Let’s practice unilateral nostril breathing with the right nostril!

Research shows that conscious breathing through the right nostril only will promote a sense of calm and increased happiness by decreasing the sense of stress and restlessness. Unilateral nostril breathing is a breathing technique that involves inhaling and exhaling through one nostril, while the other nostril is partially closed. 

Let’s practice unilateral nostril breathing with the left nostril!

Research shows that conscious breathing through the left nostril only will promote a sense of mental focus and reduce mind wandering. Unilateral nostril breathing is a breathing technique that involves inhaling and exhaling through one nostril, while the other nostril is partially closed. 

A breathing technique to help us reduce stress—a simple 1:2 breathing ratio to tap into the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic nervous system aka the rest and digest system.

Experimenting with breath ratios, we’re going to revisit the box breath, but this time, with an extended exhale and followed by a much shorter breath retention. Breathing with an extended exhale will work towards strengthening our vagal tone and makes us more resilient to stress.

In his book, Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art, James Nestor discovers the perfect breathing rate is 5.5 breaths per minute. Let’s explore the perfect breath with a samavritti pranayama practice.

A gentle pranayama practice exploring the four breath phases using a Four Count Box Breath.