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Also known by the names "Naadi Shodhanam" or "Anuloma-Viloma", Naadi Shuddhi (नाडी शुद्धि) is one of the most commonly practiced pranayama techniques in yoga. The word "naadi" means "nerves". In fact, in yoga the term naadi is applied to psychic channels associated with the flow of prana (vital life force). According to some ancient texts, there are 72,000 such naadis in a human system. The words "shuddhi" or "shodhanam" both mean "cleansing" or "purification". So the term "naadi shuddhi" literally means cleansing of the subtle nervous system. A clean naadi system allows free flow of prana which helps bring more vitality and energy to the system.
In this breathing technique, we use deep, soft (almost soundless) ujjayi breaths for each inhalation and exhalation.
Step-by-step
Stage 1
- Sit in any comfortable sitting posture with the spine erect, eyes closed and shoulders relaxed.
- Make the Vishnu Mudra (shown in the picture to the right) with the right hand – make a soft fist, lift the thumb and the last two fingers up, keeping the middle two fingers at the base of the thumb. During the practice using this mudra, the thumb is used to close the right nostril whereas the ring finger is used to close the left nostril.
- With the left hand, make the Chin Mudra – join the tips of the index finger and the thumb, keeping the rest of the fingers open and relaxed. Keep the hand on the left knee, palm facing up.
- Use the right thumb to close the right nostril. To get started, exhale through the left.
- Begin the first round by inhaling through the left nostril.
- At the end of inhalation, close the left nostril with the ring finger and open the right. Then exhale through the right nostril.
- Inhale now through the right. At the end of inhalation, close the right nostril with the thumb again and exhale through the left.
- This completes one cycle of breathing. Continue for about 6-7 similar cycles. Make sure to use deep and soft Ujjayi breaths for each inhalation and exhalation.
Stage 2
Once you become comfortable with the basic breathing pattern for naadi shuddhi, you can introduce a count into your breathing. You can use a mental count of ‘OM 1’, ‘OM 2’ etc, each being approximately one second, to determine the duration of inhalation and exhalation. The effort in this breathing technique is to make the duration of exhalation longer than that of inhalation. Over a period of time, with practice, you want to achieve a ratio of 1:2 between inhalation and exhalation. So, for example, if your count for inhalation is 5 seconds, then try to extend the exhalation to up to 10 seconds. As your practice deepens, you may be able to extend the duration of each breath, maintaining the same 1:2 ratio. Try to build up your capacity to a count of 10:20 – 10 seconds of inhalation and 20 seconds of exhalation.
I will introduce more advanced stages of naadi shuddhi involving breath retention and ‘bandhas’ in a subsequent post.
Benefits
- As mentioned above, naadi shuddhi helps cleanse the naadi system so prana can flow freely and energize the whole system.
- Deep, slow breathing brings in increased supply of fresh oxygen into the system. More oxygen means more pure, oxygenated blood going to every cell of the body. This also means that more of carbon dioxide and toxins are eliminated from the body.
- Deep breathing helps calm the nerves which can help with the management of anxiety and stress.
- Deep, alternating breathing is also now recommended for managing high blood pressure
- Alternate breathing brings about a balance in the system – balancing the dualities like hot/cold, good/bad, honor/dishonor etc. This also helps balance the two sides of the brain – the analytical and the emotional, thus developing a more balanced personality.
- In the Kundalini system of yoga, balancing the breath between the two nostrils implies balancing the Ida and Pingala naadis. When these two naadis are balanced, then the prana (vital energy) can flow through the central channel of energy called "sushumna naadi" thus clearing the passage for the rising of the Kundalini Shakti.
Contraindications
None! If you can breathe, you can practice Naadi Shuddhi.
In an earlier post, we talked about the deep sectional breathing sequence. In the sectional breathing, we try to engage three different areas – top, middle and bottom – of the lungs in a deep breathing pattern. In the deep, full yogic breathing we combine the three sectional breaths into one single breath involving deep inhalation and exhalation. For each inhalation and exhalation, we use deep and soft Ujjayi breaths. We also employ the movement of the arms synchronized with the flow of breath. This helps deepen our awareness of the breathing cycle and how the breathing is impacting different parts of the lungs.
