Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing, or Nadi Shodhana, is a yogic technique where you breathe through one nostril at a time. Rest your thumb and ring finger either side of your nose, close one nostril, breathe in, then close the other and breathe out through it.

The indicator shows which nostril is open and when to switch, so you can follow it without counting. A full cycle takes four phases and 27 seconds, since you only return to where you started after two breaths.

The long exhale is doing most of the work: breathing out for 8 seconds against an inhale of 5.5 lengthens the out-breath, which is the part of the cycle most associated with the body's relaxation response. The nostril switching gives the mind something steady to attend to.

You can read more about the evidence behind breathing exercises on our science page, or explore how breathing affects anxiety and sleep in Lungy Learn.