Pranayam are an important method of holistic healing. Today, various pranayamas are used to attain healthy mental and physical health. Moreover, a good emotional well-being can also be attained through pranayama. Pranayama are also known a breathwork in English. Chandra Bhedana Pranayama means controlling the breath in a certain holistic way that can help heal a human. Practising pranayam daily and adding it to your routine can help you widely, especially in healing stress, anxiety, depression, and more.
One of such pranayamas is Chanra Bhedana Pranayama. This pranayama has holistic powers to calm and boost our health as well as our inner self. It helps in rejuvenating and refreshing the soul and body. It also offers multiple health benefits to the practitioners. So, in this blog, we will uncover every fact of Chandra Bhedana Pranayama and will let you know its benefits and steps!
What does Chandra Bhedana mean?
Chandra stands for the ‘Moon’, and Bhedana means ‘Piercing’. This pranayama is practised worldwide for the cooling effects it gives to the users. This pranayam method is mentioned in the classical texts of Hatha Yoga. In this method, the breathing i done by alternating nostrils, like inhaling from one, and exhaling from the other. This pranayama is called chandra bhedanan because of the moon-like cooling vibe and the piercing breath it creates.
This pranayam is beneficial in several ways. Therefore, we will learn its benefits too. This pranayama helps in learning the blockages in the Ida Nadi. This is the Nadi that flows from the Mooldhara Chakra and ends in the left nostril. Blockages in this nadi can give birth to various acute to life-threatening diseases. Therefore, practising Chandra Bhedana daily keeps the nadi clean and protected, ensuring a natural immunity to the human body!
Chandra Bhedana Pranayama Benefits
Chandra Bhedana Pranayama offers the following benefits:
- It opens the Ida Nadi, ensuring the activation of the feminine side of the body.
- Practising this pranayama daily helps in improving the creative side of your brain.
- It balances different Nadis, which is very important in Hath Yoga for the healthy working of the human brain and body.
- This pranayama helps in relieving the ailments arising out of excessive heat in the body; it cleans the excess heat and balances the body, soul, and mind.
- It helps in improving symptoms like Heartburn.
- This rejuvenates the brain and energises it naturally.
- For those having high blood pressure or hypertension, this pranyam is the best!
- It helps in reducing body temperature during fever.
- It helps in balancing the bile flow from the gallbladder.
- It fights anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia, and other mental health-related disorders.
- With the daily practice of Chandra bhandna, you attain a powerful and steady mind.
Read More: An Introduction to What is Bahya Pranayama: What is it and How Does it Work?
Chandra Bhedana Pranayama Steps
To start with this:
- Cross your legs while sitting straight on your favourite mat.
- Make Vishnu Mudra from your right hand, where your index and middle finger are bending toward the palm and your thumb is pressing and closing the right nostril.
- Now inhale deeply from your left nostril.
- Let the inhale air fill your lungs, fill the cold soothing air inside you.
- Now engage the two great locks of the pranayamas: Chin Lock, also known a Jalandhara Bandha, the root lock, also called Mool Bandha in this practice.
- Hold your breath until you are comfortable.
- Release the chin and the root lock and exhale from your right-side nostril, keeping your left nostril closed.
- Now perform this pranayam for at least five to ten rounds or for one to three minutes. The maximum round if you are advanced and pro practitioners is 80 rounds!
Read More: Introduction of Bhramari Pranayama and its importance and benefits
Chandra Bhedana Pranayama Breath Awareness
Chandra Bhedana pranayama can be practised both by beginners and by advanced pranayama practitioners. In Chandra Bhedana pranayama, being aware of your breath is very important. This pranayama is famous among the alternative breathing methods. Here, as mentioned above, you inhale from one nose and exhale from the other. The air that flows inside you is very positive and cold in nature because it also involves various bandhas. But there are some tips and cautions that one should always keep in mind. Chandra Bhedana pranayama is a holistic pranayama and has certain limitations.
For a beginner, it is said that one can practice without by eliminating the part of retaining the breath in this. Just because in the beginning it is very difficult to hold your breath inside. Therefore, one should never overdo or force it because forcing holding the breath can lead to suffocation and various respiratory problems. You should always go slow and steady, and start retaining your breath and increasing the time. As you move forward into your practice and you feel comfortable.
Beginners can use a ratio of inhalation, holding and exhalation of breath in Chandra Bhedana pranayama 1:4:2. You must take your time to reach this ratio and above. Just never overdo this pranayama. If somebody is suffering from various respiratory problems like COPD, asthma, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, cold and cough or any other breathing issues. Then this pranayama should not be performed. One should always practice this pranayama on an empty stomach.
While performing this pranayama, breathe consciously. Feel the breath going inside, healing you from within and exhaling all the toxins and negativity from inside. This will help you in attaining great mental health balance and fighting all the daily stress. Always begin the practice of pranayama under the guidance of an expert practitioner and healer. Always find yourself a good guru and then practice under their guidance.
Read More: Biofeedback for Breathwork and Pranayama
How to do Chandra Bhedana Pranayama
Now, you know how to perform a Chandra Bhedana Pranayama. When concluding it, one should always be consistent and slow while mastering this wonderful Pranayama. Be patient and practice it daily to achieve an advanced level of this Pranayama. You can start with 1 or 3 minutes, which is 5 to 10 rounds and extend to 80 rounds on becoming an advanced-level Pranayama practitioner.
Chandra Bhedana Pranayama should always be done consciously, including breathing from alternate nostrils, folded side as per your comfort and breathing out all the negativity. The breath work should be focused and conscious. This was the right way to perform Chandra Bhedana Pranayama. Always make sure you do it right rather than rushing it. Be slow, be consistent and be determined.