Duration of each inhalation and exhalation depends upon individual capacity. This capacity will improve over time with constant practice. Over a period of time, try to develop a ration of 1:2 between the durations of inhalation and exhalation.
Step-by-step
- Sit in any comfortable cross-legged posture, keeping the spine upright, eyes closed, and arms and shoulders relaxed.
- Start with an inhalation bringing the awareness to the abdomen. Stretch the arms straight and bring the hands at knee level, slightly in front of the knees. Consciously make a gentle effort to push the diaphragm down so the belly can fill up like a balloon.
- Continue deep inhalation and shift the awareness to the chest area. Expand the chest and the ribcage, filling the middle part of the lungs with air. At the same time move the arms upwards, synchronizing with the breath and bring the hands at the level of the chest.
- Continue the inhalation and bring the awareness to the clavicle area lifting the collar bones upward. Along with the breath, move the hands upward and bring them in line with the shoulders.
- At the end of inhalation, take a momentary pause and begin the exhalation cycle proceeding in the reverse direction.
- Bring the awareness to the clavicle area and soften the collar bones.
- Shift the awareness to the chest area and soften the ribcage. At the same time, lower the arms in line with the chest.
- Continue to exhale and bring the awareness to the abdomen area. Allow the navel to be drawn in toward the spine as you approach the end of exhalation. Synchronize the movement of the arm with the downward moving breath. At the end of exhalation, bring the hands back in line with the knees.
- That completes one breathing cycle. At the end of the exhalation, take a momentary pause and begin the next breathing cycle.
- Continue for about 4-6 breathing cycles. At the end of the last cycle, keep the eyes closed and relax for a few breaths.
Benefits
- In this deep, three-part breathing, we engage the entire capacity of the lungs in the breathing cycle. It is estimated that we may be able to bring in as much as seven times more oxygen into the system than in normal, shallow breathing.
- More oxygen implies that more oxygenated blood is available for circulation to all the cells of the body.
- At the cells, due to the gas exchange, we are able to get rid of more carbon dioxide from the system.
- Thus, deep breathing brings in more prana (life force), energy and vitality with each inhalation while providing deeper cleansing and purification with each exhalation.
- Deep breathing calms the nerves down and reduces stress levels. We have all heard the term, "take a deep breath!" when one is agitated or angry.
- In recent studies (see this research report, for example), deep breathing has been used to reduce blood pressure levels.
- Conscious deep breathing brings us back into the present moment.
Contraindications
None! If you can breathe, you can practice deep, three-part breathing and derive all the benefits mentioned above.
The word "ujjayi" is derived from the Sanskrit root "ji" (जि) with the prefix "ud" (उद्) added to it. So the combined root is "ujji" (उज्जि) which means "to be victorious". Ujjayi (उज्जायी), thus means "one who is victorious" and "ujjayi breath" would mean "the victorious breath".
Because of the various benefits it provides (listed below), Ujjayi is highly recommended as the breathing technique to be used during any of the yoga practices (asana or pranayama) that require you to breathe deeper than your natural breath. For example, while practicing Sun Salutation, it is recommended that each movement be made slowly and synchronized with the appropriate deep inhalation or exhalation. In this case, since the breathing is slow and deep, Ujjayi is recommended for each breath. Similarly, while practicing pranayama techniques involving deep breathing, like the "alternate nostril breathing" called "Naadi Shuddhi", it is recommended to use the ujjayi breath.
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The 10-day intensive on pranayama and meditation concluded successfully on Saturday, July 31. The program was very well received by all the 17 participants. It is truly heartening to see the commitment of the students who willingly sacrificed their early morning sleep in order to get to the class by 6 AM. Most participants echoed the same feeling that getting to the class by 6 AM was their biggest challenge as well as their most satisfying achievement for the course. After only two to three days, they began to feel more comfortable with the schedule. They thoroughly enjoyed the variety of breathing techniques as well as the meditation routines that were covered during the program. I sincerely hope that the participants will continue to practice on their own on a regular basis.
