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About this tool
Step-by-step nadi shodhana pacing: which nostril, which finger and how long, with ratio presets and round counting.
Alternate nostril breathing, or nadi shodhana, is a pranayama practice in which one round consists of two breaths — in through the left nostril and out through the right, then in through the right and out through the left — with the fingers of the right hand opening and closing each side. This guide paces every step, tells you which nostril and which finger, and holds whichever ratio you pick, from the beginner 1:1 equal breath through to the classical 1:4:2 inhale-hold-exhale described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. It counts rounds and shows the resulting breathing rate so you can see when the practice has slowed you below ten breaths a minute.
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Always ends on a left exhale, so each round is a genuine two-breath cycle rather than a single alternating breath.
Four presets from equal breathing with no retention up to the classical 1:4:2, each labelled by level.
Any ratio with a hold shows the exact hold length and who should avoid breath retention.
Sit upright, fold the index and middle fingers of the right hand into the palm, then close the right nostril with the thumb and inhale through the left. Close the left with the ring finger, release the thumb and exhale right; inhale right, then swap again and exhale left. That complete sequence — two breaths, ending on a left exhale — is one round.
Five to ten rounds, which is roughly two to five minutes at a four-second count, is a common starting practice. Traditional teaching increases the count and the ratio gradually rather than the number of rounds, and stops immediately if the breath becomes strained or you feel light-headed.
It sets the inhale, breath retention and exhale as 1, 4 and 2 multiples of a base count — so at a four-second count that is a 4-second inhale, a 16-second hold and an 8-second exhale. It is the classical ratio from hatha yoga texts, is demanding, and is traditionally learned under a teacher rather than from written instructions.
The version without breath retention is gentle slow breathing and is widely considered low risk, but any ratio with a hold raises intrathoracic pressure and is generally avoided in uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart conditions, glaucoma and pregnancy. This page is informational — check with your doctor before adding retention.