How to Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing to Find Calm and Boost Focus from Anywhere

Compared to a physical challenge like mastering a yoga inversion, it might seem strange or silly to practice something you already do automatically: Breathing. But there’s a reason yogic breathing (pranayama) has been used to promote wellbeing for thousands of years in Eastern cultures: It works. Just look at professional athletes: To this day, many incorporate simple breathing techniques into their training to help improve their focus and concentration, manage performance anxiety, and possibly even level up their workout performance.

While there are many yoga breathing methods, alternate nostril breathing (ANB) is one that experts say is worth adding to your routine—even if you don’t practice yoga. Plus, it’s great for beginners, as it provides mental and physical health benefits in just a few minutes, according to Peloton yoga and meditation instructor Nico Sarani. 

Ahead, we’re sharing step-by-step instructions on how to practice alternate nostril breathing—plus a few science-backed reasons why it’s worth learning. 

What Is Alternate Nostril Breathing?

“Alternate nostril breathing is a yogic purification and pranayama (breathing) technique that helps us let go of stress, and calms down the mind,” Nico says. It’s known as Nadi Shodhana in Sanskrit, or channel-cleaning breath. “It is said to purify the energy channels in the body (nadis) so that energy can move without obstruction.” 

As the name suggests, the breathing technique involves using one nostril for exhalation and inhalation, then switching to the other nostril, says Kate Cummins, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and 500-hour yoga therapist. Even five minutes of alternate nostril breathing daily can help relax the body and mind and regulate our emotions, she says. 

How to Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing

Before officially getting started with alternate nostril breathing, Nico shares a few recommended form tips to keep in mind:

Set Up: 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Ready to go? Here’s how to practice alternate nostril breathing:

This is one full round. Continue for three to five full rounds, or two to three minutes, Nico recommends. (Once you’re feeling more comfortable, you can build up your time to a 5-minute or even 10-minute class.) “When done, take a few equal breaths through both nostrils, bathing in a rested sensation,” Nico says.

Be gentle with yourself while you get the hang of the technique. “If your mind wanders and you lose track, don’t worry! Just start again on the right side,” Nico says. “There won’t be a pranayama police coming to get you.”

And while alternate nostril breathing (ANB) is simple, it can help to take an instructor-led alternate nostril breathing class on the Peloton App to guide you through it your first few times—or whenever you want to take a guided approach.

Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits 

Even if you aren’t convinced alternate nostril breathing can remove energy blockages, a 2017 review of studies published in the International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences found that the breathing technique can benefit your heart, lungs, and brain in tangible ways. ​​

1. It Can Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Being told to “just take a deep breath” in a stressful situation might be slightly annoying—but it works. 

Holding your breath when you’re stressed deprives the vagus nerve, the main nerves of your parasympathetic nervous system, which manages involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and breathing, according to the Cleveland Clinic. (It’s one big part of your autonomic nervous system, balancing out your sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” response.)

On the other hand, alternate nostril breathing has been shown to increase vagus nerve activity and activate the parasympathetic nervous system—reducing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and signaling to the body that it’s OK to relax. “I love the palpable and quick effect alternate nostril breathing has on the autonomic nervous system—I find it to be one of the fastest ways to release physical or mental stress,” Nico says. 

Breathing exercises like ANB can also be particularly helpful when situations arise where you feel out of control—say, during standstill traffic or plane turbulence—because they help you to return to your controllable internal experience, Cummins says. Breathwork gives your busy mind something physical to focus on (you really have to pay attention when you’re doing alternate nostril breathing!), which can slow down rumination or anxious brain chatter. 

2. It Can Improve Your Respiratory Health

You might be surprised to learn that it’s beneficial to practice something as innate as breathing, but it really can help. Alternate nostril breathing has the power to help you breathe better—and could increase oxygen flow, Cummins says. In fact, studies suggest that alternate nostril breathing can help improve cardiorespiratory function, optimizing the way your lungs and heart team up to deliver oxygen to your body.

In another small study of competitive swimmers, yogic breathing practices (including alternate nostril breathing) were shown to help enhance their respiratory endurance in the water.  

3. It Helps Improve Focus, Energy, and Memory 

Cummins says that nostril breathing can increase attention, focus, and memory—meaning it might be a great substitute for that second cup of coffee, for example.

“If you’re in a situation where you need to concentrate, learn a new task, focus on a task with intention, or be more mindful in general, nostril breathing is best for optimal performance,” Cummins says. That’s because nasal breathing can help provide the body with more oxygen and engages your diaphragm to take deeper breaths, she says. 

In fact, one small study on 15 healthy men found that alternate nostril breathing decreases blood pressure while increasing alertness—making it great for situations when you want to feel relaxed but clear-headed, such as before a presentation or a date. 

When to Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing

Nico often turns to alternate nostril breathing after a yoga flow or to before a meditation class. However, it doesn’t have to be done on a yoga mat—after all, you can take your breath anywhere.

Breathing techniques like ANB can be used as part of your daily morning, afternoon, or evening routine, or right before you need to perform socially or professionally, whether at your job or sport, Cummins says. She adds that many athletes will use alternate nostril breathing in their warm-up, for example. No matter when you do it, Cummins says, the “me-time” and routine itself can create a sense of inner empowerment that makes you feel strong—which is necessary for us to perform at our best. 

You can also adjust your technique depending on the time of day or the effect you hope to get out of alternate nostril breathing. For example, if you’re trying ANB first thing in the morning or looking for a more energizing effect, start by inhaling through your left nostril first, Nico says. On the other hand, start on the right side in the evening or for a more calming effect. (It can help to remember the saying “right at night” she says.) 

Is Alternate Nostril Breathing Right for Everyone?

While alternate nostril breathing is generally known to make you feel calm, for some, the practice can have the opposite effect, provoking a sense of panic. 

“Some people have a hard time with breathing techniques if their physical symptoms of anxiety are exacerbated by loss of ability to control their breath,” Cummins explains. And if you’ve experienced trauma where you had a lack of physical control, breathing exercises can potentially increase your fear response, she says. 

If alternate nostril breathing makes you more anxious or you don’t feel like it’s beneficial for you, skip it and try another mindfulness technique, Cummins says. She suggests  visualization or going for a mindfulness walk during which you pay attention to external details—for example, the color or the number of leaves and branches on trees—as you walk, rather than concentrating on your breath.

And if you’re congested, you’ll probably find ANB pretty challenging. If you’re stuffy, it’s best to wait until your sinuses are clear and you can breathe normally and deeply out of both nostrils. 

The Takeaway

Alternate nostril breathing (ANB) is a breathing technique you can add to your daily wellness routine, or incorporate in a pinch when you need stress relief. It involves using your fingers to exhale and inhale through one nostril, then switch. While it’s been practiced for thousands of years, experts and recent research also say that alternate nostril breathing can reduce heart rate, lower stress, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, and improve concentration and focus. 

“Personally, I feel like it really calms down my nervous system so well, reconnects me to my body and my breath, and also focuses my mind and makes me more present,” Nico says. 

There’s little downside (so long as you’re not congested or the practice doesn’t make you feel panicky), so it’s worth trying a few minutes a day to see if it’s beneficial for you.