Last updated: December 21, 2023
What Does
Pingala Nadi Mean?
Pingala nadi is one of the three main nadis, or channels of energy, in the body. In yoga and the health science of Ayurveda, it is believed that keeping these channels free of blockages encourages the flow of prana, promoting physical and mental health. The pingala nadi, which is an origin point of pranic energy, travels the length of the spinal cord, weaving in and out of the seven chakras.
From Sanskrit, pingala means "tawny” and nadi means “channel” or “flow.” Pingala nadi is also called the surya, or sun, nadi because it is related to solar energy.
Yogapedia Explains Pingala Nadi
The three principal nadis are the ida, the pingala and the sushumna. The pingala is known as the right channel because it flows to the right as it leaves the muladhara (root) chakra and weaves in and out of the other chakras before ending at the right nostril. The ida (left) nadi is a mirror image of the pingala nadi as the two travel up the spine. Sushumna, the center nadi, travels through all the chakras and directly up the spinal column.
Pingala nadi controls essential life processes and imparts vitality, efficiency and strength. It is associated with extroversion, masculine energy, the left (logical/linear) side of the brain, and the right side of the body. Pingala nadi energy must be balanced by the ida energy, which is creative and introverted. A major focus of Hatha yoga is balancing these nadis. For example, someone with a free-flowing pingala nadi who has a blocked ida nadi may have lots of energy for a physical yoga practice, while lacking the introspection needed to achieve spiritual awakening.
One of the principal ways of balancing the nadis in yoga practice is through a form of pranayama called nadi shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing. With the fingers of one hand, the nostrils are alternately closed off while the individual completes cycles of breath.
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