Find your rhythm.
Follow a gentle rhythm with Nadi Shodhana, or begin with simple rhythmic breathing. One breath, one complete round at a time.
Left and right refer to your own nostrils.
No perfect breaths needed. Just a comfortable rhythm.
About the practice & one complete round
Nadi Shodhana: inhale left, exhale right, inhale right, exhale left. This entire alternating cycle counts as one round. With retention selected, a hold follows each inhale. Left and right always refer to your own nostrils.
Sit comfortably upright. Use your right thumb to close the right nostril and your ring finger to close the left; touch gently. If alternation feels awkward, choose rhythmic breathing first. You may mentally repeat "Om" with your breath if that suits your practice.
The classical 1:4:2 preset reflects the proportional pattern described in Swami Vivekananda's Raja-Yoga. That text describes gradual practice; these presets are timing choices, not an automatic progression or a personal training prescription. This tool uses seconds rather than treating traditional matras as fixed seconds.
For general gentle breathing, the NHS advises breathing comfortably without forcing. Retention should be learned with qualified guidance. Keep the rhythm comfortable and stop if it does not feel right.
Additional rhythms: box breathing adds equal holds after inhaling and exhaling. See the NHS relaxation guide. The 4-7-8 pattern uses a nose inhale and a mouth exhale, as described by the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. This timer expresses the counts in seconds and lets you adjust the pace.