Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing): Full Technique Reference
Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 21 September 2026
Alternate nostril breathing is probably the most widely taught named pranayama technique, and also one of the most loosely defined — different lineages use "nadi shodhana" and "anuloma viloma" to mean slightly different sequences. This page sets out the mechanics precisely enough to actually practise, distinguishes the common variants, and looks honestly at what the modern research on it does and does not show. If you haven't practised any alternate-nostril breathing before, the gentler walkthrough at [nadi shodhana for beginners](/resources/breathing/nadi-shodhana-beginners) is a better starting point than this reference page.
The short answers
- Nadi shodhana means "channel purification" — clearing the nadis (subtle channels), particularly ida and pingala, in the traditional model.
- The standard modern hand position is Vishnu mudra: ring and little finger close the left nostril, thumb closes the right, index and middle finger fold into the palm or rest at the brow.
- Anuloma viloma is often used as a synonym, though some teachers reserve it for the version with breath retention and nadi shodhana for the version without.
- A simple practice is inhale left, exhale right, inhale right, exhale left — one full round. Ratio and retention are added only once this is comfortable.
- Research shows short-term changes in some markers of autonomic balance in small studies, but findings are inconsistent between nostrils, protocols and study quality is generally weak.
- Avoid retention versions entirely if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma, epilepsy or heart disease unless a doctor and teacher have cleared you.
Sanskrit name and classical placement
Nadi means channel, shodhana means purification or cleansing. In the subtle-body model shared by the hatha and tantric texts, prana moves through a network of channels, of which ida (left) and pingala (right) are the two most discussed alongside the central sushumna. Alternate nostril breathing, in this model, is a method for balancing the flow through ida and pingala. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika does not use the exact phrase "nadi shodhana" for a single fixed technique in the way modern classes do; alternating-nostril methods and the aim of channel purification both appear in the hatha corpus, but the neat, standardised sequence most students learn today — a fixed hand position, a fixed count, a fixed number of rounds — is very much a modern teaching convention layered onto older material. That is worth knowing, not as a criticism, but so you don't assume a single ancient source dictates exactly how many rounds to do.
Nadi shodhana vs anuloma viloma
The two terms are used inconsistently across lineages, and neither usage is simply "wrong":
- Some teachers use them as synonyms for the same alternate-nostril pattern.
- Others reserve anuloma viloma for a version that includes breath retention (kumbhaka) between the inhale and exhale, and nadi shodhana for the same nostril pattern practised without retention.
- Anuloma and viloma also appear elsewhere in the literature with other meanings ("with the grain" and "against the grain" of the breath), which adds to the confusion.
For clarity here: we use nadi shodhana for the nostril-alternating pattern without retention, and note where retention turns it into what many teachers call anuloma viloma.
Hand position
The standard hand shape is Vishnu mudra: fold the index and middle fingers of the right hand into the palm (or rest them lightly at the eyebrow centre), leaving the thumb free to close the right nostril and the ring and little fingers free to close the left. Some traditions use the whole hand differently, or alternate hands; Vishnu mudra with the right hand is simply the most widely taught version and a reasonable default.
The basic sequence, without retention
- Sit comfortably, spine easy, right hand in Vishnu mudra, left hand resting on the knee.
- Close the right nostril with the thumb. Inhale slowly through the left nostril.
- Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb, exhale through the right nostril.
- Inhale through the right nostril.
- Close the right nostril, release the left, exhale through the left nostril.
- That is one round. Continue for five to ten rounds to start, keeping the breath smooth and unforced throughout.
Adding ratio and retention
Once the basic pattern is comfortable, a ratio can be added — for instance, a 1:2 ratio of inhale to exhale, or the classical 1:4:2 (inhale:hold:exhale) once retention is introduced under guidance. See how to count pranayama ratios for how this counting is actually taught and why a mala or timer helps more than mental counting does. Retention meaningfully raises the physiological demand of the practice and is where most of the real cautions on this page apply; do not add it without a teacher present, particularly if you have any cardiovascular or respiratory condition.
What the research does and does not show
A number of small studies have looked at short bouts of alternate nostril breathing and measures like heart rate variability, blood pressure, and self-reported anxiety or mood. Some report short-term improvements in these markers; others find no significant difference from ordinary slow breathing done through both nostrils together, which suggests some of the benefit may come from the "slow breathing" component generally rather than from alternating nostrils specifically. The older claim that breathing through one nostril selectively activates one side of the brain (a popularised, oversimplified reading of "hemispheric dominance") is not well supported by rigorous neuroscience; nasal cycle research shows real, measurable alternation in nostril patency over hours, which is a physiological fact, but the leap to brain hemisphere control is much weaker ground. Sample sizes in this literature tend to be small, blinding is difficult to arrange for an obviously identifiable breathing pattern, and follow-up is usually short. Treat nadi shodhana as a plausible relaxation technique worth trying, not as a validated treatment for anything specific.
