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What Are the Benefits and Risks of

Alternate Nostril Breathing?
Medically reviewed by Cheryl Crumpler, PhD — Written by Emily Cronkleton and
Olivia Walters — Updated on May 24, 2023

Variations Benefits Risks How to When to use Takeaway

Two popular types of alternate nostril breathing may

help relax your body and mind, lower stress, and
promote overall well-being. That said, they may not be
safe if you have certain medical conditions.

Alternate nostril breathing is a yogic breath control practice. In Sanskrit, it’s known as
nadi shodhana pranayama. This translates as “subtle energy clearing breathing
technique.”

This type of breathwork can be done as part of a yoga or meditation practice.

Alternate nostril breathing can also be done as its own practice to help you quiet and
still your mind.

There are many variations of pranayama (breathing regulation). Anulom vilom and nadi
shodhana are the most common types of alternate nostril breathing.

Read on to learn about the benefits and risks as well as how to do alternate nostril
breathing.

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Variations to know
Yoga practitioners incorporate a combination of poses and breathing exercises into
their practice. There are two variations of alternate nostril breathing:

Anulom vilom: This type of pranayama involves conscious inhalation through one
nostril and exhalation through the other.
Nadi shodhana: Similar to anulom vilom, this technique involves breathing from
one nostril to the next. On the inhale, you hold the breath for a brief period of
time.

When considering the benefits of alternate nostril breathing, a 2017 review of clinical
studies suggests that the lack of a standard technique makes it difficult to identify how
valuable each method compared to others.

Try to incorporate both variations into your practice and see how each one makes you
feel.

What are the benefits of alternate

nostril breathing?
Alternate nostril breathing may help to:

relax your body and mind

reduce anxiety
promote overall well-being

These benefits, in turn, may help you to be more focused and aware.
You can use this breathing technique to help manage stressors in your daily life. You
may also find that practicing alternate nostril breathing helps you to be more mindful of
the present moment.

In the news
Hilary Clinton wrote in her book “What Happened” that she used alternate
nostril breathing after her loss of the 2016 United States presidential election
to manage stress and anxiety.

1. Could lower stress and improve cardiovascular function

One of the main benefits of alternate nostril breathing is that it may lower stress. A
2018 study  found that men who practiced alternate nostril breathing for 30 minutes
daily had lower perceived stress levels after 3 months of regular practice.

Compared to the control group, who did not complete daily breathing exercises, the
participants in the study group had significantly lower stress scores.

Another 2020 study assessed the cardiovascular benefits of alternate nostril breathing
in 100 healthy medical students. After 4 weeks of practice, the participants showed
improvement in pulse and blood pressure biomarkers at the completion of the study.

Together, these studies suggest that alternate nostril breathing could potentially help
reduce risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as stress. More
research is needed to confirm the benefits for people diagnosed with CVD.

2. Could improve lung function and respiratory endurance

Yogic breathing practices may improve lung function and respiratory endurance. A
small 2017 study examined the effects of pranayama practice on the lung functions of
competitive swimmers and found that it had a positive effect on respiratory endurance.

Improved respiratory endurance may also improve athletic performance.

The swimmers in the study did alternate nostril breathing in addition to two other
breathing practices for 30 minutes, 5 days a week for 1 month. Larger, more in-depth
studies are needed to expand upon these findings.
3. Lowers heart rate
Lowering your heart rate can help to promote cardiovascular health. According to a
2016 review of studies  , there is an association between balanced autonomic function
and integrated yoga practices that include both posture and breathing exercises.

Alternate nostril breathing may be a useful method to help you lower your heart rate in
the moment, too.

Further research is needed to better understand the long-term effects on heart rates
and breathing patterns.

4. Promotes well-being
Alternate nostril breathing may enhance overall health and well-being. It has also been
shown to have a positive effect on mental health by reducing stress and anxiety.

Research from a 2020 review of studies  found that yogic breathing had a positive
impact on female survivors of abuse. The psychological benefits of pranayama
exercises may also extend to improved fatigue, stress, and anxiety levels in cancer and
CVD patients.

Furthermore, a 2018 review found that different types of yogic breathing have many
positive benefits for your health, including improvements to neurocognitive,
respiratory, and metabolic functions in healthy people.

Alternate nostril breathing was also found to increase breath awareness and have a
beneficial effect on the nervous system.

Is it safe?
Practicing alternate nostril breath is safe for most people. Talk with your doctor before
starting the practice if you have a medical condition such as asthma, COPD, or any
other lung or heart concern.

If you feel adverse effects — such as shortness of breath — while doing the breathing
technique, you should stop the practice immediately. This includes feeling
lightheaded, dizzy, or nauseous.

If you find that the breathing is bringing up feelings of agitation or that it triggers any
mental or physical symptoms, you should stop the practice.
How to do it
You can practice alternate nostril breathing on your own, but you may want to ask a
yoga teacher to show you the practice in person so you can make sure you’re doing it
correctly.

Focus on keeping your breath slow, smooth, and continuous. Focusing on your breath
will help you to remember where you are in the cycle. You should be able to breathe
easily throughout the practice.

To practice alternate nostril breathing:

Sit in a comfortable position with legs crossed.

Place left hand on left knee.
Lift right hand up toward nose.
Exhale completely and then use right thumb to close right nostril.
Inhale through left nostril and then close left nostril with your fingers.
Open right nostril and exhale through this side.
Inhale through right nostril and then close this nostril.
Open left nostril and exhale through left side.
This is one cycle.
Continue for up to 5 minutes.
Always complete the practice by finishing with an exhale on the left side.

Note:
If you’re following the nadi shodhana variation, hold each inhale for 2 to 3
seconds before exhaling through the opposite nostril. Gradually increase the
length of this pause in 2- to 3-second increments as you become more
accustomed to the practice.
When to practice alternate nostril
breathing
You can do alternate nostril breathing at any time and place that feels most
comfortable to you. You may find that you enjoy doing it in the morning or evening. It
can also be done during the day when you need to focus or relax.

Alternate nostril breathing is best done on an empty stomach. Don’t practice alternate
nostril breathing if you’re sick or congested.

Alternate nostril breathing can be done before or after your yoga practice. Find the
way that suits you best as people have different results and experiences. Or you can
do it at the start of your meditation practice. This may help you to deepen your
meditation.

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Takeaway
Alternate nostril breathing may help you relax or clear your mind. Bringing more
awareness to your breathing can help you to increase your awareness in other parts of
your life as well.

While the potential benefits are promising, remember that you need to practice
alternate nostril breathing regularly in order to see and maintain results.

Breathing techniques aren’t a substitute for medical treatment. Always talk with your
doctor before beginning any breathing practice, especially if you have any medical
concerns or conditions.

How we reviewed this article: Share this article

 SOURCES HISTORY  v 

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our
articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

May 24, 2023

Written By
Emily Cronkleton, Olivia Walters

Edited By
Catherine Clark

Copy Edited By
Megan McMorris

Mar 15, 2022

Medically Reviewed By
Cheryl Crumpler, PhD

VIEW ALL HISTORY 

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