The Pingala Nadi
In my last piece I gave an overview of the nadis. Today we will begin to look specifically at Pingala nadi, one of the four major nadis in our energetic body. Next week, we will turn to its twin, Ida.
First understand that yogis can only begin to contemplate Samadhi when Pingala and Ida are in balance. Pingala and Ida, which run down the right and left sides of the body respectively, feed the central Shushumna nadi, which then transfers energy to Brahma nadi where Samadhi occurs. If Pingala and Ida are obstructed or imbalanced, prana cannot flow smoothly, our nervous systems go out of whack, and Samadhi cannot be achieved.
Let’s focus on Pingala. This Nadi relates to the energy of the Sun, which is masculine, vitalizing, and heating. When Pingala is dominant, we are more logical, structured, quantitative, and analytical in our thinking and being. Have you ever felt a sudden desire to immerse yourself in Sudoku or a crossword puzzle? The use of our left-brain and energy for those activities are examples of Pingala at work.? ?Pingala also governs our sympathetic nervous system, which deals with “fight or flight.” Here is an example of how it works. When I was in Kenya about 10 years ago on a safari, I was walking up the front side of a hill when suddenly a lioness and her cubs emerged from the back of the same hill. My reaction - the feeling of wanting to run like hell. My sympathetic system acted up or Pingala was at play. Similarly, when we do sports, it’s Pingala that provides us with the stimulation to hurdle over a high jump bar, do the butterfly stroke, fly into the sky off a ski jump, or surf a giant wave.? ?In order to fully comprehend Pingala we must recognize its counterpart, Ida. Ida is Pingala’s opposite in the same way that yin is the opposite of yang. Ida is associated with the energy of the moon and all of its qualities, which we will examine more closely next week. For now, it is important to understand that the absorption of prana in the system of a healthy and balanced human being shifts between Ida and Pingala every hour and twenty-eight minutes.
Does that sound a little random? It did to me until Alan Finger explained that on a scientific level, one side of the brain is dominant at a time and causes one nostril to also become dominant. The brain sends a signal to the mucus membranes of the less dominant nostril causing it to swell so air cannot enter easily. Meanwhile the other nostril opens allowing for free flow of air. Therefore, in a totally balanced individual, for eighty eight minutes, on the inhale, air enters through right nostril only and then switches and enters through the left for the next eighty eight minutes and so on and so forth. During the transition between the dominance of Pingala and Ida, there is a small period of time during which there is a neutral few moments, which in any individual creates a daydream like state. This is the state that we ultimately seek to develop for meditation and Samadhi.
What happens when an individual suffers an imbalance whereby Pingala becomes dominant too often? For those of us who live in bustling urban environments for instance, life is so speedy that we easily become over stimulated and our sympathetic nervous systems get over charged. The result? We can’t let go, relax, or find peace and contentment. When Pingala is in over-drive, we can have difficulty sleeping, concentrating, and we can become anxious, irritable, and impulsive. It is at this point that many people turn to yoga.? ?In yoga we rebalance Pingala through various breathing techniques depending on the degree of imbalance. Nadi Shodhana, alternate nostril breathing, is effective for more minor imbalances and for purposes of healing and inspiration. Chandra Bedhana is useful for more major imbalances such as when one becomes too mechanical and stuck in their left-brain. If this imbalance becomes a permanent condition, mania may result.
Practice:
Nadi Shodhana
Sit in a simple cross-legged position. Hold your right hand up and curl your index and middle finger towards your palm. Place your thumb next to your left nostril and your ring finger and pinky by your right. Close the left nostril by pressing with your thumb and inhale through your right. Hold and block both nostrils and then exhale through the left nostril. Raise your ring finger and inhale through the left, hold block both nostrils, exhale through the right.
*In Tantra for Nadi Shodhana Alan recommends for beginners 6 rounds maximum up to twice a day. For more advanced practitioners, fewer times depending on the level of practitioner. One the brain is in neutral one does not need to keep doing this technique. Rather the individual would move on to Pratyahara and the following limbs of yoga towards Samadhi.
Chandra Bedhana
Inhale through the right nostril, hold block both nostrils, exhale through the left. Inhale through the right nostril again, exhale through the left. Repeat this several times.
