Many of us have heard of the circadian cycle. That is the sleep-wake pattern that our body follows to determine when we get up and when we go to sleep. Our bodies follow other cycles throughout the day as well. Today, let’s meet the ultradian cycle.
The ultradian cycle is the shift that occurs every 90-120 minutes between sides of the brain. Each hemisphere gets to be dominant for a period of time…and then, it shifts! If you need focus, you want your left brain to be more active. If you want to access creativity or relaxation, you want your right brain. Signs that your brain cycle might be shifting: feeling antsy, yawning, zoning out. Today, see if you can be aware of which side of your brain is running the show, and when that switches. If you aren’t sure, a quick trick is to close one nostril and then the other and see which one you breath through easier. If you breathe best through the right nostril, your left brain is dominant, breathing best through the left nostril means the right brain is in charge. Obviously, this works best when you don’t have a cold!
When you know which side of the brain you want active, a simple tool for bringing that side of the brain to the forefront is to gently close the nostril of the side of the brain you want most active. Take some deep breaths through the opposite nostril until it feels like you are breathing clearly. Each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body, so when we breathe through the right nostril, we wake up the left brain…and vice versa. There is a yogic breath technique called nadi shodana, which means “alternate nostril breathing”. It is used to balance both sides of the brain so that they work together when we need to feel both calm and focused.