Managing stress

Alternate nostril breathing activity

Alternate nostril breathing activity

5 minutes

Controlled breathing exercises are scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety by lowering your blood pressure and heart rate.

By focusing on your breath you can:

  • Improve your ability to focus on the mind.
  • Support your lung and respiratory functions.
  • Rejuvenate your nervous system.
  • Settle your stress levels.

In moments of stress, your body’s “fight-or-flight” response goes into overdrive, controlled by your sympathetic nervous system. With controlled breathing exercises, you engage your parasympathetic nervous system to restore balance in the mind and calm down your body’s response.

There are several techniques to do this, however, we have selected a simple and effective exercises you can easily do every day. Whether it’s at the workplace, home or your preferred location. 

Nadi Shodhana, also known as “alternate nostril breathing,” is a simple yet powerful technique that can instantly settle your mind, body, and emotions. We strongly suggest finding five minutes to do this at the start of your day.

Steps to take​

1
Relax your left palm comfortably into your lap and bring your right hand just in front of your face. With your right hand, bring your pointer finger and middle finger to rest between your eyebrows.
2
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out through your nose. Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril slowly and steadily.
3
Close the left nostril with your ring finger so both nostrils are held closed, retain your breath at the top of the inhale for a brief pause. Open your right nostril and release the breath slowly through the right side, pause briefly at the bottom of the exhale.
3
Inhale through the right side slowly. Hold both nostrils closed (with ring finger and thumb). Open your left nostril and release breath slowly through the left side. Pause briefly at the bottom and repeat this for 5-10 cycles.
Tip: If you’re unclear on the exercise, here is a quick video you can watch.
by
Hellomonday