ALTERNATE SYSTEM BREATHING

If I began by entitling this post, "Alternate Nostril Breathing," one might get the bare bones idea and skip over the reading..."Yeah, yeah, got it, plug one side, then the other."  Not only is there a proper technique in executing it, there are also the dual energetic bodily systems being engaged by this practice to mention.

Knowing what one is engaging in this breath-energy practice, will encourage a patience to maximize the purposeful effect achieved.  All of this is my preamble to saying, "Read on, gentle readers, I have a few understandings to share here, regarding...chilling out...and centering one's energy, so key in both stressful and soothing times."

Did you know that one's right nostril correlates to a differing nervous (sub-divisional) system than one's left?  Being attached to the same nose, on a surface consideration, it might be misconstrued that the "piping" of both nostrils comes from all the same places.

I'd like to introduce these complementing systems, with their energetic characteristics, anatomically, and through the prism of yoga science.  With the qualitative understanding of their differences and how they merge, I'll then clarify the breath-energy practice and the comprehensive results to enjoy.  Sound like fun?  Then let's begin...by re-introducing left nostril as "Ida" system, and right nostril as "Pingala" system.

Left nostril or "Ida" is the conduit of the Parasympathetic Nervous System.  This system's energetic stimulation influences "calming and balancing."  Psychologically, one is influencing subconscious functions of the mind, easing intrusive mental patterns such as anxiety.  Anatomically, parasympathetic system is "responsible for the regulation of internal organs and glandular functions which occur unconsciously," or "rest and digest activities" (Wikipedia).  Given that this is a receptive or nurturing calmness, the left nostril or ida, is considered the feminine energetic system, and Universally, one's lunar influence in the body.

Right nostril or "Pingala" is the conduit to one's Sympathetic Nervous System.  This is one's action-oriented or dynamic energy.  Psychologically, one becomes focused "to do" and directs oxygen into empowering the physicality and nervous system for engaging the external world.  In the natural balance to one's lunar or feminine, pingala is the masculine energetic system, or Universally, one's solar influence.


Although men may consider themselves "Men," women may prefer being "Women," and there are those who would rather identify with the opposite sex's energy, in Nature, it is more balanced to consider how the masculine and feminine systems in this case, actually twine together to balance a human being.  Each of us has both masculine and feminine influences in our make-up.

We are One, holistically, and the twining ida and pingala conduits of left and right nostril, come together above, in the nasal cavity, or the oxygen-processing olefactory bulb, which sends energy directly into our brains' processors, to delegate for the entire body.

Let's begin engaging directly in this practice of Alternate System Breathing by taking a comfortable seat, and starting with simple mechanics:   Place / anchor your "pointer" finger in the middle of the forehead, so that middle finger and thumb hang comfortably around the nostrils.  Hanging from your anchor finger, your middle finger will apply your left nostril, and thumb will apply the right nostril, while ring and pinky fingers will curl out of the way.  Please consult this post's photos included for reference.  The middle finger and thumb will act as "pendulums," opening or closing nostrils alternately, in this exercise.

Now, with fingers in place, let's begin by choosing sides...thumb plugs right nostril, middle finger clears LEFT NOSTRIL OPEN...BREATHE IN LEFT NOSTRIL SLOWLY.  Fill lower abdomen, mid-section, and upper chest fully.  When the complete breath is maximized, middle finger will then PLUG LEFT NOSTRIL, thumb clears the RIGHT NOSTRIL OPEN, BREATHE OUT carbon dioxide fully out of that right nostril.  Empty the entire torso out from lower, to mid-range, to upper chest.  Oxygen is fully out but on this first pass from left to right nostril, maintain your finger positions...

Draw the breath back up that SAME RIGHT NOSTRIL, BREATHING IN...(middle finger still has left nostril plugged), again, fully filling the torso in a complete breath.  SWITCH, THUMB PLUGGING RIGHT NOSTRIL, middle finger finally RELEASING LEFT NOSTRIL, BREATHING OUT carbon dioxide out fully, and so one complete round of breath in-breath out, is now accomplished.

To re-trace our breath-energy trajectory simply, minus the finger / thumb movements:  Breathe in left nostril, breathe out right nostril, breathe in right nostril, breathe out left nostril...repeat the cycle...and keep this cycling breath going for as long as you personally would benefit from the effects of this exercise.  Release any thoughts that arise, bringing one's attention back to the traveling breath, and finger movements, in one-pointed focus to this exercise's purpose.

This exercise in Alternate System Breathing, is meant to BALANCE THE MIND & BODY.  Like in anything one experiences, if you dedicate yourself to the fullness of the exercise, it will be personally apparent whether there is any merit or benefit to gain.  Remember, mental and emotional states are mercurial and changeable, but they affect us, sometimes to our disadvantage.

When one engages in yoga practices, one seeks to be less affected by one's unreliable mood or energy swings to the negative, such as fatigue or anxiety, and become more empowered to alter such states toward the affirmative.  When one is in their most affirmative state of personal clarity, one is then energetically capable of taking control of "what comes"...and in Life, MUCH comes to challenge us.

This capability for "Taking Control" is possible, when one has prepared by "Taking Self-Control" first.


Once you have mastered the 'mechanics' of Alternate System Breathing, it can be practiced where ever you are standing.