Steps
Hold
- Keep your head upright and shoulders relaxed.
- Breathe slowly, without jerks or strain.
- Close each nostril with light pressure.
- Each inhalation starts through your left nostril again.
Exit
- Finish your last round by exhaling through your right nostril.
- Lower your hand and return to natural breathing.
One round
- Close your right nostril and inhale slowly through your left.
- Switch the closure and exhale through your right: one round.
- Gaze
- Eyes gently closed.
- Rhythm
- Slow and even, without breath holds.
- Rounds
- Six rounds.
Adapt
Adaptations
- Raised seatSit on a cushion or folded blanket.
- ChairSit in a chair with your spine upright.
- Elbow supportRest your right elbow on a bolster across your lap.
- Breaks between roundsTake breaks between rounds.
Variations
- With retention and jālandhara bandha (technique 1).
- Retention, jālandhara, mūla, and śāmbhavī (technique 2).
- Candra Aṅga: both phases through the left nostril, with retention.
Signals of effort
- Right arm held in front of the face.
- Breath retention and bandhas in the variants.