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In the recently completed 10-day yoga intensive, the major focus was on pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation. In the program, we covered several different pranayama techniques. One of the main objectives of these intensive programs is to encourage the participants to develop a regular home practice of their own after the course is over. Most of the students have asked me if I could provide instructions for these techniques which they can use as reference material for their home practice. In this post and several subsequent ones, I will be providing details on the techniques that we covered during the course.
Sectional Deep Breathing
The sectional breathing techniques are used as a preparation for the full, deep yogic breathing practice in Pranayama. These can correct the breathing pattern and also help to increase lung capacity by encouraging fuller breathing into different areas of the lungs. Deep breathing into different parts of the lungs brings in abundant supply of fresh oxygen into these areas. This helps improve the health of the lungs as well as making more oxygenated blood available for each and every cell of the body. Because our attention is focused on different parts of the lungs, our overall awareness of the breathing process is enhanced. In the following breathing practices, keep the eyes closed so you can completely focus on the depth and quality of breathing as well as on the movement of the arms and shoulders.
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In the 10-day yoga intensive class, we went over some of the sitting postures (asanas) that are most commonly used for meditation and pranayama practice. In order to provide a ready reference for the participants of the program, as well as for the benefit of all the readers of this blog, I am giving a brief overview of these sitting postures here.
Before diving into a discussion of the different postures, let us just reflect on the word "asana" for a moment. The Sanskrit word "asanam – आसनम्" is derived from the root word "aas – आस्" which means to sit or rest in one place. In the classical yoga texts (Hatha Yoga Pradeepika, for example), there several asanas described. Some of the more commonly practiced asanas are – sukhasana, padmasana, swastikasana, siddhasana, vajrasana, virasana, bhadrasana etc. The word asana is not just the sitting posture, but is also applied to the seat on which one sits. So, if you are sitting on a yoga mat for meditation, then the mat is also called an asana. Likewise, a stool, chair, bench etc where one sits becomes an asana.
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The second 10-day intensive on Pranayama and Meditation will start tomorrow. Based on the very positive and encouraging feedback that I received after the first session held in May, I have decided to hold these sessions on a periodic basis. More detailed information about these programs is available here.
When I first launched the program, I was very skeptical about how many people might sign up. I wasn’t sure if people would make the commitment to wake up that early (6 AM start) to come for the sessions on a daily basis for 10 days in a row. Moreover, my feeling was that most yoga practitioners are interested primarily in physical yoga (asana-based) and have very little, if any, interest in pranayama and meditation. I was pleasantly surprised when within less than a week of the original announcement, I had fifteen people signed up. At the end of the program, everyone provided their feedback about their experience of the program. There was unanimous agreement that the program was very informative and beneficial. They really enjoyed the fact that they could practice daily for 10 days at a stretch. Moreover, with the sessions finishing at 7:30 AM, that still gave them enough time to get to work on time.
For the program starting tomorrow, I already have 15 people signed up and there are four on the waiting list. Once again I am truly grateful to the participants for making the time and commitment for the next ten days. I am sure that we will have an exciting journey together.
For most people, the word "yoga" brings to mind the image of someone twisted in the shape of a pretzel or some similar yoga pose. For the most part, yoga is associated with ‘asana’ (physical postures). In many of the fitness centers and gyms where ‘yoga’ is taught, it is the physical aspect that is emphasized. However, when we take a closer look at the deeper meaning of yoga we find that yoga involves much more than just physical stretching postures. In the classical text called the Yoga Sutras, the author, Patanjali, has provided the complete philosophy and methodology for the practice of yoga. In the first four sutras of chapter 1, Patanjali has given us a very clear and concise definition of yoga which serves as the foundation for the rest of his exposition on yoga. In this article, I will be discussing these four sutras in some detail. When we develop an understanding of the basic definition, we can start viewing our own yoga practice with a different perspective.
Sutra 1.1
अथ योगानुशासनम्॥१॥
Atha yogAnushAsanaM
Here now is the exposition/discipline of Yoga (1.1)
The word "atha" (here, now) is commonly used at the beginning of all ancient texts in Sanskrit. It signifies the following:
- It establishes the authority of the teacher as one who is uniquely qualified to impart this knowledge
- It qualifies the student as one who is deserving to receive the knowledge. This, in most cases, is based on the fact that the student has already spent a long time (several years, perhaps) with this teacher and has gained all the knowledge necessary as preparation for this special knowledge about yoga.
