De-stress and Clear You Mind with Alternate Nostril Breathing
Alternate nostril breathing is a quick and simple soothing Pranayama technique that instantly helps clear the mind and helps balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain. You can do this practice for nine full rounds or for one minute, whichever feels good for you. I hope that helps support all of you get more present in your body, clear your mind, and find more ease during this difficult time of social distancing and isolation.
Instructions:
Sit up nice and straight, stack your heart over your hips, head over heart. Lift up through the crown of your head. Relax into the posture, closing your eyes, and place your palms on your lap facing upward.
Raising your right hand to your face, place the tip of your index finger and middle finger between your eyebrows on your Third Eye. Place your little finger on your left nostril, and your thumb on your right nostril.
Your will use your ring finger and little finger (or just one of them) to open and close your left nostril, and your thumb to open and close your right nostril.
Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, close your right nostril with your thumb, while breathing out through your left nostril.
Next, breathe in through your left nostril, and close with your ringer finger.
Release the thumb on your right nostril and breathe out through your right nostril.
Finally, inhale through your right nostril, close with your thumb, release your ringer finger from the left side, and exhale through your left nostril. This is one cycle.
Repeat this cycle nine times, remembering to always inhale through the nostril you just exhaled from.
Peace,
Steve
