I have breathed wrong my entire life
And now that I've addressed it, I feel exponentially less anxious. This week: Nadi Shodhana, the nasal cycle and another way to regulate your nervous system in under a minute
Good Morning Beautiful Human,
What. A. Week.
I tried as hard as I could to channel my hopeaholic ways into a thoughtful (remotely optimistic) essay for you all, but the truth is: I was batshit dysregulated for most of the week. And even though I have been known to find joy in a psych ward and a silver lining in my psychosis, this week, I was completely over it. And ooh baby, was I in poor form – yelling at my husband, cursing at the ice on our sweet little country road, and even getting frustrated with my two adoring service dogs.
But even though I screamed into the wild woods of Vermont more times than I’d like to admit this week, I refused to give in entirely and channeled my tried and true method – mood follows action – as best I could. I worked out. I did box breathing AND physiological sigh sessions. I walked the dogs 10,000 steps each morning and I called my congressman and senator every day. I even got to ‘inbox zero’ on my work email. But everything – absolutely everything I did to tame the stress out of me was not enough to ease my shallow breathing, tensed muscles, and thudding heartbeat.
All week long, my entire body pulsed with cortisol, and everywhere I went, I witnessed others vibrating off-kilter in the same way – in dire and very understandable distress as we witnessed institutions, ideals, and the very fabric of American democracy come crashing down around us. By Thursday, I was so exhausted by my work in public health and the bleak outlook that held us all stuck in a quagmire of thick, heady dismay that I called it a day at 3 pm and set out to bake a cake for my girlfriend’s chocolate dessert party.
“Here,” I thought, “something I can actually do. Follow simple instructions.”
Determined to actually bake a cake and not throw a funfetti box mix together and call it a day, I set my sights on Cook’s Illustrated’s Flourless Chocolate Cake. I mean, it only had 4 ingredients, what could go wrong? Well, let me tellllll you. The result – even though I followed the absurdly scientific and borderline obsessive instructions to a literal T – was a weepy, melted butter-covered pile of mush that quite honestly resembled a pile of cow shit.
This — somehow — a repercussionless baking mess was the last and final straw. So, in a state of toddler tantrum tears, I collapsed on our kitchen floor at a total loss.
Enter once more my mood follows action method, and my to-do list is full of procrastinated tasks. Most notably – the work of building out an edition of The Healing Lab for you with Nadi Shodhana, the breathing exercise that is often referred to as alternate nostril breathing in English.
So there, literally covered in butter, cocoa powder, dog hair, and snot, as Waffle lay on my legs and Tug lay across my chest in tandem team deep pressure therapy position, I tried Nodi Shodhana for the first time.
I’ll be honest. I found it confusing (as f*ck) at first. You want me to do what with my hand and nose? Is this a middle school prank? But after a few false starts, I figured it out, and after a minute of doing it continually, I found myself weeping once more.
But this time, I wept from a place of profound relief.
This time, I wept because, for the first time all week, I had finally unlocked parasympathetic nervous system activation in a world that had ceased to be safe.
Thereafter, finally myself once more, I dove into hours of reading and research about this practice which I share here with you this week. Before diving in let me just say — what I discovered really blew me away. It was a truth that no one in my entire 21 years in the mental health care system with some of the best doctors on the planet has ever taught me:
How you breathe matters just as much as what you eat, how you sleep, and how you move.
If you are breathing through your mouth all day, you are sending silent stress signals to your body, disrupting oxygen levels, and keeping your nervous system on high alert.
The fix? Close your mouth. Breathe through your nose.
Yes. It really is THAT SIMPLE.
So now that we have that (breakdown and) breakthrough out of the way, let’s get into it because Nadi Shodhana really is one of the fastest ways to get out of fight-or-flight and into parasympathetic (rest+digest) nervous system activation, a state we all deserve to be in after surviving this hellish week.
This week’s experiment — Nadi Shodhana
Honoring its history
Before we dive in, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the history of this practice. Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, comes from Pranayama, the tradition of yogic breathwork, which has been practiced for centuries in India. Although modern wellness trends would have you believe otherwise, yoga is not a trend, whatsoever. Yoga is part of a deeply historical, spiritual, and philosophical system that has been passed down through generations over the course of centuries. Yoga was initially passed down orally, dating back 5,000 years, and historians have dated the first written documentation of yoga to 200 BCE – 400 CE. That’s 1,625 to 2,225 years ago, so back up, wellness girlies in your overpriced spandex. Since a notable part of practicing anything with integrity is recognizing where it comes from, my current plan is to focus on yoga and its historical and cultural significance as a future area of focus at The Healing Lab.
It is my hope that devoting ample time to exploring and learning about it can appropriately honor the rich history, depth, and meaning that this tradition holds. For that reason, today, I am only going to share a limited backstory about the practice and focus more on how this breathing exercise supports the nervous system.
Where the practice comes from
Ancient Indian yogis developed this practice centuries ago, and you’ll find it in medieval texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which lays out breathing techniques designed to clear the body, mind, and senses.
The name itself – Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing – tells you exactly what it does. Nadi refers to the subtle energy channels that flow through the body – similar to the meridians in Chinese medicine. Shodhana means to cleanse or purify. The goal of this practice is therefore to clear out two of the most important energy pathways: the Ida and Pingala nadis, which run from the base of the spine to each nostril.
In yogic philosophy, when these pathways are clogged — whether by stress, poor breathing habits, or simply the chaos of daily life — our prana (life force) can’t flow properly. Without that free flow, energy gets stuck, and the mind gets foggy, anxious, or restless. But when the nadis are clear, prana moves effortlessly through the central energy channel, known as Sushumna, bringing with it a sense of clarity, balance, and ease.