- It is also used as an auspicious commencement of the subject at hand
The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root word "yuj" which, depending upon the context, can have one of two different meanings. One meaning is ‘samadhi’ which is defined as total absorption leading to a fully controlled state of the mind. The other meaning is ‘union’. According to Vyasa, the most authoritative commentator on the sutras, the word yoga means ‘samadhi’ in the current context. In many other systems of philosophy, Vedanta for example, yoga means ‘union’ where it implies the union of the individual self and the supreme consciousness called Brahman.
The word "anushasanam" means exposition or discipline. In essence, then, Patanjali is telling his ‘chosen’Â set of students to get ready to receive the knowledge on the subject of "yoga".
Sutra I.2
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥२॥
yogashchittavRuttinirodhaH
Yoga is the control (nirodhaH) of the modifications (vrittis) of the mind-field (chitta) (1.2)
The word ‘chitta’ is usually translated as "mind field" or "mind-stuff" and is regarded as a composite of the following:
‘Manas’ (cognitive mind)
This is the part of the ‘chitta’ which is connected with the external world through the five senses. So, it receives input through the senses and creates a composite ‘image’ of what is received. ‘Manas’ is also responsible for all the emotions, desires, likes and dislikes, ambitions etc.
‘Buddhi’ (intellect)
This is the discriminative component of ‘chitta’ which has the ability to make decisions based on the input received from the ‘manas’ and has the ability to discriminate between the pairs of opposites, like good and bad, hot and cold etc.
‘Chitta’ (memory)
This part of ‘chitta’ is the storehouse of all past memories, past impressions (called ‘samskaras’), hidden desires (called ‘vasana’), past karmas and the fruits thereof.
‘Ahamkara’ (ego)
Ego is the ‘template’ for the individual personality and is responsible for the identification with the body, mind and intellect. This is the part of ‘chitta’ which makes one think, "I am the father/ mother" or "I am good/bad", "handsome/ugly" etc. In the yoga sutras, the word "asmita" is also used in some places to indicate "ahamkara".
In the normal functioning of the mind, it receives input from the five senses (or pulls it from the memory) and feeds it to the ‘intellect’. The intellect, in consultation with the ego, digs deep into the memory and pulls out all the necessary past impressions and makes the appropriate decision. This decision goes back to the mind which can either store it back in the memory or direct the appropriate motor action through the organs of action.Â
‘Vrittis’ are the fluctuations or modifications in the mind that are constantly going on as new information is being received by the mind, either through the senses or pulled from the memory. Subsequently, Patanjali describes five types of vrittis (but we need not go into them here). When the mind takes on the same form as the object of perception, it is called a ‘vritti’.
As per this sutra, yoga is defined as the ability to control all these fluctuations (vrittis) that are constantly happening in the mind and bring the mind to a perfectly stable, controlled state.
Sutra I.3
तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम्॥३॥
tadA drashtuH svarUpe&vasthAnaM
Then the seer rests in its own true nature (1.3)
The word ‘tada’ (then) refers to the fully stabilized state of the mind described in the previous sutra.
The word ‘drashtuh’Â means a ‘seer’ or an ‘observer’ and needs a little more explanation. In the ‘Samkhya’ philosophy, two entities have been defined – ‘Purusha’ and ‘Prakriti’. Purusha is usually translated as ‘soul’, ‘atma’, ‘self’ etc. In its purest form, Purusha is ever-pure, ever-free, unblemished, untouched, without regard to time, space or association with matter. Prakriti is the material aspect of this creation which is inert in itself and needs the reflection of consciousness from Purusha for its functioning. It includes not only the external side of the material world, but also our body, mind, intellect complex. Even thgough Purusha is ever-pure, it appears to be ‘colored’ by its identification with the body/mind complex. In this ‘impure’ state, it loses its true identity.
