Solar and Lunar Pranayama

There are countless reasons why people first step into a yoga studio. Some are drawn by current trends, others hope to improve their health or relieve back discomfort, while some are fascinated by the philosophy and mysticism of this ancient Indian tradition. There are also those who seek in yoga a harmonious combination of physical and spiritual practice.

Such practitioners usually aspire to develop in a balanced way, face the future with confidence, overcome difficulties and become more resilient to stress. They strive to maintain their inner balance and often seem to radiate energy and positivity to those around them.

“Sounds almost miraculous,” some might say.

“People like that simply do not exist,” others may argue.

Yet yoga has long been regarded as a system concerned not only with the body, but also with psychological and mental development. For centuries, yoga teachers and practitioners have explored the possibilities of transforming the body, mind and perception through disciplined practice.

How can such results be achieved? Can an ordinary person change themselves and their life by following the path of yoga?

The traditional answer is yes — provided there is sufficient time, motivation and, above all, consistency. As with many yogic practices, regularity is considered essential.

The well-known yoga teacher Pattabhi Jois expressed this principle succinctly:

Practice, and all is coming.

Pattabhi Jois

This principle is considered particularly important when working with prana, or vital energy.

For those who are just becoming acquainted with yoga philosophy, a brief explanation may be helpful. Traditional yogic texts describe the subtle body as containing numerous energetic channels known as nadis. Different texts give different numbers: 72,000 is frequently cited, while the Shiva Samhita mentions as many as 350,000.

Despite variations in these traditional accounts, three nadis are regarded as especially important: ida, pingala and sushumna. In yogic models of the subtle body, their relationship is associated with the chakras, or subtle energy centres.

Prana — the vital force — is said to move through these channels. Learning to regulate prana is one of the traditional aims of pranayama. Yogic teachings describe the conscious regulation of prana as a means of directing subtle energy and, in certain traditions, awakening kundalini.

The Shiva Samhita describes kundalini symbolically as a serpent lying dormant at the base of the spine and teaches that sustained pranayama practice can contribute to its awakening.

Traditionally, however, pranayama was not practised merely to acquire unusual abilities. Its higher purpose was associated with directing the mind towards meditation and, ultimately, samadhi — a state of profound meditative absorption.

For a modern practitioner, the aims may be more practical. Many people are interested in yoga as a way to cultivate vitality, concentration, emotional balance and greater resilience in everyday life.

Many modern yoga teachers have emphasised that spiritual practice does not necessarily require withdrawing fr om society. A person can remain actively engaged in everyday life while cultivating awareness, self-discipline and a less attached attitude towards the results of their actions.

Simple pranayama techniques can become part of such a practice.

Let us begin with solar pranayama, traditionally known as surya bhedana pranayama.

The Sanskrit word surya means “sun”, while bhedana can convey the idea of piercing, penetrating or passing through. Pranayama refers to yogic methods of regulating the breath and, within the traditional yogic framework, prana.

Surya bhedana is therefore associated with the solar aspect of the subtle body and particularly with pingala nadi, traditionally linked with the right nostril.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes the practice approximately as follows:

Sit in a comfortable and steady posture. Inhale slowly through the right nostril. Retain the breath according to your capacity, and then exhale through the left nostril. The practice is traditionally described as purifying and stimulating and is recommended for regular practice.

A related description can also be found in the Gheranda Samhita, wh ere the practitioner is instructed to inhale through the right nostril, retain the breath and then exhale through the opposite nostril.

The technique was also discussed by influential modern yoga teachers, including B.K.S. Iyengar and Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

A practical version of the technique can be described as follows:

1. Sit in a comfortable meditative posture.
2. Keep the spine upright and gently lengthen through the crown of the head.
3. Close the left nostril with the appropriate finger.
4. Inhale slowly and steadily through the right nostril.
5. Close both nostrils and retain the breath only for as long as it remains comfortable.
6. Open the left nostril and exhale slowly through it.
7. Repeat for several rounds.

Beginners should start with a small number of rounds and gradually increase the duration of the practice rather than forcing the breath.

Both Iyengar and Satyananda emphasised that breath retention should remain within the practitioner’s comfortable capacity. Traditional instructions commonly recommend practising pranayama on an empty stomach, often in the morning, and avoiding it immediately after meals.

Within the traditional yogic framework, surya bhedana is considered an activating and warming practice.

It is associated with the solar quality of pingala nadi and is traditionally used when greater alertness, warmth and vitality are desired. Yogic sources also associate it with reducing heaviness and lethargy and preparing the practitioner for more focused meditation.

For this reason, solar pranayama is often incorporated into a morning practice.

However, pranayama involving breath retention should always be approached gradually. Beginners should avoid prolonged or forceful retention and should ideally learn more advanced variations under the guidance of an experienced teacher.

Traditional yoga describes complementary solar and lunar principles. The solar aspect is generally associated with pingala nadi, while the lunar aspect is associated with ida nadi.

The lunar counterpart to surya bhedana is commonly known today as chandra bhedana pranayama.

The Sanskrit word chandra means “moon”. Accordingly, chandra bhedana is associated with the cooling, calming and inward-directed qualities symbolically connected with lunar energy.

In this technique, the breathing pattern is the reverse of solar pranayama:

inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the right.

1. Sit comfortably with the spine upright.
2. Relax the face, shoulders and abdomen.
3. Close the right nostril.
4. Inhale slowly through the left nostril.
5. If breath retention is part of your established practice, retain the breath gently and without strain.
6. Open the right nostril and exhale slowly.
7. Repeat for several comfortable rounds.

The practice should remain calm and unforced throughout.

B.K.S. Iyengar discusses the lunar principle in relation to traditional yogic sources, including the Yoga Chudamani Upanishad. In modern yoga practice, chandra bhedana is generally presented as the cooling counterpart of surya bhedana.

Chandra bhedana is traditionally regarded as a cooling and calming pranayama.

While solar pranayama is associated with activation and warmth, lunar pranayama is connected with relaxation, inward awareness and tranquillity of mind.

For this reason, it may be incorporated into a quiet evening practice rather than an energising morning sequence.

Some traditional teachers recommend caution when practising chandra bhedana intensively or combining it with prolonged breath retention. More advanced forms of pranayama are best learned gradually under the supervision of a qualified teacher.

Solar and lunar pranayama represent two complementary principles within traditional yoga.

• Surya bhedana is associated with the sun, warmth, activity and pingala nadi.
• Chandra bhedana is associated with the moon, coolness, calmness and ida nadi.

Rather than trying to achieve dramatic effects, beginners should focus on smooth, comfortable breathing and regular practice.

Do not rush the process or force breath retention. Pranayama should never create a sensation of suffocation, dizziness or significant discomfort. If such symptoms occur, the practice should be stopped and normal breathing resumed.

This reflects the yogic principle of ahimsa — non-violence. Ahimsa applies not only to our relationship with other beings but also to the way we treat our own body.

Although these breathing techniques may appear simple, pranayama traditionally occupies an important place in the yogic path. In Patanjali’s eight-limbed system, pranayama follows asana and prepares the practitioner for the more inward-oriented stages of yoga.

Pranayama can therefore be understood not simply as a breathing exercise, but as a bridge between physical practice and meditation.

It invites the practitioner to become increasingly aware of the relationship between breath, body and mind.

Practice gradually, remain attentive to your body and remember that even simple techniques require awareness and responsibility. Yoga is traditionally understood as an integrated system in which physical techniques, breathing practices, meditation and ethical principles — yama and niyama — support one another.

Approached in this way, solar and lunar pranayama can become meaningful elements of a balanced yoga practice.