When you wake up in the morning, sit cross legged on your bed if you can with your back erect. If you find it difficult to sit cross legged, you can put your feet on the ground and sit on the bed with your back straight. Feel comfortable. Now identify your predominant nostril using the method I have already taught you.
Cup your right elbow with your left palm, close your predominant nostril with the tip of your right ring finger and hold your right index finger and thumb with their tips touching each other so that they form a circle.
Close your eyes, keep your mouth closed and exhale twice, briskly and forcefully with a sharp hissing sound through your subordinate nostril as you vigorously push in your abdomen twice like a blacksmith’s bellows. Immediately follow it with two brisk and forceful inhalations with a sharp sniffing sound as you vigorously push out your abdomen twice.
Repeat this cycle briskly and energetically 48 times and end with an exhalation. As you do this exercise, your breath will sound like a steam engine that has picked up speed. As soon as you finish 48 cycles, you will experience a natural retention of breath as your mind becomes still. Relax and allow yourself to enjoy this state without trying to elongate the retention forcefully or attempting to end it prematurely by inhaling too quickly. As you have learnt a few days ago, this state of natural retention is extremely important for your physical and mental rejuvenation and spiritual evolution in meditation. This morning practice will equalise both your nostrils.
If you find that both your nostrils are already equalised as soon as you wake up in the morning, bring your left palm, right elbow and fingers of the right hand to the breathing position that I have defined in step 3. However, without closing any nostril, place the tip of the right ring finger lightly against the tip of your nose and practice this technique with both nostrils for 48 cycles to maintain the equalisation. If you find 48 cycles strenuous to begin with, do 16 or 32 cycles and then gradually escalate it to 48.
If you are a spiritual seeker you must escalate it to 48 cycles as soon as you can and practice this every day. This entire breathing practice of 48 cycles takes only two minutes, but its impact on your body, mind and intellect are invaluable as you will experience for yourself.
Practice this once in the morning as soon as you wake up and again in the evening when you return from work. During the day if you find that your nostrils are not equalised, you can practice it once or twice if your profession and daily routine permit you to do so.
This article is taken from the book “Between You and Me Meditation — Made Simple” authored by His Holiness Shri Shri Nimishananda Guruji
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