Pranayama for Pitta – Chandra Bhedi

Chandra Bhedi (Lunar Breathing) is a left nostril breathing and it’s a great Pranayama to practice during the hot summer months and if you are Pitta or experience Pitta imbalances as it helps quieten the brain and reduce the heat of the body.

How to practice Chandra Bhedi:

The right nostril is energetically associated with our body’s heating energy, which is symbolized by the sun and the left nostril is energetically associated with our body’s cooling energy, which is symbolized by the moon.

1) Sitting in a comfortable seated posture, rest the backs of your hands onto your knees if you are sitting on the floor, or on your thighs if you are sitting on a chair. (If you are sitting on a chair, make sure your feet are both grounded to the earth) Roll your shoulders back and lift through the spine.

2) Fold your index and middle finger with your right hand. You’ll be using your ring finger and thumb to close your nostril and counting rounds with your left hand by touching your thumb and index finger as your first round, and then touching your thumb and middle finger as your second round etc.

3) Begin by inhaling through both nostrils, and then close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through your right nostril.

4) Then close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through your left nostril. Close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through your right nostril. This is one round. Start with 6 rounds and aim towards 12 rounds.

5) When you have finished 12 rounds, exhale through your right nostril and release your ring finger and inhale through both nostrils.

6) Take a couple of breaths through both nostrils and sit for a minute or so to re-ground yourself.

Let me know how you felt after practicing this Pranayama or if you have any questions email me direct at info@risakawamoto.com