Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, How to do it, Steps and Benefits

In our stressful life, where we have a tight schedule and often lead a hectic life, it is recommended to practice yoga on a daily basis. Yoga is now embraced by people all around the world. It has been an absolute game-changer and has helped people cope with difficult situations by calming them down.

There are numerous exercises, and Yoga and Ayurveda both have a deep root. However, to simplify things, we will speak of one extremely helpful exercise that helps us calm ourselves and gives us energy. This exercise is known as the Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. In addition to taking a look at this exercise, we will also take a sneak peek into the Yoga Capital of the World, Rishikesh, and learn more about the Yoga School in Rishikesh.

What is Nadi Shodhana Pranayama?

Nadis, as said, in the Sanskrit language are the channels through which we gain our energy. Shodhana means to correct or to purify, and Pranayama implies using exercise. Therefore Nadi Shodhana Pranayama is necessarily an exercise to heal you by restoring your breathing process and, in the way, ease you.

We all know that during a stressful time, our breathing goes haywire, and we often feel breathless. The Nadi Shodhana Pranayama helps you to relax and keeps your breathing process intact. Therefore it is a very systematic method to deal with stress.

Benefits of Nadi Shodhana in details

As we have said earlier that it helps to deal with stress efficiently, however other than that, there are more benefits of this exercise, and some of them are as follows:

1. This helps in proper oxygen circulation inside the body.
2. Clears the body from toxins
3. Calms the entire nervous system
4. Balances the left and the right hemisphere perfectly well
5. Allows clear and balanced respiratory channels

There are several other benefits of Nadi Shodhana. However, the one mentioned here is the real benefits of practicing Nadi Shodhana Yoga.

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How to Practice Nadi Shodhana?

Now that we have spoken about the benefits of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama in detail, it’s time we learn how to practice this yoga and the way of sitting to practice this yoga.

The sitting posture required for this exercise is as follows:

1. You have to choose a comfortable sitting position.
2. Make sure that your spine is lengthened and the back, head, and neck are erect throughout the practice.
3. Other than that, make sure you have an empty stomach before sitting.

Once you have appropriately set, its time you start the exercise by slowly closing your eyes and following these steps:

1. Take a full breath and slowly exhale. Continue this process for a few seconds to gain strength.
2. Then slowly fold your index and middle finger inward and touch the base of the thumb finger. This posture of your hand is known as the Vishnu Mudra after the Hindu god Lord Vishnu.
3. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril and your pinky finger to complete the left one alternatively.
4. Once you have closed the right nostril, inhale the oxygen from the left nostril and then complete your left nostril with your pinky finger and slowly exhale from your right nostril.
5. While you are still inhaling, make sure you feel the air passing through the left side of your body and then open the right side and exhale the air.
6. After exhaling from the right nostril, inhale from the right nostril itself and follow the exact mechanism.
7. Continue this process for several rounds. After several rounds of this purification process, you will feel refreshed, and the toxins inside your body will be cleared.

This is the process of performing the Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, and you should make sure that you sit on the floor cross-legged and complete the yogic breaths before jumping to any exercise.

Rishikesh and more

Few places in India attract tourists all over the world every year. Rishikesh is one of the many. Set at the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas in North India, this place has primarily risen to fame for the Yoga schools set up in this. The excellent system and 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh is one of the prime attractions in that area. The intensity to which Yoga has spread worldwide makes this place a heaven for yoga lovers. Here are some of the Yoga ashrams you can visit if you are visiting Rishikesh.

1. Rishikesh Yogkulam- This is one of the top yoga centers in India and is situated on the banks of the river Ganga. This is also one of the most prominent yoga schools in Rishikesh, and you can get a permit any time of the year.
2. Sivananda Ashram- Founded by swami Sivananda, this ashram is also one of the oldest and biggest ashrams of Swami Sivananda. The ashram is located near Ram Jhula and is one of the most prominent ashrams to learn Yoga. This yoga ashram offers regular meditation classes.
3. Yoga Niketan- This ashram was founded by Swami Yogeshwarananda Paramhansa, who spent most of his life in the Himalayas. Here the rules are strict, and the students are supposed to follow a strict schedule throughout their stay.
4. Swami Dayananda Ashram- Founded by the very famous Swami Dayananda Saraswati, this ashram is ten minutes away from Ram Jhula and is set in picturesque surroundings. Other than the regular yoga classes here, there are courses to teach the Bhagwad Gita, the Upanishads and impact the lives of young people through these scriptures.
5. Phool Chatti- the meaning of the name of the ashram means Valley of Flowers. This ashram is also an old ashram and is located up the drive from Laxman Jhula. This ashram is primarily known for its short courses, the most famous being a seven-day yoga program. This place is known for its unconventional teachings.
6. Osho Ganga Dham Ashram- If you are interested in Osho’s teachings, you must visit this place. This ashram is ten minutes away from Laxman Jhula and is situated at the banks of the River Ganges at Brahampuri. You will have every luxury of your life here.

These are some of the leading ashrams of Rishikesh. Several ashrams are located in this place. Most of them are founded by famous Maharishis and are influenced by their philosophies and ideas. The renowned music band, The Beatles, also had a brief stay in Rishikesh and found spirituality in the foothills of these Garhwal Himalayas. The Beatles were probably the doorway to the foreign fame of Rishikesh, and now Rishikesh is famously the Yoga capital of the World.

Conclusion

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama is one of the most renowned pranayamas when it comes to yoga. This is one of the easiest and has several benefits likewise. Other than that, if you are planning to visit Rishikesh, then chances are there that you will learn the system to reset yourself and start your journey once again. This process of reformation will help you find the real meaning of life.

Other than the Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, Rishikesh, in general, is a land of ashramas, so visit this beautiful place situated in the lap of nature and grab the beauty by diving deep into solitude.

If you want to dive deep into Nadi Shodhana Pranayama in Rishikesh then go with the 500 Hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh that gives an in-depth knowledge on the pranayama subjects.