Nadi shodhana in Sanskrit (nadi means “channel of circulation” and shodhana means “cleansing”) is an alternate nostril breathing technique that helps remove emotional blockages in the body. This technique clears emotional blockages and anxious thoughts, infusing the body-mind system with steady energy and oxygen. Nadi shodhana helps to harmonize the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which are the emotional and logical aspects of our personality.

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

1. (If you wear glasses, please remove them for this exercise.) Begin by sitting comfortably with your spine erect and your shoulders relaxed. Let your left hand rest comfortably in your lap. With your right hand, rest the tip of your index finger and middle finger in between your eyebrows. If this isn’t comfortable, you may relax the fingers toward the palm, gently tucking them in.

2. Close off your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale slowly through your left nostril all the way to the top of your breath. Then, use your ring and pinkie fingers to close off your left nostril.

3. Release your thumb and slowly exhale through your right nostril all the way to the bottom of your breath. Then, inhale through your right nostril all the way to the top of your breath.

4. Now place your thumb back over your right nostril and release your ring and pinkie fingers to exhale through your left nostril all the way to the bottom of your breath.

5. This completes one cycle. You can repeat this cycle several times.

Moon Salutations

1. Inhale and bring your arms out to the side and up, palms touching.

2. Exhale and lower your left arm down to hold onto the chair. Inhale, and reach the right arm up.

3. As you exhale, round your torso to the left. Inhale and lengthen the whole right side of your body.

4. Repeat on the opposite side.

Squat and Twist

1. Widen your legs out in front of you and squat forward.

2. Come back up, keeping the legs wide, and widen your arms like a T. Exhale.

3. Lower your left hand between your legs, twist, and raise your right hand up. Gaze up. Inhale, exhale, and release. Return your palms to center.

4. Repeat on the opposite side.