Ida, Pingala and Sushumna: The Three Nadis Explained

By Breathwork Studios · Updated March 2026 · 9 min read

At the heart of pranayama theory is a map of the body's subtle energy system — a network of channels called nadis through which prana (life force) flows. The tradition describes 72,000 nadis, but three are paramount: Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. Understanding these three channels makes the structure and intention of virtually every pranayama technique comprehensible in a way that physiology alone cannot.

What Are Nadis?

Nadi comes from Sanskrit nad — to flow, to move. Nadis are the subtle channels or pathways through which prana moves in the body. They are not blood vessels, nerves, or lymphatic channels — though the tradition notes correspondences with all of these. They belong to the subtle body (Pranamaya Kosha) rather than the gross physical body.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that when the nadis are impure, prana cannot flow freely and pranayama is ineffective. The primary purpose of many pranayama techniques — particularly Nadi Shodhana (literally "nadi purification") — is to cleanse and clear the nadis so prana can move without obstruction.

Ida Nadi — The Lunar Channel

Name: Ida (Sanskrit: comfort, refreshing). Also called Chandra nadi (lunar channel) or the left channel.

Origin: Muladhara chakra (root, base of spine).

Path: Winds up the left side of the spine, crossing through each chakra, terminating at the left nostril.

Qualities: Cooling, calming, receptive, feminine, lunar, introspective, parasympathetic.

Element: Water. Associated with the moon, nighttime, rest, and the right hemisphere of the brain.

Ida in practice

When Ida is dominant — which occurs in the natural nasal cycle approximately every 90–120 minutes — right brain activity is relatively increased, the body is more receptive and creative, and the nervous system has a parasympathetic tilt. The mind tends toward inward, imaginative, and spatial processing.

Pranayama techniques that activate Ida: Chandra Bhedana (inhale left, exhale right — specifically activates the lunar channel), Chandra Anuloma (inhale and exhale through left only). These are calming, cooling techniques suited to states of excess heat, agitation, or overactivation.

Modern research confirmation: left nostril breathing is associated with increased right hemisphere brain activity, relatively lower blood glucose, and greater parasympathetic nervous system activity — consistent with the traditional description of Ida's qualities.

Pingala Nadi — The Solar Channel

Name: Pingala (Sanskrit: tawny, golden-red). Also called Surya nadi (solar channel) or the right channel.

Origin: Muladhara chakra (root, base of spine).

Path: Winds up the right side of the spine, crossing through each chakra opposite to Ida, terminating at the right nostril.

Qualities: Warming, activating, energising, masculine, solar, extroverted, sympathetic.

Element: Fire. Associated with the sun, daytime, activity, and the left hemisphere of the brain.

Pingala in practice

When Pingala is dominant — also alternating in the natural nasal cycle — left brain activity is relatively increased, the body generates more heat, digestion is stronger, and the nervous system has a sympathetic tilt. The mind tends toward logical, analytical, verbal, and linear processing.

Pranayama techniques that activate Pingala: Surya Bhedana (inhale right, exhale left — "pierces" the solar channel), Surya Anuloma (right nostril only). These are warming, activating techniques suited to low energy, cold, sluggish digestion, or the need for mental sharpness.

Modern research confirmation: right nostril breathing is associated with increased left hemisphere brain activity, higher blood glucose, improved digestion, and sympathetic nervous system dominance — again consistent with the traditional description.

The Nasal Cycle: Ida and Pingala in the Body

One of the most striking validations of the Ida/Pingala framework is the nasal cycle — a well-documented physiological phenomenon in which nostril dominance alternates roughly every 90–120 minutes throughout the day and night, governed by the hypothalamus. At any given moment, one nostril is more open (dominant) and one is slightly congested.

Research by David Shannahoff-Khalsa at the Salk Institute documented the specific brain and body changes associated with each phase of the nasal cycle — finding exactly the pattern the tradition predicted: right nostril dominance correlates with left hemisphere activity and sympathetic tone; left nostril dominance with right hemisphere activity and parasympathetic tone. This was not known to modern science until the 20th century — yet the tradition had documented it and developed therapeutic applications (uninostril breathing) centuries earlier.

Sushumna Nadi — The Central Channel

Name: Sushumna (Sanskrit: very gracious, most kind). Also called Brahma nadi within its innermost layer.

Origin: Muladhara chakra (root, base of spine).

Path: Runs directly through the centre of the spine, through each chakra, terminating at Sahasrara (crown).

Qualities: Neutral, balanced, transcendent, the path of liberation.

The significance of Sushumna

Sushumna is considered the most important nadi in the Hatha Yoga system — but it is also typically closed or dormant in most people. While Ida and Pingala are always active (alternating dominance), Sushumna only opens under specific conditions: when the breath flows equally through both nostrils simultaneously, and when Ida and Pingala are perfectly balanced.

This moment of balance — when neither the solar nor the lunar energy dominates — is considered the entry point for prana into Sushumna. In the Kundalini framework, Sushumna is the channel through which awakened Kundalini energy ascends to the crown. In broader meditative terms, the opening of Sushumna corresponds with the deepest and most stable meditative states — the cessation of ordinary mental fluctuations.

This is the deeper rationale behind Nadi Shodhana: by systematically alternating the breath between left and right nostrils over an extended practice, the practitioner progressively purifies Ida and Pingala and creates the balance that allows prana to enter Sushumna.

How to know if Sushumna is active

The traditional sign of Sushumna activation is that both nostrils breathe equally freely — neither dominant. In experiential terms, this corresponds to a quality of mental stillness and luminous awareness that practitioners describe as distinct from ordinary consciousness: alert but utterly quiet, spacious, and without the usual sense of effort or seeking.

The Structure of Nadi Shodhana Through This Lens

Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) is perfectly designed around the three-nadi framework:

• Inhaling through the left nostril activates Ida (calming)
• Exhaling through the right nostril releases through Pingala
• Inhaling through the right nostril activates Pingala (energising)
• Exhaling through the left nostril releases through Ida
• The alternation, sustained over many cycles, progressively balances the two channels
• When balance is achieved, prana naturally enters Sushumna

Every element of the technique — why it alternates, why both nostrils are used, why it is the foundational pranayama — is explained by this framework. The technique is a precise intervention in the nadi system.

For general wellness and educational purposes only — not medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or are a minor. Do not practice while driving or operating heavy machinery.

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