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# 2022-10-18 - One Nostril Breathing
A forum user asked about how to achieve relaxation. Below is an
article about one-nostril breathing to activate relaxation via the
parasympathetic nervous system.
Have you ever heard of the "honeymoon nose"? The proper name for it
is honeymoon rhinitis and it reflects the phenomenon that your nose
feels congested after prolonged sexual stimulation. It turns out
that your nose is lined up with the same kind of erectile tissue as
your genitals and those tissues become swollen when you get excited.
(IMG) Nostrils MRI
That is not the only time when those tissues in the nose get swollen.
In fact, there is a predictable pattern of swelling and shrinkage
that was first described (scientifically) by the German physician
Richard Kayser in 1895. He had observed periodic cycles of
congestion and decongestion that alternated between the right and
left nostril, which was later termed "nasal cycle". This phenomenon
is widely known in the scientific community and has been subject to
multiple studies. The funny thing is that yogis had known about it
for hundreds of years and used it effectively to change the body's
temperature and one's mental state, but we'll get to that later.
Here is what science confirmed so far:
* At any given moment you are breathing through one dominant
nostril; then some time later you switch to another one. This
switch happens every 2-2.5 hours (although it can vary), and
continues in a rhythmical fashion.
* This rhythm changes over time for most people.
* It seems to be controlled by the central nervous system.
* Swelling and shrinking seems to be related to sympathetic (SNS)
and parasympathetic (PNS) nerves.
Most organs in the body (including cerebral hemispheres) are
innervated by fibers from both SNS (fight-or-flight) and PNS
(rest-and-digest). There are a bunch of those nerves in the nose,
too. We have one set of the nerves that covers the right side of the
body and the right nostril, and another one that covers the left side
and the left nostril. What scientists are finding now is that those
fibers have opposing effects. This means that at any given moment
you have sympathetic dominance on one side of the body (and breathe
mostly through that nostril) and parasympathetic dominance on the
other. Then some time later they switch. This is called
"lateralized ultradian rhythms of the ANS". So basically the nasal
cycle is an indicator of the switch that happens between the SNS and
PNS from one side to another.
Why does it matter? Well, multiple research studies show that the
way your body functions is quite different based on which side of the
body has sympathetic dominance. Here is what it looks like (I got
the list from this article):
When the sympathetic system is dominant on the right side and
parasympathetic system is dominant on the left, you get:
(IMG) One nostril breathing, right
* Right nostril dominance
* Right lung dominant
* Generally more active state
* Locomotor activity increased
* Heart rate increased
* Blood pressure increased
* Respiration rate increased
* Body temperature increased
* Cortisol increased
* Prolactin secretion reduces
* Testosterone increased
* Endorphins increased
When the sympathetic system is dominant on the left side and
parasympathetic system is dominant on the right, you get:
(IMG) One nostril breathing, left
* Left nostril dominance
* Left lung dominant
* Generally more resting state
* Locomotor activity decreased
* Heart rate reduced
* Blood pressure reduced
* Respiration rate reduced
* Body temperature reduced
* Cortisol reduced
* Prolactin secretion increased
* Testosterone reduced
* Endorphins reduced
So basically in the course of the day you alternate between more
active and more restful states, which is confirmed by a widely
accepted BRAC hypothesis (basic rest-activity
cycle).
(IMG) Ida Pingala
Yogis arrived at a similar discovery a while ago, though they have
used different language to describe it. They said that our energy
balance is affected by the flow of energy along three major channels:
ida, pingala and sushumna nadis. Ida (lunar channel) is cooling and
has overall feminine quality; it terminates at the left nostril.
Pingala (solar channel) is heating and has an overall masculine
quality; it terminates at the right nostril.
Breathing in through a nostril will emphasize the qualities of that
channel; breathing out through the nostril will sedate the
corresponding channel. This model is used widely in a therapeutic
context.
(IMG) Chandrebhedana
Sometimes there might be too much heat in the system (for example, if
somebody has hot flashes or feels angry/irritable), which can be
helped by breathing in through the Left nostril (to stimulate the
lunar channel) and out through the right (to sedate the solar
chanel). This pranayama practice is called Chandrabhedana.
(IMG) Suryabhedana
When there is not enough heat in the system (for example, cold limbs,
low blood pressure, depression), it can help to breath in through the
Right nostril (to stimulate the solar channel) and out through the
Left (to sedate the lunar chanel). This pranayama practice is called
Suryabhedana.
According to the tradition, when two sides are balanced, prana can
enter the central channel--sushumna nadi--and travel upwards to the
top of the head. Then eternal bliss (samadhi) is achieved. We'll
talk more about balancing the two sides next week.
(IMG) Nostril Blocking
Another interesting fact: traditionally, when you breathe through one
nostril or the other, you don't leave it completely open, but rather
valve it right next to the bony part of the nose, so that the opening
is narrowed and a sort of vibration is achieved. We have mentioned
earlier that there are many nerve branches of the autonomic nervous
system in the nose, so may be valving the nose was meant to better
stimulate the corresponding branch of the nervous system (SNS or PNS)
and facilitate more pronounced energetic effect? One wonders. It
certainly helps you make your breath cycle longer. You can try it
for yourself, too. Next time you try one nostril breathing, try
valving the nostril that you are breathing through--it is a very
different experience.
(IMG) Nasal Cycle
(HTM) From: https://sequencewiz.org/2014/08/06/one-nostril-breathing/
tags: yoga
# Tags
(DIR) yoga