Alternate Nasal Breathing & Humming Routine
A structured breath flow to balance the nervous system, energize the brain, and harmonize internal rhythms
Practice Guidelines:
- Always breathe through the nose unless otherwise instructed
- Keep the tongue sealed to the roof of the mouth, just behind the top teeth
- Sit upright or lay flat with spine lengthened
- Follow auditory pacing files, or guide yourself using silent count
- Feel for internal quiet, space, and vibration, not effort
1. Alternate Nasal Breathing – Nadi Shodhana (Single Side & Alternating)
Why:
Nadi Shodhana balances the left and right brain hemispheres, regulates oxygen and CO₂, tones the vagus nerve, and restores fluid dynamics in the brain and lungs. Unilateral nasal breathing also links to TCM’s yin/yang organ pairs—right nostril to Lung-Large Intestine (yang), left nostril to Liver-Heart (yin).
- Organs: Lungs, brain, heart, sinuses
- Meridians: Lung, Large Intestine, Liver, Heart
- Energetics: Opens central energy channel (Sushumna), clears Ida/Pingala pathways
How:
Start seated or lying down with eyes closed.
Single-Side Phasing:
- Use your thumb and ring finger to close off alternate nostrils
- Inhale & exhale through right nostril only, for 3, 5, or 8 breaths
- Then switch and breathe through left nostril only, same count
- This deepens the unilateral effect, reduces reactivity, and sharpens focus
Alternate Breathing (Traditional Nadi Shodhana):
- Inhale left → Exhale right
- Inhale right → Exhale left
- That’s one full cycle
- Try using these ratios with or without an audio guide:
- Inhale 5, Exhale 8
- Inhale 8, Exhale 13
Tips:
- Exhale longer than inhale to downshift the nervous system
- Keep the breath silent and slow
- Visualize breath spiraling through the nostrils and spine
2. Humming – Bhramari Pranayama
Why:
Humming activates the vagus nerve, increases nitric oxide in the sinuses, and creates internal resonance that calms the brainstem. It’s a mechanical and energetic exhale amplifier, linking respiratory flow to vibration and pressure.
- Organs: Lungs, sinuses, heart
- Meridians: Lung, Pericardium, Triple Burner
- Energetics: Resonates in the Middle Dan Tian (chest cavity), opens the voice-heart-lung circuit
How:
Sit tall or lie down.
- Inhale gently through the nose
- Exhale with a soft nasal hum (like the sound of a bee)
- Let the vibration fill your head, throat, and chest
- You may close the ears lightly with fingertips to amplify inner sound
- Use supplied audio cues or count-based pacing:
- Inhale 5, Exhale humming 8
- Inhale 8, Exhale humming 13
Tips:
- Keep jaw soft and face relaxed
- Tongue stays sealed to the roof of the mouth during both inhale and hum
- Notice the hum moving energy downward into the body
- After the exhale, pause in stillness before the next inhale
3. Combined Practice – Nadi Shodhana + Bhramari (Alternating Humming)
Why:
This is the integration phase. Alternating nostrils while humming on the exhale creates a compound neural reset—balancing hemispheres, draining lymph, releasing facial tension, and embedding vibratory tone into both sides of the brain and body.
- Organs: Entire cranial-respiratory circuit, sinuses, lungs, heart
- Meridians: Lung, Heart, Liver, Triple Burner
- Energetics: Sushumna activation, balances Shen (mind-spirit)
How:
- Inhale through the left nostril
- Close both nostrils lightly
- Exhale through the right nostril with a nasal hum
- Inhale through right, exhale through left with hum
- Repeat the cycle for 3–5 minutes using a 5:8 or 8:13 inhale:exhale ratio
- Use the audio pacing files to stay consistent
Tips:
- Don’t force the breath or volume of the hum
- Feel the sound spiral downward, not outward
- Tongue stays in position throughout
- The body should remain still, like you’re breathing through your spine
Closing Reflections:
This breath-humming routine:
- Opens the sinuses and primes oxygenation
- Resonates through the vagus and brainstem
- Harmonizes the three Dan Tians (head, heart, belly)
- Activates lymphatic and glymphatic clearance through internal pulsation
- Trains the system to enter deep parasympathetic stillness
- Reconnects the electrical circuit of breath and intention