Breathing Therapy for Remedy

Alternate Nostril Breathing

The name alternate nostril breathing is due to the fact that we alternate between the two nostrils when we do the breathing. It is believe that this exercise will clean and rejuvenate your vital channels of energy.

With this exercise, we breathe through only one nostril at a time. The logic behind this exercise is that normal breathing does alternate from one nostril to the other at various times during the day. In a healthy person the breath will alternate between nostrils about every two hours. Because most of us are not in optimum health, this time period varies considerably between people and further reduces our vitality. When the breath continues to flow in one nostril for more than two hours, as it does with most of us, it will have an adverse effect on our health. If the right nostril is involved, the result is mental and nervous disturbance. If the left nostril is involved, the result is chronic fatigue and reduced brain function. The longer the flow of breath in one nostril, the more serious the illness will be.

Benefits

1. The exercise produces optimum function to both sides of the brain: that is optimum creativity and optimum logical verbal activity. This also creates a more balanced person, since both halves of the brain are functioning property.

2. The yogis consider this to be the best technique to calm the mind and the nervous system.

The Scientific Confirmation of Alternate Nostril Breathing

Medical science has recently discovered the nasal cycle, something that was known by the yogis thousands of years ago. Scientists have recently found that we don't breathe equally with both nostrils, that one nostril is much easier to breathe through than the other at any particular time and that this alternates about every three hours. It is claim that the natural period is every two hours, but we must remember these studies were done on people who do not have an optimum health level.

Scientists also discovered that the nasal cycle corresponds with brain function. The electrical activity of the brain was found to be greater on the side opposite the less congested nostril. The right side of the brain controls creative activity, while the left side controls logical verbal activity. The research showed that when the left nostril was less obstructed, the right side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects were indeed found to do better on creative tests. Similarly when the right nostril was less obstructed the left side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects did better on verbal skills.

It is observed that a lot of disease was due to the nasal cycle being disturbed; that is, if a person breathed for too long through one nostril. To prevent and correct this condition, they developed the alternate nostril breathing technique. This clears any blockage to air flow in the nostrils and reestablishes the natural nasal cycle. For example, the yogis have known for a long time that prolonged breathing through the left nostril only (over a period of years) will produce asthma. They also know that this so-called incurable disease can be easily eliminated by teaching the patient to breathe through the right nostril until the asthma is cured, and then to prevent it recurring by doing the alternate nostril breathing technique. It is also believe that diabetes is caused to a large extent by breathing mainly through the right nostril.

Technique
•Assume a sitting position, with the back comfortably straight. The main thing is for the spine to
be fairly straight.

•Bring your right hand up and place the fore finger and middle finger between the eyebrows.

•Use the right thumb to close off the right nostril and breathe in through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb and breathe out through the right nostril. Breathe back in through the right nostril, close with the thumb and out
through the left again. This makes one round.

•Continue like this — out and in through one nostril, then out and in through the other nostril. Keep the breath comfortable and relaxed. There is no need to strain.

Practice tips
1.If you find that one nostril is blocked or the nose feels a bit stuffy, then close one nostril and do a few short sharp sniffs through the other nostril. Repeat on the other side.

2.When you first practice just do 1 or 2 minutes, slowly build up to 5 minutes and then even 10 minutes if you feel to.

3. If your right arm becomes tired, you can support the right arm by holding under the elbow with the left hand.

4. Although a formal practice is useful this practice can be used in your daily life when you are feeling upset or stressed. To just stop and do a minute or two of alternate nostril breathing can bring you back to your centre.

source: http://www.usefultipsforlife.com/
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