Candra Bhedana Prāṇāyāma
The moon to Sūrya Bhedana's sun, in through the left nostril, out through the right; drawing coolness into an overheated system.
How to practise
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Sit tall; close the right nostril with the thumb.
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Inhale slowly and fully through the left nostril.
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Close both nostrils; hold briefly and comfortably.
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Release the right nostril and exhale slowly through it.
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Begin with 6–8 rounds, ending gently.
Benefits
- Cools the body and settles heat-driven irritation
- Invites sleep when practised before bed
- Balances the activated right side after heating practices or hot days
- A quiet aid for pitta conditions of heat and hurry
Contraindications & cautions
- Avoid when already chilled, in winter sluggishness, or kapha excess
- Depression or heavy low moods, prefer balancing practices instead
- Never force the retention
If you are pregnant, or live with a cardiac, respiratory or mental-health condition, consult a qualified teacher and a physician before practising. Never strain the breath.
In the tradition
Candra, the moon; rules the iḍā nāḍī, the left, the cool channel. The older texts name the solar breath explicitly and leave the lunar implied as its mirror; the modern lineage of Iyengar and Satyananda teaches the pair together, and no Indian needs to be told what moonlight does to heat.
Sources & further reading
- Light on Pranayama , B. K. S. Iyengar (the lunar breath as the complement of the solar)
- Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha , Swami Satyananda Saraswati