नाडीशोधनnāḍī-śodhana · cleansing of the channels
Nadi shodhana, alternate nostril breathing
3 min read · Updated October 17, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026
In short
Nadi shodhana is alternate nostril breathing: you breathe in through one nostril, out through the other, then in through that same nostril and out through the first, closing each side in turn with the right hand. Beginners practise it slowly, without holding the breath, for five minutes.
Listen: Nadi shodhana — short guided extract
Free to listen, no sign-up. The complete guided audio comes with the book Pranayama: The Breath Manual.
Keyboard: Space plays or pauses, the arrow keys move 10 seconds.
Chapters
Guided audio narrated with a synthetic voice (ElevenLabs). Sanskrit recitation checked line by line.
Read the transcript
Nāḍī śodhana, the alternate nostril breath. A guided practice, without retention.
Bring the right hand to the face in Viṣṇu mudrā: fold the index and middle fingers into the palm. The thumb will close the right nostril; the ring finger, with the little finger resting beside it, will close the left. Press gently on the soft side of the nose, just below the bony bridge. Keep the elbow relaxed and dropped. The left hand rests on the knee.
For a moment, breathe naturally. Slow, even, silent. The air should barely move the hairs in the nostril.
Now the alternation. One round is: in through the left, out through the right, in through the right, out through the left. I will count four for each phase. Bring the hand back. Close the right nostril, and breathe out fully through the left.
In, left.
Three.
Four.
Out, right.
Three.
Four.
In, right.
Three.
Four.
Out, left.
Three.
Four.
In, left.
Three.
Four.
Out, right.
Three.
Four.
In, right.
Three.
Four.
Out, left.
Three.
Four.
In, left.
Three.
Four.
Out, right.
Three.
Four.
In, right.
Three.
Four.
Out, left.
Three.
Four.
Continue on your own, at the same pace. I will only name the side.
In, left.
Out, right.
In, right.
Out, left.
Release the hand. Let the breath return to its natural rhythm. Notice the two nostrils, the quiet of the mind, without changing anything.
This was a short extract of the guided practices that accompany the Pranayama Manual, on yogide.com.
The name
Nāḍī (नाडी) is a channel of the subtle body, through which prāṇa flows; śodhana (शोधन) means cleansing, purification. Nadi shodhana is "the cleansing of the channels". The name anuloma viloma, "with the grain, against the grain", is also widely used, especially in India. In the haṭha view, the left nostril belongs to iḍā, the lunar channel, and the right to piṅgalā, the solar one; alternating them prepares the breath to enter the central channel. The nadis page explains these words.
Steps
- Sit with the spine upright, on a cushion or a chair, shoulders relaxed.
- Rest the left hand on the knee. Fold the index and middle fingers of the right hand into the palm (viṣṇu mudrā, also called nāsikā mudrā): the thumb will close the right nostril, the ring finger the left.
- Close the right nostril and breathe in slowly through the left.
- Close the left nostril, open the right, and breathe out slowly through the right.
- Breathe in through the right.
- Close the right, open the left, breathe out through the left. That is one round.
- Continue for five minutes, then rest the hand and breathe normally.
Press gently on the soft side of the nose, just below the bone, never on the tip. Keep the elbow low and relaxed; if the arm tires, support it with the other hand.
The rhythm for beginners
Start with an exhalation as long as the inhalation, for example four seconds in, four seconds out. When it is easy, lengthen the exhalation (four in, six, then eight out). The breathing timer can count the phases and tell you which nostril to use.
The four stages
| Stage | Ratio (in : hold : out) | Example | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. One nostril at a time | 1 : 0 : 1 | 10 breaths left, 10 right | first week |
| 2. Alternating, no hold | 1 : 0 : 1, then 1 : 0 : 2 | 4-0-4, then 4-0-8 | weeks 2 to 6 |
| 3. Short inner hold | 1 : 1 : 2 | 4-4-8 | after six weeks, if easy |
| 4. Longer holds | 1 : 2 : 2, towards 1 : 4 : 2 | 4-8-8 | with a teacher |
For the hold in stage 3, close both nostrils, keep the face and throat soft, and exhale smoothly. If the next inhalation rushes in, the hold was too long. The bandhas come in at stage 4.
In the texts
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika opens its chapter on breath with this practice, before the eight kumbhakas.
बद्धपद्मासनो योगी प्राणं चन्द्रेण पूरयेत् । धारयित्वा यथाशक्ति भूयः सूर्येण रेचयेत् ॥
baddha-padmāsano yogī prāṇaṃ candreṇa pūrayet | dhārayitvā yathā-śakti bhūyaḥ sūryeṇa recayet ||
Seated in the lotus, the yogi fills in the breath through the moon; having held it as far as he is able, he lets it out again through the sun.
The next verses complete the pattern: breathe in through the right, hold, breathe out through the left (2.8); always breathe in through the nostril you have just breathed out of, and let the breath out "slowly and not forcibly", in Pancham Sinh's 1914 words (2.9). Practised this way, the text says, "the whole of the collection of the nadis of the yamis (practisers) becomes clean, i.e., free from impurities, after 3 months and over" (2.10, Sinh). Verse 2.11 then describes the full programme of a renunciate, four sessions a day building up to eighty retentions: not a plan for a householder.
From the texts
The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā (5.53, Vasu, 1914-1915) gives the hand position precisely: the right nostril closed with the thumb, the left with the ring and little fingers, "never using the index and middle-fingers". Its own version of nadi shodhana (5.36-5.45) adds seed syllables repeated mentally during each phase, a form it calls samanu.
Note the key fact: in the original texts, nadi shodhana includes retention. Learning it first without retention is a teaching progression, not a different technique.
Common mistakes
- Breathing loudly or fast. The air should barely move.
- Pressing hard on the nose or pushing it sideways.
- Lifting the shoulders on the inhalation.
- Holding with a tight throat or clenched jaw.
- Losing count. Start the round again calmly.
Where it fits in a practice
The classical order is posture, then breath, then meditation. In a pranayama session, nadi shodhana comes after any energising technique and before bhramari and silence. It is the foundation on which the other techniques are built. See the full pranayama page, the breathing exercises for beginners, and resonant breathing, which nadi shodhana at 5 and 5 already matches.
Questions people ask
Is nadi shodhana the same as anulom vilom?
The names are used for the same alternate nostril pattern. Some teachers keep nadi shodhana for the version with retention and anulom vilom for the version without.
Should I hold my breath?
Not at first. The texts add retention (kumbhaka) progressively; learn it with a teacher, and skip it if you are pregnant or have high blood pressure or heart disease.
Which nostril do I start with?
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika starts by breathing in through the left nostril, the 'moon' side (2.7). You then always breathe in through the nostril you have just breathed out of (2.9).
How long before I feel a difference?
Many people feel calmer after a single session of slow breathing. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika speaks of the channels being purified 'after three months and over' of steady practice (2.10): a statement of the tradition, not a measured result.
Sources
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, translated by Pancham Sinh, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV part 3 (1914), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
- Svātmārāma, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Sanskrit text (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 17, 2026
- The Gheranda Samhita, translated by Srisa Chandra Vasu (Sacred Books of the Hindus, 1914-1915), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
- Yoga: What You Need To Know — National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) checked October 17, 2026
Practise gently and within your limits. Yoga is learnt best with a qualified teacher; this page does not replace one.