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My Hero

At first glance, Virasana (Hero Pose) looks simple. You don't have to balance on your head or bend your spine backward ... (continued)

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Single Nostril Breath

Surya Bhedana Pranayama

(soor-yah beh-DAH-na)
surya = sun
bhedana = piercing

(chahn-drah)
chandra = moon

Step by Step

Our right nostril is energetically associated with our body's heating energy, symbolized by the "Sun" and the syllable HA, our left nostril with our body's cooling energy, symbolized by the "Moon" and the syllable THA.

In the average person these energies are typically in conflict, which leads to disquiet and disease. The goal of traditional Hatha Yoga is to integrate and harmonize HA and THA for happiness and health. The purpose of these two breaths then is to create balance by "warming" a "cool" body-mind and vice versa.

Sit in a comfortable asana and make Mrigi Mudra. For Surya Bhedana block your left nostril and inhale through your right. Then close the right and exhale through the left. Continue in this manner, inhale right, exhale left, for 1 to 3 minutes.

For Chandra Bhedana, simply reverse the instructions in (2), inhaling always through your left nostril, exhaling through your right. Again continue for 1 to 3 minutes.


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Reader Comments

Sahasrar

What Asan should you take while practicing Suryabedhan Mudra?

Jnani Chapman

We are exploring Surya Bhedana with people in cancer treatment - chemotherapy, not radiation - to see if it helps warm the body without hyper activating their energy balance.

Kate Hallahan

Surya bhedana is typically used as a mildly energetic breath, appropriate for gently increasing mental energy and physical stamina, whereas chandra bhedana is a more cooling breath and is used as a mild calmative.

My understanding from both what I have been taught and what I have discovered through personal practice is that there is no problem with doing both of these breaths on the same day. I often do these two breaths for several minutes apiece, followed by several minutes of nadi sodhana (alternate nostril breathing). I hope this helps.

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