Monday, July 11, 2011

Breath influences our Body Mind complex

How many of us are truly aware of breath in everyday basis?


The answer would be none of us.As most of us think breathing is just happening involuntarily.
But how many are aware that we are controlling our breath, through the way we think?
Our thoughts have great impact on our breathing pattern which in turn controls the other organs.


Our emotions and thinking pattern have greater impact on our body mind complex.
The person who is constantly under stress at work or at home would surely end up having problems like diabetes or high BP or thyroid problems etc.Stress here means mental stress,which affects the way we breath.


Many of us would have been aware of how the left and right  nostril breathing controls and influences our body mind and vice versa.


You can change the nostril dominance and control your thoughts, emotions,thinking pattern and reduce the stress and even better control on acidity and pressure(low and high) etc.


This study of breathing pattern is called Svara Yog.

  •  Ida  Nadi represents left nostril that is when one breath  more with left, represents Chitaa(mind).When left is more dominant then there is more of mental energy than pranic energy.
  • Pingala Nadi  represents right nostril,controls Prana or the life force. Prana controls all sensory nerves, Prana controls all the  organs of actions in our body.When right nostril is more dominant there is more of pranic energy than mental energy.
  • When both the nosril are equal then Sushumna nadi is active.
  •  Ida and Pingala and Sushumna flow at specific times in synchronization with the solar and lunar rhythms.
  • There are many internal and external factors responsible for the svara changes.
  • Sun, Moon, Weather, food, types of work, hormones,stress, play an important role in the flow of the Nadis.
  •  Eating banana induces IDA and drinking hot water induces PINGALA ,etc.
  • But in general for a healthy person it is considered to be auspicious if IDA(left active)  is at sunrise and PINGALA(right active) at sunset in general.
  • Success comes,if Surya  nadi is active at sunrise on Sun,Tue and Sat of dark fortnight and Chandra nadi is active at sunrise on Mon, Wed, and Thu of the bright half of Lunar month.
  • These are the natural and normal flow in a healthy man else indicates internal disorder. 
  • These order may change according to their  physical and mental conditions for eg- if one is physically active when Chandra nadi is dominant then one can’t perform well as he is having less of Pranic energy .  
  • It would be ideal if Left nostril is more active when getting out of bed, calm and silent work, meeting friends, religious practices, marriage, wearing new clothes taking new appointments , studies ,new work etc.
  • Eg: one of student  was suffering from heaviness in her head and continuous  sneezing in the early mornings ,  later on found that she was Ida dominant and had deviated septum .Certain pranayamas helped her to over come her problem in period of 1 year.

  • Active right nostril is good for eating, good digestion, bathing, physical activity, sleeping  towards left side to avoid dream and restless sleep and all acts which are transitory or temporary in nature is pingala or surya nadi.
  • Eg-due to continous  mental stress one of my student had severe acidity  who  was pingala dominant later on with the pranayamas  he could balance the energy levels.

    • But weather tends to influence the  flow of the Nadis could balance the energy levels.
When both Nadis are free and clear then sushumna nadi opens up which can helps us for meditation  and , concentration, spiritual growth and negativity may occur if it continues for a long time. It is better to do work which require minimum attention and exertion.

Change the Svara to solve your problems



  • If either Nadi predominates for a long time it is a sign that one of the branches of the ANS is being overstressed and only one of the brain hemispheres is being fully utilised.
  • If IDA flows for a long time then it indicates imbalance in mind and if Pingala flows then,it indicates imbalance in the Pranic body. 
  • One can train the mind to control the flow just like controlling the bodily muscles, by a mere thought of the mind.
  •  If you are lying on the left side the flow will be through right nostril and vice versa.
  •  One can also try breathing from the nostril which you want to open up for a while it also works.
  •  During olden times Rishis used YOG DANDA or you can keep your own arm in the  shape of yog danda which was kept under the arm pit to change the Svara .
  • Sickness depends on the NADI which is flowing excessively.
  • DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH OVER ACTIVE PINGALA NADI-high Bp, acidity, ulcer, pyloria, hyperthyroidism  and other stress related disorders.
  • DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH OVER ACTIVE IDA NADI -indigestion, gas, diarrhoea, cholera, flatulence, respiratory, hypothyroidism, rheumatism, diabetes etc.
  • Before the onset of a disease the flow of SWARA becomes disturbed and this noted beforehand then the imbalance can be rectified and sickness averted.
  • For eg:- before the onset of severe viral infection  or throat pain, cold they usually are left dominant , if they change in to right  nostril breathing it may help them.
  • Svara YOG specifies the use of NADI SHODHNA pranayama for gaining awareness and control over the svara and better control over your thoughts ,emotions and solving body mind complexities . 

  • Science and Svara
  • Scientific investigations shows that many AUTONOMIC AND VOLUNTARY functions are related to the breath and  these nerve components , which are situated at the base of the nose. 
  • Nerves in nasal mucosa are connected with the Visceral, Excretory, Reproductive organs .Improper breathing or irregularity of breath in nostrils can create disturbance in these organs  and vice versa.
  • Science also concludes that  the kind of breathing affects  many organs  as is stimulated by the nerves in nostrils.
  • Obstruction of nasal passage can slow down the heart rate and blood circulation, prevents proper tissue oxidation. Since autonomic nerve fibers in nasal cavities are 20 times  greater than in other parts of CNS and nose is the peripheral organ ANS AND what we breathe and how we do it affects our emotions and vice-versa.

  • Hari Om Tat Sat

4 comments: