What is nadi shuddhi?

Nadi shuddhi is an alternate-nostril breathing practice from yoga. It is also called nadi shodhana, and the everyday Hindi name is anulom vilom. The name means cleansing the nadis. In the yogic understanding, nadis are the pathways through which prana, or life energy, moves through the body. There are said to be 72,000 of them, all springing from three main channels: Ida on the left, Pingala on the right, and Sushumna in the centre.

What it is, in yoga

Sadhguru describes nadi shuddhi as a way of cleansing the Ida and Pingala so the energy system comes into balance. Ida is spoken of as the left, more feminine channel, and Pingala as the right, more masculine one. When the two are in balance, the idea is that you become steadier and more able to handle whatever life brings. There is also a close link, in yoga, between the breath and the mind. Settle the breath, and the thinking tends to settle with it. The classical hatha texts describe the same alternate-nostril method, breathing in through one side and out through the other, as a way of purifying the nadis over months of steady practice.

What research has looked at

Modern researchers have also studied this kind of breathing, usually under the name nadi shodhana or alternate-nostril breathing. Some research suggests slow alternate-nostril breathing may shift the body toward a more rested state. One randomised trial in people with high blood pressure found that ten minutes of nadi shodhan pranayama lowered blood pressure and changed some heart-rate measures, both straight after a session and after six weeks of daily practice. The studies so far are mostly small. The NHS, separately, lists slow controlled breathing among the simple things that can help with stress and tension.

You do not need to take the map of channels on belief to feel what a few quiet, even breaths can do. If it appeals, the one nostril at a time practice is a gentle way in. Sit with it for a week of mornings and see how it lands for you.