Chandra Bhedana Pranayama Guide: How to Practice Yogic Left Nostril Breathing

Jul 1, 2021
8 min read

Updated: Apr 22

Feel more receptive, restful, and in tune with your intuition and emotions.

By PRANA EDITORS | Updated: April 24, 2025

With this article, we begin the third installment of our Pranayama Series, which covers the family of selective nostril breathing techniques in yoga. The term “selective nostril breathing” refers to pranayamas that involve breathing in or out through one nostril at a time, rather than both. You can learn more about this in our editorial: Selective Breathing: What is it & Why it Matters.

Here’s a quick refresher: yoga has three core practices that fall under this category:

Sanskrit Name	English Name	Method
Chandra Bhedana	Left Nostril Breathing	Inhale through the left nostril only
Surya Bhedana	Right Nostril Breathing	Inhale through the right nostril only
Nadi Shodhana	Alternate Nostril Breathing	Switch between the left and right nostrils.

Our focus here is Chandra Bhedana Pranayama, also known as Chandra Bhedi or Chandra Nadi Pranayama. We’ll break down what it means, why it's practiced, and how to do it step by step, and we'll also touch upon some variations and ideas to craft a safe and spiritually grounded practice.

What is Chandra Bhedana Pranayama in Yoga

Chandra Bhedana Pranayama is a calming yoga breathing technique that helps cool the body and quiet the mind. It involves inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right, using a specific yoga hand gesture called Vishnu Mudra to block the nostrils and manipulate airflow.

The name Chandra Bhedana comes from the Sanskrit words Chandra (moon) and Bhedana (pierce, pass through). So, it literally means “passing the breath through the Moon (Lunar Channel).” However, this is just a metaphorical way of saying that this technique channels prana through Ida Nadi - a subtle energy pathway associated with the lunar or feminine principle in yoga philosophy.

Classical Source: “Assuming Padmasana, breathe in through the Ida Nadi (left nostril), hold the breath as you can, and breathe out through the right nostril. While doing so, meditate on the disc of the moon or the ocean of milk in the heart.” - Yoga Chundamani Upanishad (Verses 95-97)

Ida Nadi–also called Chandra Nadi–is one of the three main energy channels that flow through our subtle body. It’s connected to the left nostril and governs inward-moving energy, which is the source of our receptivity, restfulness, emotional balance, and intuitive insight. To learn more, read our articles: What are Nadis (Subtle Energy Channels) and Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna Nadi: Three Main Nadis.

Interestingly, ancient yogic texts describe this technique but don’t name it. Terms like Chandra Bhedana, Chandra Nadi, and Chandra Bhedi Pranayama were introduced by modern yoga gurus in the 20th century and eventually translated into English as The Moon-Piercing Breath.

Chandra Bhedana: Why and When to Use it

Classical texts describe Chandra Bhedana as a method for purifying Ida Nadi. It’s also said to awaken Kundalini, balance emotional energy, and clear karmic imprints (samskaras). But beyond these spiritual effects, Chandra Bhedana also offers many practical benefits. It’s especially helpful when you want to:

Shift into a parasympathetic (rest-and-restore) state.
Cool the body in hot weather or after intense exercise.
Reduce acidity or pitta imbalance (excessive heat in the body).
Recover from burnout or overstimulation.
Ease anxiety, irritability, or emotional turbulence.
Tap into healing, restorative energy.
Prepare for meditation or support deeper sleep.

In essence, Chandra Bhedana helps us connect with our lunar or feminine energy, which is associated with qualities like introspection, empathy, compassion, healing, and intuition. It's a restorative practice to soften, self-reflect, and turn inward—away from the noise and distractions of daily life.

