Role of nostrils : A subtle aspect of meditation PDF Print E-mail
Health

Take a pause right at this moment and observe your breathing. There are very strong chances that you are breathing through just one nostril. That is how, in fact, breathing “happens” throughout the day. You seldom use both the nostrils simultaneously.

Why has nature given us two nostrils then? Wasn’t one nostril enough? And when there are two nostrils, why do we always, and naturally, too, tend to use just one of them at any one time? We find out how this phenomenon may be directly related to one’s capability to meditate.

Taking the breath for granted

While inside the womb, all oxygen demands of the foetus are met by the mother. The placenta carries both the nutrition and ready-made, pre-processed, oxygenated blood to the baby. The lungs of the baby are filled with fluid. When the baby is expelled from the womb, a set of complex activities are set in motion, which drive the baby to take its first breath from its nostrils. The lungs expand, then constrict. Expand, then constrict. And the baby’s soul finally detaches itself from the mother and signals its own independent existence. Its soul, through the mechanism of the breath, makes a direct connect with the anima mundi of nature.

How does it all happen? Science has recorded all observations - in a neatly recorded sequence of events - on how breathing begins in a human infant, even outlining deviations from the norm, and the effect of deviations on the rest of the life of the infant. But, what causes it all to happen? What triggers breathing to begin, like a pre-programmed device? What interlocking between the genes and the physical surroundings triggers the nostrils or the mouth to suck in air from the atmosphere? There is yet no answer.

Right from this - the first breath, till the last - the death rattle or the agonal breath, we take our breathing for granted.

We become aware of it, only occasionally; like when somebody tries to smother us or when we dive into water without any air support, and we feel an urge to breathe. Or somebody from the past rings us unexpectedly and without any advance warning. But, once these fleeting occasions pass and eupnoea returns, we turn our attention back to the more urgent chores of living, and awareness of our connection with the anima mundi drops to the background.

Biology behind nostrils

They call it nasal patency. The state of the nostrils being open/unblocked. They use a device called Rhinomanometer to measure nasal airflow and patency. An entire school of knowledge called Rhinology concerns itself with the diseases of the nasal passages.

But, ask them “why” we breathe from any one nostril at any point of time, and they have no answer. The “how” is explained by the presence of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves that clog the nasal mucosa. When the sympathetic nerves in one nostril become active, that nostril decongests. Like a miracle switch, the sympathetic nerves of the other nostril shut down, and the parasympathetic nerves take over, so that the other nostril congests.

Breath performs two important functions, one each in opposite direction. In the downward direction, breath enters the alveoli, to be carried by the blood to the individual cells, where the oxygen component gets burned in the mitochondrial furnaces.

It took one second, after you just sucked breath in, for the oxygen that went inside you to permeate the entire body.

In the other direction, breath caresses the olfactory nerve as it passes onto the alveoli. The olfactory nerve is the shortest of all nerves that holds a direct court with the brain (it doesn't have to go via the secretarial service of the brain stem, it doesn't need to, you see, because of its proximity to the brain. Its relatively higher hierarchical position is also a factor, of course).

The brain’s two cerebral hemispheres react to the breath. The hemisphere that is opposite to the unblocked and breathing nostril becomes more dominant than the other hemisphere. When the nasal cycle changes with ultradian periodicity, hemispheric dominance follows suit.

Here is the interesting part: It has also been discovered that long-time meditation results in increased thickness in specific regions of the cortex in the right hemisphere. Ergo, meditators consciously or unconsciously adopt a posture which causes their left nostril to open up.

Now couple this point with this: When sitting for meditation, breathing with an unblocked left nostril leads to reaching the initial meditative states faster. [This is phenomenology, I don’t have any paper to back this.]

Why should this be so? You can try this yourself. Whenever you feel agitated, angry, excited (high-gamma brain-wave states), simply check your nasal cycle. Is your right nostril open? Are you breathing through the right nostril? Now, shift your breathing, consciously, to the left nostril. Give yourself some time. You will discover an overall calming down effect. This is the first prerequisite to meditation.

So, how do you “shift your breathing, consciously, to the left nostril”?

Practical tip for left-nostril breathing

If you are serious about meditation, my advice is to always ensure that your left nostril is unblocked when you sit for a session. In my opinion, it will take you to meditative states faster.

It should never be forced: this unblocking of a nostril. If you wish to breathe through one nostril and it is blocked, never attempt to unblock it by closing the other (open) nostril with a finger and force-breathing through the first. Instead, follow these very simple tips. You will discover that you can change your breathing cycle at will!

Try this one. Observe your breath right now. You will notice that, as always, you are breathing through just one nostril. Now, shift your weight towards the opposite side of the open nostril. Pause for a few moments. You will feel the closed nostril opening, followed by a small time-slice when both the nostrils are open, and finally, the nostril that was open earlier, is blocked. It happens automatically!

Or, press a small pillow (or even a hard-rubber ball) beneath any one armpit. After a few seconds, the nostril opposite to the armpit is unblocked, and you start breathing through that nostril. It is uncanny!

You may perform this nasal cycle alteration anywhere. Let’s say you are standing in a queue, and feel fidgety because the queue doesn’t seem to move! Before blowing your top or aggravating your hypertension, simply observe what your nasal cycle is; are you breathing through the left, or through the right nostril? If you are breathing through the right, consciously shift your body’s weight to the right leg. In a few moments, your left nostril will unblock. You should feel calmness enveloping you.

And, when you are sitting for a session of meditation, shift your body’s posture slightly to the right buttock. Wait till the nasal cycle settles firmly in left-nostril breathing. And, then begin.

Final Word

Take a closer look at your sense of comfort and your nasal patency the next time you have time to spare. You will discover that you feel more comfortable when one particular nostril is open, as compared to the other. Just like you have one-hand dominance (left-handed or right-handedness, left-eye dominance or right-eye dominance), similarly you have left-naris or right-naris dominance. Once you have identified which nostril puts you to greater ease, you know how you can shift your body such that this one becomes unblocked.