How the practice marries to the science of the nasal cycle
Along with the rich yogic history of this practice, the science behind it is equally interesting.
If you are not a mouth breather like me (heyyyoooo), did you know that the nostril you breathe through actually changes throughout the day?
This is called the nasal cycle, and just like the physiological sigh that we talked about last week, it’s a biological rhythm controlled by the autonomic nervous system. About every 90 minutes to two hours, your body automatically shifts dominance from one nostril to the other. Currently, scientists believe this happens to regulate brain function, giving each hemisphere a turn to be more active.
When your left nostril is dominant, there’s more blood flow and activity in the right hemisphere of your brain—the side linked to creativity, emotion, and intuition.
When your right nostril is dominant, the left hemisphere becomes more active, which is associated with logical thinking, problem-solving, and action.
This alternating rhythm helps balance cognitive function, regulate energy levels, and keep the brain operating at peak efficiency. And here’s where it gets really fascinating: ancient yogis figured this out! They observed that people whose breathing was stuck in one nostril for too long were more likely to feel off—physically, mentally, or emotionally. So, they developed practices like Nadi Shodhana to help restore the natural rhythm, rebalance the nervous system, and optimize brain function.
Now, thanks to MRIs and neuroscience studies, scientists have “proven” this. Disruptions in the nasal cycle — caused by chronic stress, poor breathing habits, or nasal congestion—are linked to fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, and even immune dysfunction.
Why you should experiment with this practice
Well, because of all that nerdy information, obviously ;).
But in all seriousness, Nadi Shodhana’s power is simple, quick, and immediately effective in activating your parasympathetic nervous system. And all it takes is a few minutes.
So, let me walk you through the practice. And as always, choose you in this experiment. That is what The Healing Lab is all about.
How to Practice Nadi Shodhana
Find a Comfortable Seat
Sit in a cross-legged position or in a chair with your spine straight.
Relax your shoulders and close your eyes.
Rest your left hand on your knee in Chin Mudra (thumb and index finger touching).
Hand Position (Vishnu Mudra)
Use your right hand to control your nostrils.
Fold your index and middle fingers inward toward your palm.
Use your thumb to close your right nostril and your ring finger to close your left nostril.
Breathing Sequence
Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through the left nostril for 4 seconds.
Close your left nostril with your ring finger and hold the breath for 4 seconds.
Release the right nostril and exhale completely through the right nostril for 4 seconds.
Inhale through the right nostril, close it, hold the breath, then exhale through the left nostril.
This completes one round.
Continue for 5-10 minutes
Maintain a steady, deep, and controlled breath.
Keep your face relaxed and your focus inward.
Please remember: the goal of The Healing Lab is to experiment with different practices. If 4 seconds feels impossible or too distressing, begin with cadences of 3 seconds. Also, if you, like me, find use of the left hand more natural, feel free to experiment with a body and hand position that honors you.
This week, since I modified this practice for my own comfort and hand preferences (and could not for the life of me focus on which nostril to close, breathing through my nose, and shifting my hands to cover alternating nostrils while being recorded), I am sharing three video alternatives if you learn/experiment best with a video:
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama with Suprina Sheth of The Shrimad Rajchandra Mission
How to practice alternate nostril breathing with Nico Marie of YouTube Black Yogi Nico Marie
Alternate nostril breathing with Adriene Mishler from YouTube Yoga with Adrienne
This week’s writing prompt
After experimenting with alternate nostril breathing, reflect on your experience/s with it in writing. Was this the first time you breathed through your nose? Or have you always done that and been aware of it? Was the practice easy to pick up or difficult and frustrating? Expand on how you related to learning this practice, and then move on to reflect on how your body felt as you tried it and what thoughts arose. Were you able to stay present, or was that deeply hard? As you write about your experience/s, what are you eager to take with you? And, what do you want to leave behind?
Science, Stories + Source Material
Yoga History
History of Yoga
Alternate Nostril Breathing: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials (2017)
Assessment of the Effects of Pranayama/Alternate Nostril Breathing on the Parasympathetic Nervous System in Young Adults (2013)
Effect of Breathwork on Stress and Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized-Controlled Trials (2022)
Effect of Alternate Nostril Breathing Exercise on Experimentally Induced Anxiety in Healthy Volunteers Using the Simulated Public Speaking Model: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study (2017)
Effect of Alternate Nostril Breathing on Cardiovascular Parameters and Reaction Time (2014)
The Physiology of The Nasal Cycle
Measuring and Characterizing the Human Nasal Cycle
The Nasal Cycle: A Comprehensive Review
Model Demonstrates Functional Purpose of the Nasal Cycle
Detection of the Nasal Cycle in Daily Activity by Remote Evaluation of Nasal Patency: A Preliminary Study
Wowza. That was a long one. Who knew I was such a nerd?! Truth be told, I am the least nerdy of my family, so I guess that’s really saying something.
If you made it this far, thanks for accompanying me in my massive geek-out this week. This project is quickly becoming a lifeline of mine as we weather the wild world, and having you here with me is such a gift. Truly. Such a gift.
I hope you tread lightly on yourself this weekend and, as always, I’ll be back next Saturday with another edition.
With love, snuggles, and a picture of my resuscitated cake that my girlfriends actually devoured last night, I say,
I wish you a day. For a day, just like you, is always enough.
May you always—always—always have powdered sugar on hand and the truth that a loving, deep breath is yours to take whenever you need it as you fight onward in this heavy, hard world.
Kindly,
Kate and, of course, the girls
If this edition of The Healing Lab served you in any way, please consider supporting my work, sharing the publication with a friend who might also appreciate it, or commenting and liking this post. Everything you do helps me democratize this information and means more than you know.
Marvelous, thank you. Hopeaholics unite!
Great read! Thank you !