11 Anulom Vilom Benefits & Side effects (Pranamaya Yoga)
Anulom Vilom Benefits & Side effects – Nadi Shodhana, also known as Alternate Nostril Breathing or Anulom Vilom Pranayama. It is a powerful breathing practice with wide benefits.
Figure 1: Shushmna, Ida and Pingla Nadis
The human body is full of miracles; the need is to faith and understands it scientifically.
The whole knowledge of the cosmic universe is in it. In fact, this is a microcosm of the macrocosm.
God himself made his clones in the form of human beings and covered the clones with the sheet of ignorance; this is the reason for duality and “Ahankara”.
Anulom Vilom Benefits and the human body
The Human body is made up of five natural elements:
- Earth
- Sky
- Air
- Water and
- Fire (Sun)
Air is “Prana Vayu”, a life force within the body. Without the Prana Vayu, the body is just like a lump of clay.
It is the Prana Vayu only, which lives and energizes the body using the network of nerves or Nadis.
When Prana Vayu leaves the body, it becomes lifeless.
Air keeps the body fit and healthy till the end of life. Hence, all we must care about the intake of air.
If the intake of air is pure and fresh, a body will remain pure and fresh.
If the intake of air is less and impure, the body will get diseases and will depend on the external chemicals, medicines, and drugs.
This not only wastes a huge amount in hospitals and doctors but also damages the body and makes it ill.
How Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril breathing Benefits and energizes the body?
The human body has 72000 Nadie (channels) extending through the naval to the shoulders, in which Prana Vayu (life force) flows.
The most important Nadi is Shushumna Nadi in the center of the Mooladhar chakra as shown in figure 1.
Ida is a moon channel with a cooling feature and Pingla is the sun channel with a heating feature.
Different channels play important roles in different tasks, says “Shivswarodya Shastra”.
A brief description of these channels are given below:
- Ida Nadi: Ida Nadi is called moon Nadi or moon channel. Ida is on the left side of the Sushumna Nadi.
- Pingla Nadi: It is called sun Nadi or sun channel. Pingla is on the right side of the Sushumna Nadi.
- Sushumna Nadi: This is in between of the Ida and Pingla Nadi.
Both the channels (Nadi) are the reason for the existence of the human body on this earth.
Ida and Pingla give nourishment to our left and right hemispheres, which control each and every activity of daily routine tasks.
nostrils/left hemisphere dominated) gives an extrovert tendency to the human being.
To keep the body healthy Physically, Psychologically, and spiritually, it is mandatory to flow Prana Vayu smoothly, without obstacle through the channels (Nadi).
Breathing is the activity of the Prana Vayu.
All the Nadi must be free from all types of impurities to let the Prana Vayu flows throughout the body easily and effortlessly; hence, one needs Nadi shodan activity.
Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits Exercises’ patterns
The breathing pattern is the main source of Nadi Shodhan. Air flows perfectly in the tube if the tube is crystal clear.
As water flows through the water pipe and nourishes the garden, the same air flows through the nerves (Ida and Pingala Nadi) and nourishes the body, the house of the soul.
So, to stay healthy clears Nadis and gets nourishment through breathing exercises.
Exercises clear and strengthen Nadis, Says “Shiv Sanhita”
Step by step Alternate Nostril Breathing or Nadi Shodhan pranayama through Anulom Vilom is given below:
- Sit in a comfortable Posture.
- Close your right nostril with your right thumb and breath (inhale) from the left nostril.
- Hold the breath till you feel comfortable without using any force and exhale from the right nostril.
- Now, close the left nostril with the last two fingers of the right hand and inhale from the right nostril.
- Hold the breath until you feel comfortable and exhale from the left nostril.
- One cycle is completed. Repeat step 1 again and complete 20 cycles.
- Do the exercise four times in a day; morning, noon, evening, and night with an empty stomach, for perfect and fast results.
The timings of inhaling, holding, and exhaling should be in the ratio of 1:4:2.
If the above regime is followed as indicated in the 7 steps, then the Nadi will become free from all impurities without delay and certainty.
Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits
Benefits of Anulom Vilom or Nadi Shadhan, or Alternate Nostril Breathing according to Darshan Upanishad and Yogatatva Upanishad:-
- Alternate Nostrils Breathing or Anulom Vilom exercise cur all the diseases and disorders related to the throat and lungs.
- On purification of the Nadi, the body gets a luster
- It cures breathing problems such as Asthma, Asthma symptoms, and Asthma allergy.
- The body becomes light and more alert
- The body gets shining via Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Alternate Nostril Breathing or Anulom Vilom increases digestive fire
- The body becomes slim, smart and reduces extra fat content via Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Alternate nostril breathing removes stress and anxiety
- It balances the temperature of the body.
- An alternate nostril breathing exercise removes the blockage in the channels.
Nostrils are the source of breathing. Each nostril when breaths independently affect body chemistry differently.
