When Life Feels Out of Rhythm
If you’ve been feeling mentally scattered, emotionally reactive, or as though your energy swings between fatigue and overstimulation — this is a moment to pause.
There are times when our inner currents move out of sync — when sleep feels shallow, thoughts feel fragmented, or the body is tense but the mind dull.
In these moments, the classical technique of Nāḍī Śodhana offers a bridge back to harmony.
It is not simply a breathing exercise — it is a prāṇic calibration: a way of cleansing, balancing, and attuning the body’s subtle currents so life begins to feel steady again.
Even 4–10 minutes of this practice can leave you with a profound sense of clarity, balance, and calm, as though the noise inside you has gently reorganised itself into stillness.
Let Nadi Shodhana be your tool and ally in restoring balance amidst the ebb and flow of life's changes.
Nadi = Energy Channel
Shodhana = To cleanse or purify
In classical texts such as the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā and the Gheraṇḍa Saṁhitā, it is described as one of the foundational classical prāṇāyāmas — the first technique taught to harmonise the two main energy channels:
- Iḍā Nāḍī – lunar, cooling, restorative (left channel).
- Piṅgalā Nāḍī – solar, active, warming (right channel).
When these channels are purified and balanced, Suṣumnā Nāḍī (the central channel) becomes active — and with it, clarity, stability, and meditative absorption arise naturally.
Why we practice it
In modern physiological terms, Nāḍī Śodhana balances the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches of the nervous system.
But in yogic language, it goes deeper — it calibrates prāṇa itself.
Benefits
- Revitalises life force energy (prāṇa).
- Clears energetic blockages and balances right/left brain hemispheres.
- Regulates the autonomic nervous system, reducing stress hormones.
- Supports digestive fire (agni) and metabolic balance.
- Calms the heart rate and can help lower blood pressure.
- Prepares the system for meditation, mantra, kriyā, or deeper prāṇāyāma by purifying subtle channels.
How to practice Nadi Shodhona
STEP 1
POSTURE
To practice, find a comfortable seat with a neutral spine. We love using the meditation set, as it’s the total package for comfort and support during seated meditation and pranayama practice.
The left hand can relax on the knee in Chin/Jnana mudra.
step 2
The index and Middle fingers of the Right hand are at the brow center (nasagra mudra), leaving the thumb and ring finger free to control the breath moving through the right and left nostrils
step 3
Beginning with equal inhale and exhalation of 4 counts. Close the right nostril with the thumb and inhale through the left 4 counts
STEP 4
Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the pressure of the thumb on the right nostril, and breathe out through the right nostril 4 counts
step 5
Next, inhale through the right nostril (4 counts)
step 6
Close the right nostril and breathe out through the left nostril. (4 counts). This is one round, continue this sequence (from step 1).
step 7
When to practice
- Before meditation – to clear the pathways for inward focus.
- Before relaxation – to quieten energy and prepare for rest.
- Morning practice – before breakfast to harmonise energy for the day.
- Evening practice – to balance the day’s activity and invite sleep.
- Any time you feel out of balance or in need for a reset
When to avoid or modify
While this practice is safe for most people, if you have asthma or COPD, you may find it harder to take longer breaths, so work with your comfort and keep your inhaler close by if you use one. If you have a pre-existing respiratory condition, please seek the advice of a respiratory specialist before taking part in this practice.
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Angela Knight
Calm Buddhi Creator, Himalayan Yoga and Meditation Master Teacher.
Level 3 Senior Registered Yoga Teacher