One of my previous blog posts talked about how chronic stress can contribute to a variety of symptoms and stall healing. Learning to use your breath as a way to cope with stress is an invaluable tool. We are all subjected to stress on a daily basis. It’s impossible to avoid stress. It’s a natural part of life. Arguably, the stressors we face in modern times take a greater toll than stressors of the past because they tend to be chronic rather than short term. Instead of temporarily running away from a predator, we are chronically busy, dealing with work stress, worried about money, comparing ourselves to others, etc. Logically we know that these things don’t threaten our survival. Unfortunately, our brains don’t know the difference between a genuine threat to survival (like being attacked) and mental/emotional stressors. All stress is dealt with through the same system in the body.
The goal is never to eliminate stress (because it’s impossible and part of being alive in the world). The goal is to change how we relate to and deal with stress. There are countless ways to help manage stress, but using your breath is one of my favorites because 1) you always have it 2) you are constantly doing it anyway 3) it’s free and 4) you can do it anywhere.
Enter Alternate Nostril Breathing
One of my favorite stress reducing breathing techniques is alternate nostril breathing. Alternate nostril breathing is the act of breathing in through one nostril at a time in a rhythmic pattern. This is an ancient Ayruvedic practice that can help quickly calm anxiety and stress, balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and balance the nervous system. The left nostril is connected to the parasympathic nervous system (rest and digest) and the right nostril is connected to the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) (Telles et al., 2017). While this practice was instinctually known to be of benefit thousands of years ago in Ayruvedic tradition, science is now confirming its benefits. One study showed that alternate nostril breathing for 18 minutes lowered blood pressure while increasing focus and attention (Telles et al., 2017).
How To Do Alternate Nostril Breathing
You’ll be breathing in and out through one nostril at a time, using your right thumb and ring finger to block the inactive nostril. Your thumb works the right nostril. Your ring finger works the left nostril. The index and middle fingers can rest between the eyebrows throughout the exercise or be folded into the palm. Try to be consistent with your inhales, exhales, and pauses. For example, you can breathe in for a count of four, hold for a count of four, breathe out for a count of four, hold for a count of four. Find a length that is comfortable for you.
Here Are Step By Step Instructions:
Sit up straight in a comfortable position.
Rest your pointer and middle finger between your eyebrows or fold them into your palm.
With eyes open or closed, take a deep breath in and out through your nose.
Block your right nostril with your thumb as you inhale through your left nostril.
Use your ring finger to block your left nostril (keeping the right blocked).
Retain the breath for a moment.
Release your thumb and breath out through your right nostril.
Pause for a moment at the bottom of the exhale.
Keeping the left nostril closed, breath in through your right nostril.
Again, block both nostrils and retain the breath for a moment.
Release your ring finger and breath out through your left nostril.
Pause for a moment at the bottom of the exhale.
This is one round. Repeat for at least 5-10 (or more) rounds.
When finished, take a few deep breaths in through both nostrils and tune into any shifts you’ve noticed in your body, energy, and mood.
While the finger switching might seem a little complicated at first, you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Personally, I find that focusing on switching fingers keeps my mind from wandering more so than if I were doing plain ol’ deep breathing. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
REFERENCE
Telles, S., Verma, S., Sharma, S.-K., Gupta, R.-K., & Balkrishna, A. (2017). Alternate-nostril yoga breathing reduced blood pressure while increasing performance in a vigilance test. Medical Science Monitor Basic Research, 23. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5755948/