The left nostril is the moon, hence, cooling in character and secrets alkaline secretions, therefore, suitable for the tasks, need mental and creative works while the right nostril is the sun, hence, heating in character and secretes acidic secretions, therefore suitable for physical tasks.
When both the nostrils breathe alters body chemistry differently. Breathing is referred to as “Swara”. Breathing from the left nostril is called left Swara.
Breathing from the right nostril is called right Swara and breathing from both nostrils simultaneously is called Sushumna Swara.
Experts can change this breathing (Swara; left Swara, right Swara, and Sushumna Swara) in accordance with the tasks that need to do.
Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits and Breathing Exercises
The task associated with each Swara given by Shiv Samhita is as follows:
Anulom Vilom Left Nostril Breath(Left Swara) |
Anulom Vilom Right Nostril Breath(Right Swara) |
| Auspicious when moving out of the house | Auspicious when coming back to the house |
| Good for Auspicious deeds | This is for cruel and hard deeds |
| Auspicious for daytime | Auspicious for night time |
| Giving donations | Meeting with women |
| Journeying | Drinking wine |
| Marrying | Practicing difficult tantric mantras |
| Purchasing Jewelry and other ornaments dresses | Taking medicines |
| Taking divine herbs and medicines | Eating |
| Meeting one’s master | Pleasing the senses |
| Befriending someone | Activating the appetite |
| Doing business activities | Sleeping |
| While entering into a new house | – |
| Doing service | Playing |
| Doing auspicious deeds | – |
| Forming alliances and treaties | – |
| While leaving for a journey | Coming back from a journey |
| Doing study and research | Sleeping |
Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing
11 Amazing facts of Breathing Exercises (Swara), says Shiv Samhita:
1. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits to cure Asthma
Nerves cleaning through nadi shodhana pranayam not only heals spiritually but also cure physically. It strengthens lungs and cures asthma and bronchitis. Pure air through Ida and Pingla nerves nourishes the whole body organs.
2. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril breathing Benefits to Fulfill Wishes
Swara Science is the greatest Science among all the sciences, Puranas and scriptures. Its knowledge fulfills all the wishes of a person.
3. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits to Remove Enemies
Enemies can be overpowered using the science of Swara as given in the above table.
4. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits to Stay Wealthy
A person can get wealth and prosperity, favors of others and worldly pleasures knowing the Science of Swara.
5. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits to staying Physically Healthy
The person, who has no faith in the ultimate reality, can get physical healing by knowing the science of Swara, while a spiritual aspirant can realize self or God by getting perfection in the Science of Swara.
6. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits for Gains and Profits
Important activities related to gains and profits, queries, and answers at the time of inhalation, get accomplished.
The results are negative if the same activities and queries are done during exhalation.
7. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits to Stay Well Always
It is good and auspicious to prevent solar Swaras or right Swara during the day and left during the night.
8. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits to Get Everything
One can get consort, money, health, knowledge, and all that one can imagine through the power of Swaras.
9. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits for Favorable Results
Favorable Swaras bestows all the favorable results to the person practicing Nadi Shodhan.
10. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits to make All-time Auspicious
No time is inauspicious, if a person follows the laws of Swaras, Says Shiv Samhita.
11. Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing to Get Omniscience (Spiritual Knowledge)
A person, who sincerely and regularly practices Nadi Shodhan and efforts to control Ida and Pingla, receives the knowledge of omniscience.
Swara Yoga prevents the body from all diseases, but this is not a substitute of medicines. If you are habitual of doing Swara yoga practice, you will not easily fall ill.
Once a disease occurs Swara yoga supports the person to overcome that disease with the help of medicines and also speeds up the recovery process.
A lady age 50 was suffering from severe uterus infection. The doctor prescribed some tests and medicines at least for a year minimum.
She took the medicines and started Swara yoga, minimum of three times a day.
After two months of treatment, she became cured. Now she regularly practices Swara Yoga two times a day.
7 Interesting Observations on Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Exercise
- The meal should be taken during the Solar Swara.
- Bathing practice during Lunar Swara may cause the problem of cold and sneeze. Hence, bathing should be performed during the activation of Solar Swara.
- Cold drinks should be taken during the Solar Swara and hot drinks during the activation of Lunar Swara. Its reverse is harmful to health.
- Sleeping should be done during the right Swara or Solar Swara.
- During the period of coitus, if the male partner is breathing with solar Swara and female partner is breathing using lunar Swara, the child conceived is male, and in reverse condition child conceived will be female.
- During the time of coitus, if both the partners have the same Swara, there will be no pregnancy at all.
- A person suffering from a cough and cold should activate Solar Swara during the sleeping time to cure a cough and cold problems.
During coitus, Male breathing with solar Swara and female breathing with lunar Swara, gives a male child.
During coitus, male breathing with lunar Swara and female with solar Swara, gives a female child.
During coitus, both the partners having the same Swara, gives no pregnancy.
Good Efforts