s June 2019 list of 117 health conditions studied in yoga research is on our benefits of yoga page.
Sit straight, on a chair or cross legged
Your spine needs to be upright and your chest free to expand. You can sit upright on a chair, or cross legged on a folded blanket. Either way, do not lean back against anything that stops your chest from opening. If sitting cross legged is hard for you, use a chair: you get the benefits of nadi shodhana either way.
Start with a few rounds and build up over time.
Alternate nostril breathing demonstrated by Christine Lalor, Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and yoga therapist, using the Iyengar hand position shown above.
How to do nadi shodhana pranayama, step by step
- Sit in a comfortable upright position with the spine straight. Apply the chin lock (jalandhara bandha, lowering the chin gently toward the chest). Sit on a chair with a straight back, or cross legged on a folded blanket.
- Bring the right hand up. Place the tip of the right thumb in the hollow just below the bone of the right nostril, and the ring and little fingers in the same place on the left nostril. See the finger clasp picture above.
- Partially block both nostrils.
- Breathe in and out through both partly narrowed nostrils for a few rounds.
- Block the left nostril completely.
- Narrow the right nostril and breathe out through the right.
- Then breathe in slowly and steadily through the partly narrowed right nostril.
- When the lungs are full, block the right nostril.
- Pause for a very short moment, only as long as is comfortable (skip this if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure or a heart condition).
- Partly open the left nostril and breathe out slowly through it.
- Breathe in through the left, block it, and breathe out through the right.
That is one round. Repeat the same pattern.
Finer points for getting the benefits
- The left hand is not used. Rest it in your lap or by your side.
- The index and middle fingers are folded in, not used.
- A short pause at key points is optional. It is not the main part of the practice.
- Find a rhythm that is comfortable and doable for you. You will get better at alternating quickly.
- While learning, lower your hand and rest between rounds.
- Once you are comfortable, do several minutes, pause, then do a few more rounds.
- With practice you will refine the pressure of the fingers and the narrowing of the nostrils.
- Keep your fingernails trimmed.
- Practise on an empty stomach, and lie down in Savasana (relaxation pose) afterwards.
Brain wave states linked with relaxation (Alpha, green) and deep calm (Theta, orange). This is our teaching model for how breath meditation feels, not a measurement of nadi shodhana itself.
B.K.S. Iyengar and regular pranayama practice
B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar yoga, wrote a whole book on breath practice, Light on Pranayama, as well as a book on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. He taught that, for most people, normal breathing is too shallow, and he used yoga poses to open the chest first. He also taught that pranayama is learnt in stages, starting lying down, then sitting, and always finishing with a rest in Savasana. His daughter, Geeta Iyengar, taught Iyengar teachers and students for decades.
At Flametree, nadi shodhana is taught step by step, usually after simpler breaths such as Ujjayi (ocean breath) and Viloma (breathing in stages). See the wonders of pranayama and how breath meditation works.
Students commonly tell us breath meditation leaves them calmer and less anxious.
Where to learn nadi shodhana in Darwin or online
Flametree teaches two Pranayama classes each week, at 6.30am on Tuesday and Thursday (Darwin time), in the studio at Woolner and LIVE online. Nadi shodhana is taught regularly, along with other breath techniques. See the non-beginner timetable, which shows these times in your own time zone.
The classes are taught by Christine (Chris) Lalor, a certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and yoga therapist, with 12,000 hours of teacher training and more than 25 years of her own pranayama practice. It is one of her great passions, because of what it has done for her.
- Start with a free class. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree. Studio: just come along. Online: click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
- Already practising yoga? 12 non-beginner classes for $104.50 (10 at half price plus 2 free), studio, online or both, no code needed. This includes the Pranayama classes.
- New to yoga? Start with 12 beginner classes for $59.50, with a 14-day money-back guarantee, and see the beginner timetable. Our breathwork classes and meditation classes in Darwin are also open to you.
- Prefer to learn at home? The 4-class breath meditation video introduction teaches the basics, so you can practise at home knowing what you are doing.
Existing students can use any regular class pass for the Pranayama classes. Doing both breath practice and yoga poses tends to increase what you get from each.
Nadi shodhana: questions people ask
What is nadi shodhana?
Nadi shodhana is alternate nostril breathing, a slow yoga breath (pranayama) where you use your fingers to breathe through one nostril at a time, taking turns. The name means “cleansing the channels” in Sanskrit.
What are the benefits of nadi shodhana?
Students commonly find it brings calm, focus and easier sleep. Research has found alternate nostril breathing can lower blood pressure a little, though most studies are small. Early studies on memory and fatigue are still being done. See what is pranayama for more on breath practice.
How do you do nadi shodhana?
Sit upright, rest the right thumb beside the right nostril and the ring and little fingers beside the left. Breathe out and in through the right, close it, then breathe out and in through the left. That is one round. Keep the breath slow and smooth, and rest between rounds while you are learning.
Is nadi shodhana the same as alternate nostril breathing or anulom vilom?
Nadi shodhana and alternate nostril breathing are two names for the same practice. Anulom vilom is the name used widely in India. Some teachers treat it as the same thing, and others as a slightly different version, for example without any pause after breathing in.
Does alternate nostril breathing lower blood pressure?
A 2024 review of 6 trials found it lowered blood pressure by about 7 points systolic compared with no practice. The trials varied a lot and most were not blinded, so the result needs confirming. Keep taking any medication your doctor has prescribed. See how to lower blood pressure.
Who should not do nadi shodhana?
Most people can do the gentle breathing, but skip the breath holding if you are pregnant, or have high blood pressure or a heart condition, and tell your teacher. Do not force the breath through a blocked nose, and stop if you feel dizzy. See is pranayama safe?
How long should I do nadi shodhana for?
Start with a few rounds, resting your hand between them, and build up slowly to several minutes. Always finish lying down in Savasana (relaxation pose) for a few minutes.
Where can I learn nadi shodhana in Darwin or online?
Flametree Yoga Studio teaches it in the 6.30am Pranayama classes on Tuesday and Thursday, at Woolner in Darwin and LIVE online, with Chris Lalor. Your first class is free if you are new. See the class times.
This page is general information, not medical advice: talk to your doctor or health professional about any health condition. Updated 30 September 2026.