Cross-links
For the underlying breath skills, start with pranayama for beginners and the guided nadi shodhana for beginners. For counting method, see how to count pranayama ratios. For the nostril-dominant techniques that build on this idea more assertively, see surya bhedana and chandra bhedana.
In practice
Set the hand shape
Right hand in Vishnu mudra — index and middle finger folded in, thumb and ring finger free to close each nostril in turn.
Breathe one full round slowly
Inhale left, exhale right, inhale right, exhale left, all through a soft, closed-mouth nasal breath.
Keep the pressure light
Just enough finger pressure to close the nostril, not enough to feel it in your face or jaw.
Build rounds gradually
Five rounds to start, working up to ten to fifteen over weeks, always ending on an exhale through the left nostril if your lineage specifies this.
Add ratio only once smooth
A longer exhale than inhale (for instance 1:2) once the basic pattern needs no concentration to execute.
Leave retention for later, with a teacher
Do not add a held pause between inhale and exhale until you have in-person guidance, especially with any cardiovascular condition.
Cautions worth reading
- Pranayama changes your breathing pattern, blood gases and blood pressure, sometimes quickly. Stop if you feel dizzy, breathless, light-headed, panicky or unwell, and speak to a doctor before practising any breath-holding or forceful technique if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, glaucoma or another eye condition, epilepsy, heart disease, a hernia, a panic or anxiety disorder, or have had recent surgery. Retention (kumbhaka) practices, in particular, belong with a qualified teacher.
- Stop if closing one nostril at a time causes anxiety, air hunger or panic — this is common and not a moral failing; return to breathing through both nostrils.
- A blocked nostril from a cold or allergy can make the pattern feel forced; do not push air through a genuinely obstructed nostril.
- Retention versions (often called anuloma viloma) are not appropriate for uncontrolled high blood pressure, glaucoma, epilepsy or heart disease without medical clearance.
- Avoid pinching the nose hard enough to cause discomfort or marks — light finger pressure is all that's needed.
Where the evidence stands
Small trials on alternate nostril breathing report short-term changes in heart rate variability, blood pressure and self-reported stress, but results are inconsistent across studies, sample sizes are small, and few studies isolate the effect of nostril alternation from the effect of slow breathing generally, which has stronger evidence on its own. The popular claim of selective hemispheric brain activation via nostril choice is not well supported by current neuroscience, even though the nasal cycle itself (alternating nostril patency over time) is a documented physiological phenomenon. This is a reasonable relaxation practice to try; it is not a proven treatment for any diagnosed condition.
Questions people ask
+ What is the difference between nadi shodhana and anuloma viloma?
+ How many rounds of nadi shodhana should a beginner do?
+ Can nadi shodhana lower blood pressure?
+ Which nostril should I start with?
+ Is it normal to feel dizzy doing nadi shodhana?
+ Do I need to hold my breath during nadi shodhana?
Sources
- *Hatha Yoga Pradipika* (Svatmarama), chapter 2 — the eight kumbhakas (breath retentions): Surya Bhedana, Ujjayi, Sitkari, Sitali, Bhastrika, Bhramari, Murchha and Plavini. Sanskrit with translation: Brian Dana Akers, YogaVidya.com.
- *Gheranda Samhita*, chapter 5 — its own pranayama chapter, with a staged, purification-first approach and its own list of kumbhakas. Sanskrit with translation: Brian Dana Akers, YogaVidya.com.
- *Yoga Sutras of Patanjali*, 2.49–2.53 — pranayama defined structurally, as the regulation of inhalation, exhalation and retention, following posture (asana), rather than by named techniques.
- James Mallinson & Mark Singleton, *Roots of Yoga* (Penguin Classics, 2017) — on the textual history and variation between sources for these practices.
- Mark Singleton, *Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice* (Oxford, 2010) — on how twentieth-century teaching reshaped pranayama for group classes.
- Research on the nasal cycle (alternating nostril patency) — cited descriptively for the physiological phenomenon, distinct from claims about brain hemisphere effects.
Educational content, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting new practices if you have a health condition or are pregnant.