Several of the pranayama techniques we encounter in our yoga practice involve single or alternate nostril breathing - and this has some surprising benefits. Read on to find out how breathing through your left nostril in particular can help you to manage stress, improve sporting performance and even unlock your creative potential...
1. Left nostril breathing stimulates our rest and digest response and counters the effects of stress
In the hatha yoga system, the left nostril is said to be linked to the cooling 'moon' energy via ida nadi (one of the major energy channels in the subtle body)...
More recently, scientific research suggests that left nostril breathing can activate parasympathetic 'rest and digest' response (the yogis knew!)..,meaning that it helps to lower blood pressure, decrease heart rate and encourage improved digestion and sleep.
Left nostril breathing practices can therefore help to restore autonomic nervous system balance when we find ourselves in a chronically 'parasympathetic dominant' state - i.e. when we're constantly feeling stressed out, overwhelmed and emotionally unbalanced.
(You might also want to check out 3 simple breathing tips for stress management).
2. It encourages creative 'right brain' creative thinking
Research suggests that each nostril is linked to the opposite hemisphere of the brain.
This means that when we breathe through the left nostril we increase blood flow to the right side of the brain, stimulating creative thinking, intuition and emotional intelligence. (Conversely, when we breathe through the right nostril it encourages 'logical' left brain thinking - which can also be useful!)
So if you're struggling to find inspiration and creativity, or a much needed spark of imagination, left nostril breathing could be just what you need!
3. Single nostril breathing strengthens our respiratory muscles
When we breathe through the nose it naturally creates a little bit of resistance to the breath, which in turn slows down the rhythm of our breathing.
So when we create additional resistance to the breath through 'digital pranayama' techniques we are amplifying this effect.
This resistance has a number of profound benefits, including activation and strengthening of the diaphragm and respiratory muscles, and further stimulation of parasympathetic nervous system response (e.g. through increasing vagus nerve tone).
4. It can improve athletic performance
Another benefit of creating resistance to the breath is that it helps us to improve the efficiency of oxygen uptake by our muscles and organs...in turn improving athletic performance.
It does this by reducing our body's sensitivity to CO2 - whilst we might think of carbon dioxide as simply a waste gas, sufficient accumulation of CO2 in the blood stream is critical to the efficient release of oxygen from haemoglobin in the red blood cells (this sounds counterintuitive...but it's true).
I'll explain more about how this works another time, but for now suffice to say that whether you’re a runner or a cyclist, a footballer, rugby player or tennis player, this increased efficiency of oxygen uptake can start to reap major benefits over time.
5. It helps to focus and calm the mind
All conscious breathing techniques help us to train our awareness...and in my experience, single or alternative nostril breathing practices are particularly effective in this regard.
By turning our full attention to the rhythm of the inhalation and exhalation we have an opportunity to shift our focus away from rumination and anxieties by becoming fully immersed in the movements of the breath.
This meditation technique has the effect of bringing the mind into a state of 'wakeful rest', increasing theta wave activity that encourages a positive mental state, creativity and calm.
So there you have it - 5 benefits of left nostril breathing...from nervous system balance and stress management, to improved athletic performance and increased creativity.
To get you started, give the practice at the top of the post a try (Chandra Bhedana - 'piercing the moon').
It's a simple pranayama technique for encouraging left nostril breathing and one of my favourite breathing practices - I hope you enjoy it too, I’d love to hear how you get on in the comments below.