The sutra states that when the mind has been made steady in ‘yoga’, then the ‘seer’ or the Purusha can get established in its own true nature (svarupa) which is complete non-identification with any of the material entities – mind/body/intellect. This state has been defined as ‘kaivalya’ by Patanjalil which means complete non-identification.
Sutra 1.4
वृत्तिसारूप्यमितरत्र॥४॥
vRuttisArUpyamitaratra
Otherwise, one remains identified with the modifications of the mind-field (1.4)
"itaratra" means ‘otherwise’, ‘or else’. ‘vritti-sarupyam’ implies identification with the vrittis or modifications of the mind-field. The sutra states that when the mind has not been brought into a state of steadiness (in yoga), then the purusha gets identified (through the faculty of the mind) with the fluctuations happening in the mind.
We can look upon this sutra as a form of warning from Patanjali, "hey guys, either learn how to control your mind and remain ever peaceful and joyful, or allow the mind to control you and remain forever in a state of suffering." So, Patanjali is giving us a choice between us controlling the mind or letting it control us. He is also making us fully aware of the consequences in each of the two cases. Even though the choice may seem obvious to us, it is still a hard choice to make because our ego continues to force us to maintain that identification with the mind/body complex.
In summary, in these four sutras in Chapter 1 of the yoga sutras, Patanjali has given us not just the basic definition of yoga, but has shown us a path to choose if we want to become peaceful and full of inner joy all the time.
Recently, all the websites that I manage were a target of a virus attack. I first found out about it through an email from a friend who tried to reach my main blog yogawithsubhash.com and got a virus warning. I then decided to check all my websites and found that four out of the eight websites that I maintain were infected. Since I transfer files back and forth between my PC and the web server, I subsequently found that my own PC was also infected.
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The second 21-day yoga challenge program concluded successfully on Saturday, June 26. It is quite remarkable that all the 15 participants kept their commitment to come in every morning at 6 AM for the entire 21 days. A few students who missed a day or two had to do that due to circumstances beyond their control – a sudden emergency at work/home, health problems etc.
On the last day we had a session where we shared our individual experience during the program. Here is a summary of what the participants shared:
- Most found it difficult to  wake up early during the first few days of the program. However, gradually, getting up early became more natural as time went by.
- Many of them enjoyed the gentle pace of the routine each day.
- Even though we maintained the same basic routine (based on the Integral Yoga program) every day, we practiced several variations of the poses or some new poses every day. The participants really enjoyed the variety and the structure of the program.
- Most expressed improvement in flexibility, strength etc which are usually associated with a regular yoga program.
- Most of them bought my video DVD of a typical session. They are planning to use it to keep the commitment to continue their individual practice for at least 21 more days.
- There was one suggestion that I need to spend more time on meditation. In particular, while going through the guided meditation related to ‘sense withdrawal (pratyahara)’ , it would be helpful if I could spend more time focusing on individual senses.
- Many enjoyed the introduction of the Five Tibetan Rites which we practiced on a couple of occasions.
- Many found the discussion of yoga philosophy very helpful
I was personally delighted to see the enthusiasm and energy of all the participants throughout the program. Their appreciation and joy of attending the program was obvious at the two breakfast sessions that we had following the class. During these breakfast sessions, we truly enjoyed the variety of healthy, vegetarian food that everyone brought to share with all.
Given the very positive and encouraging response from the students, I plan to continue to offer these programs on a periodic basis. If you are interested in attending a future program, or would like more information, please do contact me.
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Video DVD
Yoga with Subhash (asana and pranayama)
- Basic asana sequence (~50 min) ($18)
- Pranayama/Meditation (~35 min) ($12)
- Set of above two ($25)
Video recording of special programs offered in the past
(Links to YouTube videos will be provided)
- 21-day yoga immersion - $40
- 7-day hip opening intensive - $20
- 14-day meditation intensive - $30
- 14-day pranayama intensive - $30
- 7-day hamstring/quad intensive - $20
- 14-day Level 2 yoga intensive - $35
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- cash, check, Zelle (use subhashmittal@gmail.com) or Venmo (use 9199269717)
- PayPal (go to bottom of page) (add $5 to the fee listed above)
Please contact me if you would like to buy.
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