Stop Putting Your Happiness in the Hands of Someone else!
The Inside Job of Alternate Breath Breathing
Everybody knows that happiness is an inside job. Yet, so often we put our happiness onto the expectations of outside pleasures and experiences. Thus, putting our happiness in the hands of others. When you utilize alternate nostril breathing into your daily routine you take back control of your emotions. Read on to find out how.
You either fall into one of two categories.
- Your circumstances determine your happiness
- Your happiness is reflected in your circumstances
Think about it.
We all know someone who’s been through a bad divorce. And we’ve seen different reactions to it. I’ll go through two examples.
- Your partner left you for the babysitter and you are so pissed off about the betrayal that you decide to never trust a romantic partner or babysitter again. They did this to you and you are the victim. 20 years from now you are alone and bitter, and when people ask, “What’s wrong with you?” You say this thing happened to me 20 years ago and it changed your entire life process.
- Your partner left you for the babysitter and you are so pissed off about the betrayal that you decide it’s time to invest in some self-love and try and figure out how you played a role in this scenario. This thing happened and now I am being forced to grow. 20 years from now you are living your best life and when people ask, “How have you remained so happy, Didn’t your partner leave you for the babysitter?” You say it was the best thing that ever happened to me!
You know both those people, don’t you? One of them might even be you.
I’m watching a show on Netflix right now called Cobra Kai, and yes you should watch it. In it, one of the main characters has clearly let a moment of defeat control the next 40 years of his life. It’s super depressing. The whole time you are really rooting for him to overcome this one moment.
Okay sure, maybe it was a stream of moments, but it leads to one fatal moment that he has decided would control how he sees himself and his circumstances.
These examples are something we can all relate to. We’ve all been in a low place. Knocked down by people we trust or knocked down by society. It’s easy to fall into the blame game.
But wouldn’t you agree that when you dusted yourself off and opened yourself up again to new opportunities that your failure began to look like a blessing?
Sometimes it takes a little work to get there. Part of the reason happy people are happy is that they choose to be. They decide in their dark moments to get off the self-pity rollercoaster and make some positive change.
And so can you!
Right now. Sitting right where you are, you can begin to balance your brain. Letting more endorphins flow through your body. You can focus on something within and take the first steps towards happiness. And all you need is your breath.
Alternate Nostril Breathing.
Three to five minutes of alternate nostril breathing a day can drastically improve your mood. In Sanskrit it is known as Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, which translates to “subtle energy clearing breathing technique.”
This natural mood enhancer can be done anytime and almost anywhere. Be smart, don’t do it while driving, or when sick.
It can be used as part of your meditation practice or as its own practice.
Benefits include
- quieting the mind
- reducing anxiety
- promoting overall well-being
- more focus
- stress management
- more mindfulness
- lowering your heart-rate
- increasing lung and respiratory functions
After a few days you will begin to feel more calm and balanced. This is because you are balancing the right and left hemispheres of your brain.
When you are emotionally depressed, anxious, or angry your right prefrontal cortex is active.
When you are happy, energetic, and optimistic your left prefrontal cortex is more active.(1)
We naturally lean towards one or the other, but by practicing alternate nostril breathing you can balance the two sides. Creating more balanced coherence in your brain and life.
This simple and effective breathing tool puts you in control of how you react to outside circumstances.
Shall we try it?
As we go through the steps keep in mind that this is a mindful breathing technique. Your focus should remain on a slow, smooth, and continuous breathing cycle.
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama is safe for most people, however, if you have any medical condition such as asthma, or heart and lung concerns it is suggested that you talk to your doctor first.
As you begin, you may feel like you can’t breathe in or out of a particular side, this is okay. But stop if you are feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or nauseous.
Breathing helps you go deep within. Helping you to take control of your body and mind. This sometimes brings up feelings that trigger old response systems. Know your limits and take care of yourself if you feel any mental or physical symptoms arise outside of your control.
Steps to Nadi Shodhana Pranayama or Alternate Nostril Breathing.
- Sit in a comfortable position. It is preferred that it be crossed-legged on a meditation cushion, but as long as your spine is straight you will receive the benefits.
- The left hand will lay comfortably on your left knee or thigh.
- With your right hand place your pointer and middle fingers on your brow point, just above your eyebrows.
- Exhale completely.
- Use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
- Inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your pinky or ring fingers.
- Open the right nostril and exhale through this side.
- Inhale through the right nostril and then place your thumb to close this nostril once more.
- Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side.
You have completed one cycle.
Continue for up to 5 minutes. This practice always begins with an inhale through the left nostril and ends the by finishing with an exhale through the left nostril.
That’s it.
Already you are more balanced in your brain. Soon you will feel happier and be more energetic.
When it comes to personal happiness you have the choice. We all have different methods that help us clear our minds and recenter our lives. When you practice alternate nostril breathing you are adding a tool to your happiness toolkit that puts you in control.
Through time you will come to the understanding that outside pleasures are all circumstantial, where inside pleasures can be yours regardless of outside circumstances.
