Left Nostril (Ida) Breathing

Aloha Everyone,

The Ida energy, on the left side of the body, is the moon energy.  It is reflective, calming, cooling, feminine and associated with the River Ganges. Ida energy slows you down and helps your body automatically run its day to day jobs of digestion, elimination, sleep cycles and more. The ida is physic energy and control mental processes of our personality.

TECHNIQUE:

1)  Sit in a comfortable pose.  Elongate your spine. Eyes closed

2   Simply take your right hand and, block off your right nostril by putting gentle pressure with your right thumb.  Keep the rest of your fingers straight and pointing up towards the sky.  Left hand – Drona Mudra (palms facing down on your left knee.)

3)  With a long, slow, deep breath, gently inhale through your left nostril. 

4)  Follow with a long, slow, complete exhalation through the left nostril.  Begin to relax your body as cooling breaths bring new life into every parts of your body.  Continue to relax deeper and deeper with each inhalation.  Breathe out all tension, stress and disease with each exhalation.

5)  Be mindful of your slow and deep inhalation.  Fill up your lungs to the count of four.

6)  Gentle but complete exhalation as you count to six – eight.

7)   Repeat the cycle of inhaling and exhaling for a total of eight times. Each time you inhale, feel your body relaxing as you fill your lungs. As you exhale, feel the stress exiting your body.

For beginners, if you are timing, do it for 1 minute.  You can eventually increase up to 31 minutes.

BENEFITS:

• Sharper, clearer focus of the mind
•  Helps you achieve deep sleep
•  Helps you enjoy  deep and full relaxation
•  Regulates your digestive system

CAUTIONS:  Should be done in class under a guidance of a teacher or experienced yoga students only

Do not attempt the Kundalini left-nostril breathing technique or force air through your nostril if you cannot comfortably breathe through your nose.  Do not over do.

Namaste -- Cathi