How to Do Chandra Bhedana (Step-by-Step Guide)

Instructional diagram showing beginner steps for Chandra Bhedana Pranayama: inhale through left nostril, exhale through right, seated in Sukhasana — © Prana Sutra

To practice Chandra Bhedana, follow these steps:

Posture: Sit in any comfortable meditation posture. Close your eyes and keep your body relaxed. Form Vishnu Mudra with your right hand by folding the index and middle fingers inward. Rest your left hand on your thigh. When you’re ready to begin, take a full exhale to empty the lungs.
Inhale (Left In): Press your thumb against your right nostril, closing it completely. Inhale exclusively through the left nostril, letting your breath fill your belly and chest.
Internal Retention (Optional): After inhaling, use your ring finger to close the left nostril, thereby sealing both nostrils. Hold your breath for a few counts without straining.
Exhale (Right Out): When you are ready to exhale, keep the left nostril closed and release the thumb to unblock the right nostril. Exhale slowly and smoothly through the right nostril.
External Retention (Optional): After exhaling, you can close both nostrils again and hold your breath for a few counts. This completes one round of Chandra Bhedana.
Repeat: Continue for 8 to 10 rounds, without breaks in between.
Conclude: After your final round, place both hands on your thighs and rest in Sukhasana (Easy Pose) for 3 to 5 minutes. Breathe naturally and let the effects of your practice settle in.

If you are new to pranayama, incorporating props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks can add a layer of support and comfort to your practice. For example, you can sit on a yoga bolster to elevate the hips above the knees, which reduces pressure on the lower back and helps maintain proper alignment.

Tips to Practice Chandra Bhedana Effectively

Here are a few helpful tips to get the most out of your Chandra Bhedana practice:

Time: You can practice at any time, but it’s especially beneficial after morning asana practice or right before bed to ease into restful sleep.
Location: Practice someplace quiet, cozy, and well-ventilated.
Posture: This pranayama must be practiced in a seated position. Sukhasana works for everyone, but experienced yogis should do it in Padmasana (Lotus Pose).
Duration: Begin with 10 to 15 rounds per session. Over time, you can build up to 10 to 15 minutes, but it’s best to increase the rounds and duration slowly.
Mudras: Use Vishnu or Nasagra Mudra with your right hand to work the nostrils. Your left hand can rest on the thigh, support the right elbow, or form Chin Mudra.
Gaze: Classical texts don’t specify a Drishti (point of focus) for Chandra Bhedana. You can simply close your eyes or keep them half-open with a softened gaze.
Awareness: Direct your attention to your breathing rhythm (breath observation).
Visualizations: Calming imagery can deepen the benefits of Chandra Bhedana. Here are some ideas: a glowing moon, soft green flame at the heart center, or gentle ripples across a pond.

Chandra Bhedana Variations

Advanced diagram of Chandra Bhedana Pranayama showing breath retention: inhale left, retain, exhale right, and retain. — © Prana Sutra

There are five levels of Chandra Bhedana practice, each one building on the previous:

Level 1: Inhale (left nostril) → Exhale (right nostril)
Level 2: Inhale → Hold → Exhale
Level 3: Inhale → Hold → Exhale → Hold
Level 4: Level 3 + Anuloma (Prolonged Exhalation)
Level 5: Level 3 + Bandhas (Yogic Internal Locks)

Let’s discuss how you can adapt these and deepen your practice over time:

1. Chandra Bhedana + Breath Retention

Once you’re comfortable with basic left-to-right nostril breathing, try adding internal retention – holding your breath briefly after inhalation. Start with just 2 to 3 counts and gradually work up to 8 counts, always staying within your comfort zone. Later, you can explore external retention – holding your breath after exhalation. Adding breath retention can deepen your practice, but it should be done only if you’ve mastered Kumbhaka Pranayama (to develop breath retention capacity).

2. Chandra Bhedana + Anuloma Pranayama

Anuloma Pranayama is all about introducing controlled resistance to slow down exhalation. You create this resistance by lightly pressing the thumb or ring finger over the nostrils to partially close them. Doing so reduces the space through which air can flow in or out of the nose.

