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Quick Answer
Nāḍī Śodhana is the Patanjali pranayama lineage's alternate-nostril breathing practice. Drawn from the Yoga Sutras 2.49-2.53 and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.7-2.10, and modernized by B.K.S. Iyengar's Light on Pranayama (1981), the practice balances the iḍā and piṅgalā nāḍīs through cycled breath.
Tradition and source
Tradition
Patanjali pranayama lineage / Hatha Yoga
Classical source
Yoga Sutras 2.49 to 2.53 (Patanjali); detailed instruction in Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2.7 to 2.10 (Svātmārāma, 15th c.)
Modern source
B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Pranayama (1981)
What this practice does
Iyengar's Light on Pranayama is the modern reference; the classical instruction is in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. The practice balances the iḍā and piṅgalā nāḍīs, the lunar and solar channels in yogic anatomy. Stripped of the cosmology, it is a metronome that asks a scattered attention to find its center. It works.
How to practice
The instructions below run 5 to 15 minutes. Read through all the steps before you begin. The practice is not the goal; you are.
Sit upright. Bring the right hand to the face in Viṣṇu mudrā (index and middle fingers tucked).
Close the right nostril with the thumb. Inhale through the left nostril.
Close the left nostril with the ring finger; release the thumb. Exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right. Close the right. Release the ring finger. Exhale through the left.
That is one round. Begin again with an inhale through the left.
A short session is enough. Stop while it is still easy.
What to notice, and when to stop
Best for which inner weather
According to Aria's comparative-traditions framework, this practice is the matched prescription for the following inner weathers. Tap any to read the full weather prescription.
Take the 12-question Inner Weather Reading → to find your dominant weather today.
Difficulty and duration
Duration
5 to 15 minutes
Difficulty
intermediate
Category
Breath Practices
Crystal companion
In Crystal Cassandra's work, certain stones are the somatic companion to certain practices. The pairing is not magical; it is a steady weight in the palm that becomes part of the noticing.
Amethyst
Amethyst is the stone most associated with concentration practice in the modern Western canon, many practitioners place it within sight during sitting practice or hold a small piece in the lap. The classical association with the crown chakra makes it the conventional pairing for ānāpānasati. (Never leave Amethyst in direct sunlight, colour fades.)
Related practices
These practices complement Nāḍī Śodhana (Alternate-Nostril Breathing), same category, or matched to overlapping inner weathers.
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