Pingala Nadi and Surya Bhedana

The Surya Bhedan Kumbhaka is a breathing technique from Pranayama. Where Surya means the sun or Pingala. and the meaning of the word “Bhedana” is piercing entering or breaking through something.

The Sanskrit word that refers to breathing techniques is Pranayama. Prana means “life force energy”, a little like the word Qi in Chinese Medicine, and Yama means ‘control’ or ‘restraint’. In this sense, the word pranayama is all about controlling how we breathe. Another way of translating the word is to read it as Prana, and A-Yama, whereby the letter ‘a’ placed before a word in Sanskrit means ‘not’. When translated in this way, Pranayama is no longer about controlling and restraining the breath, but about expanding and liberating it.

I thought this study was fascinating. It was a study of a group of basketball players who when they used Surya Bhedana breath improved their shooting accuracy.

Study of basketball players

How to Practice Surya Bhedana

• Sit comfortably

• Keep your head and spine straight with your eyes closed.

• Shut your left nostril with your ring finger and little finger.

• Now breathe in (inhale) slowly and deeply through your right nostril.

• After that, shut your right hand with the thumb of your right hand.

• Then exhale through your left nostril, along with keeping your right nostril closed.

• This is one cycle is completed.

• Repeat this process around 5–10 times.

Some Benefits

• Activates the sympathetic nervous system, and increases extroversion and dynamism.

• Makes the mind more alert and perceptive.

• Stimulates and awakes the pranic energy

• Creates heat in the body, so very good in the winter season

• Helps to perform physical activities.

• Helps to alleviate depression, anxiety, and phobias.

• Highly recommended for those who are lethargic

Thank you