Of all the yogic breathing practices researchers have explored, the influence of alternative nostril breathing has received more attention than any other. Yoga teaches that left nostril breathing is more calming and that right nostril breathing is invigorating. Dr. Shirely Telles, the most prolific yoga researcher in the world, has conducted a number of trials supporting this claim. She has found left nostril breathing is associated with lower blood pressure and heart rate with right nostril breathing increasing heart rate and blood pressure.
Recently a team of researchers from the University of Milan, concluded that “unilateral right nostril breathing (URNB) produced more benefits in terms of stress reduction and relaxation, while unilateral left nostril breathing (ULNB) significantly reduced mind-wandering occurrences over time.” The study also found that increased stress reduction can be achieved rapidly, particularly with URNB, while reduced mind wandering, may require prolonged practice with ULNB.
These results conflict former findings and provide a confusing landscape.
There are several factors about this study that we questioned. To begin with, stress reduction is meant to be the purview of left nostril breathing. Additionally, the reduction of mind wandering is almost always associated with relaxation as the wandering mind is one that is racing and not at ease.
Therefore, it sort of seems that (according to this study) both right and nostril breathing give rise to greater peace. The scales should have been different if researchers really wanted to provide clear information about the difference between left and right breathing.
Additionally, the study consisted of just 20 participants, a considerably small size sample. To have meaningful results, studies should have more participants otherwise one or two people with unique experiences can throw off the entire statistical analysis. We call such individuals outliners and the fact that any study can have outlines is one of the reasons more participants are needed. For yoga studies, meant to clarify the value of yoga for different conditions, they MUST have at least 30 participants, but even this is small.
In this case, we cannot draw any real conclusions from this study, but we are still curious. If this study has actually found something that is replicable, what would the results mean?
Read the full study here.
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