My NOSE Carries a Key to Creativity????

Um, WHAT? Yep. You heard me! I heard this idea first from the book Breath from author James Nestor. The book contains some fascinating ideas if you’re a reader, or you can look through my book notes on my Goodreads!

So you know how our brain is not symmetrical? Our right and left brains perform different functions, but work together for a perfect balance of regulation. Our nasal airflow also works similarly; one nostril takes in greater airflow at a time; this alternates throughout your day!

Yogic tradition talks about two energy channels called the ida and pingala. Ida connects the right nostril and the left hemisphere. This brings about calming, intuitive, and cooling effects to the brain. The pingala connects the left nostril and the right hemisphere. This brings about stimulation, rationality, and heating effects to the brain! Source

In Breath, Nestor talks about how our left nostril can actually activate our parasympathetic nervous system as well as our creative right brain. The opposite is true for the right. The right nostril activates the sympathetic nervous system and our logical left brain.

Remember our sympathetic system is our flight, fight, freeze response! But we have to remember our left brain isn’t the bad guy! It protects us, but sometimes it tries to protect us from minor situations… such as having to send an email or picking an outfit for the day…

How can I use this knowledge??? Well, it can be a great way to calm our nervous system in certain situations! I also love this exercise when it’s time to create! I take 3-5 min to meditate, and it helps clear my mind and gets me excited to go into creative mode.

Preface before you try it… listen to your body! Please do not take anything in this post as medical advice. This is simply a fun exercise, but as with anything, if you begin to feel uncomfortable, simply stop!

Ok. Now let’s try it out! The first step is getting in a comfortable position. Grab that yoga mat, favorite chair, or lean against a wall. Your back should be upright, but not rigid, and your head should be slightly tilted down naturally, not forced. Place one hand on your knee, and use the other to plug a nostril using gentle force with your thumb.

Try out a side and see how it feels. Do you feel more awake? Does your head feel lighter? Take note of your bodily reactions then switch sides and repeat!