If you are new to Chandra Bhedana, just exhale through a fully open right nostril. As you grow more confident, you can deepen your practice by lightly pressing the thumb over the right nostril to partially block it during exhalation (Step 4 of the "How-to" section). This subtly lengthens your exhalation and intensifies the calming and relaxing effects of Chandra Bhedana.

3. Chandra Bhedana + Bandhas

Once you’re proficient with the Chandra Bhedana steps, you can start adding yoga bandhas to your practice, but only if you are capable of holding your breath for 10 or more seconds.

One option is engaging Jalandhara Bandha (Throat Lock) as you hold your breath after inhaling, and releasing it before you exhale. Another option is to engage Mula Bandha (Root Lock), which is more flexible in how and where you can place it into your practice sequence.

Editor’s Note: Advanced variations are only for experienced yogis with excellent lung capacity and a thorough understanding of yogic internal locks (bandhas). Prana Sutra strongly advises learning these techniques under the guidance of a qualified yoga instructor.

Other Cooling Pranayamas To Explore

If you looking for alternatives, there are two other “cooling” pranayamas in yoga:

Both are beginner-friendly and offer similar benefits to Chandra Bhedana. You can also explore Bhramari (Humming Bee Breath). It's not a cooling practice but has a deeply relaxing effect.

You’ll find detailed guides for each of these classic pranayama techniques on our website. Just remember: It's not best to combine them all in a single session. Doing so can leave you feeling sluggish or may lower your blood pressure. Instead, choose the one that suits your needs and practice it consistently.

Benefits of Chandra Bhedana Pranayama

Here are some of the proven benefits of practicing Chandra Bhedana:

Enhances lung capacity: Slower, more controlled breathing of Chandra Bhedana naturally increases lung health over time, as well as the practitioner’s ability to hold their breath.
Creates parasympathetic dominance: Research on left nostril breathing shows that it shifts the autonomic nervous system into a state of rest and recovery by reducing sympathetic activity. This makes Chandra Bhedana highly effective for down-regulating the nervous system.
Lowers heart rate and blood pressure: Studies have also observed that a few minutes of Chandra Bhedana (left nostril dominance) reduces heart rate and blood pressure.
Supports spatial memory: A 10-day study noted that people who practiced right, left, and alternate nostril breathing showed higher spatial memory scores than those who did not, indicating a possible link between single-nostril breathing techniques and spatial memory.
Improves prana-flow: According to classic texts, two months of consistent Chandra Bhedana practice clears blockages in Ida Nadi, which governs the mind, emotions, and all psycho-physiological processes that rely on the feminine energy principle.
Reduces stress and anxiety: One study observed that just 15 minutes of Chandra Bhedana helped calm students experiencing high stress levels.
Therapeutic applications: In Ayurveda, left nostril breathing is sometimes prescribed for reducing excessive internal heat, relieving heartburn, and managing fevers.
Kundalini awakening: In some yoga lineages, Chandra Bhedana is one of many practices used to awaken the dormant Kundalini (spiritual) energy.

Editor's Note: We’ll continue to update this section with new findings from research, yoga texts, and anecdotal insights from our community of teachers, students, and scholars. If you would like to contribute, feel free to share some insights from your own practice in the comment section.

Safety and Precautions

Chandra Bhedana Pranayama is contraindicated in the following conditions:

Respiratory and lung conditions (e.g., asthma, bronchitis, COPD)
Acute flu, cough, sore throat, sinusitis, or nasal/chest congestion
Sluggish digestion or chronic constipation
Kapha imbalance (as described in Ayurveda)
Low blood pressure or heart-related issues
Any condition aggravated by breath retention (e.g., panic disorders, vertigo)

You can practice Chandra Bhedana in certain health conditions, but only after modifying the practice. For this, it’s best to consult a certified yoga therapist for personalized guidance.

Final Thoughts + What to Read Next

We’ll continue this series with Surya Bhedana– the yogic art of right-nostril breathing to create sympathetic arousal and energize the body. Please note that due to their opposite effects on the nervous system, Surya and Chandra Bhedana should not be practiced on the same day.

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