Pranayama

Nine Purification Breaths

Nine slow breaths in three sets: left, right, then both. A clear mind before you sit.

Also called: Nine Breathings of Purification, Nine Breaths of Purification, Nine Purifying Breaths, Nine Cleansing Breaths

The Nine Purification Breaths are a Tibetan Bon practice of nine slow breaths through the nose in three sets of three: in through the left nostril and out the right, then in right and out left, then in and out through both. It is traditionally done to clear the mind before meditation.

It takes about two minutes. You'll feel your attention gather and your mind settle, ready to sit.

Pattern: 3 breaths in left, out right; 3 in right, out left; 3 through both
Session: About 2 minutes for one round of nine breaths
Good for: Clearing your head before meditation
Level: Beginner
Origin: Tibetan Bon tradition; related forms in Tibetan Buddhism
Needs: iPhone or Apple Watch

How to do it

Sit cross-legged or upright in a chair. Keep your spine straight, chest open, shoulders relaxed and chin slightly tucked.
If you like, picture three channels of light: a blue one up the center of your body, a white one on the right and a red one on the left, meeting four finger-widths below your navel^[1].
Set 1: close your right nostril with your ring finger and breathe in through the left. Switch sides and breathe out through the right. Do this three times^[1].
Set 2: close your left nostril and breathe in through the right. Switch and breathe out through the left. Three times.
Set 3: breathe in and out through both nostrils, three times. Picture each out-breath rising up the central channel and leaving through the crown of your head.
Rest. Let your breath return to its own rhythm, and sit a moment before you meditate or get up.

Benefits

A settled mind in two minutes
Nine slow breaths quiet the chatter. You'll feel calm and ready to sit.
A clear start to meditation
The same nine breaths each time tell your mind it is time to settle. In Bon, it is a preliminary practice for exactly that^[1].
Simple to follow
Left, right, both. No counting tricks and no holds.
Even, balanced breathing
Six of the nine breaths are alternate nostril breathing, which a review of 44 trials linked to better heart, lung and thinking measures^[2].

What the research says

We know of no study of the Nine Purification Breaths themselves. In the Bon tradition, the three sets clear three poisons of the mind: anger, attachment and ignorance^[1]. That is a spiritual teaching, not a medical claim.

Six of the nine breaths are alternate nostril breathing, which has been studied far more. A 2017 systematic review of 44 randomized trials of alternate nostril breathing, 29 of them at low risk of bias, found strong evidence of benefits for the autonomic nervous system, heart and lungs, and for thinking skills with regular practice. It also noted that the technique is not yet standardized^[2].

In a small randomized pilot, 30 healthy medical students did 15 minutes of alternate nostril breathing or sat quietly before a simulated public-speaking test. Anxiety scores trended lower in the breathing group, but the difference was not significant^[3]. None of these trials tested the nine-breath ritual or its visualization, so the evidence carries over by mechanism, not by direct study.

What the three sets mean in the tradition

In Bon, the breaths move through three channels that meet four finger-widths below the navel: red on the left, white on the right and blue in the center^[1]. Each set is paired with letting go of one of three poisons. Details vary between teachers and lineages; this is a common form:

Set 1, in left and out right: anger is released.
Set 2, in right and out left: attachment is released.
Set 3, in and out through both: ignorance is released, rising up the central channel and out through the crown.

Nine Purification Breaths vs Nadi Shodhana

Both alternate the nostrils. Nadi Shodhana is a yoga pranayama practiced for many rounds, sometimes with a held breath. The Nine Purification Breaths are a fixed Tibetan ritual of nine breaths that ends with three breaths through both nostrils, traditionally paired with a visualization of three channels.

Tips

If one nostril is blocked, don't force it. Skip the finger and simply put your attention on the active side.
Use the lightest touch to close a nostril, and keep your shoulder and jaw relaxed.
Count in blocks of three so you always know which set you're on.
The colors are an aid, not a test. If you can't see them, just follow the breath.
For the traditional rest between rounds, do one round, sit a while, then start the next.

Safety

Don't force a blocked nostril. Breathe through the open side, or skip the finger and follow the side with your attention.
Stop and breathe normally if you feel light-headed or dizzy.
If you are pregnant or have a heart, lung or seizure condition, check with your doctor before starting any new daily breathing practice.

Nine Purification in Spoon

In Spoon, Nine Purification paces the breaths at 6 seconds in and 8 seconds out, with no hold, so one round of nine breaths takes just over two minutes. The screen names the set you're in, such as left in, right out, and a nostril indicator lights the active side. Choose one to four rounds; sessions run in whole rounds, so you never stop mid-set.

Spoon guides the breathing pattern only. The visualization and the meaning of each set come from the tradition and its teachers.

A fixed, unhurried pace: 6 seconds in, 8 seconds out.
One to four rounds of nine breaths, about 2 to 8 minutes.
Set labels and a nostril indicator show which side to use, on iPhone and Apple Watch.
Soft nasal breath sounds and, with Apple Watch, a tap on your wrist at each inhale and exhale. Both on by default.
Voice guide on iPhone, off by default: it says Inhale and Exhale.
With an Apple Watch: live heart rate, then your breath and heart rate on one chart after the session.
Add it to a playlist as a lead-in to meditation or another exercise.

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Questions

What are the Nine Purification Breaths?

A short Tibetan Bon practice of nine breaths in three sets of three: in left and out right, in right and out left, then in and out through both nostrils. It is traditionally done before meditation, with a visualization of releasing three poisons of the mind: anger, attachment and ignorance.

How long do the Nine Purification Breaths take?

About two minutes for one round of nine slow breaths. With more time, teachers repeat the round several times and rest afterward. In Spoon, one round takes 126 seconds at 6 seconds in and 8 seconds out.

Which nostril do you start with in the Nine Purification Breaths?

The left. In the first set you breathe in through the left nostril and out through the right, three times. Then you switch: in right, out left. The last three breaths go in and out through both nostrils. Some lineages vary the details, so follow your teacher if you have one.

Do you hold your breath during the Nine Purification Breaths?

No. The in-breath flows straight into the out-breath, at an easy pace. The only pause is the moment it takes to switch nostrils. Spoon's version has no hold at all.

Are the Nine Purification Breaths the same as alternate nostril breathing?

Close, but not the same. Six of the nine breaths alternate nostrils, as in Nadi Shodhana. The Nine Purification Breaths are a fixed ritual of nine breaths, end with three breaths through both nostrils, and come with a Tibetan visualization of three channels.

Are the Nine Purification Breaths Buddhist?

They come from Bon, a Tibetan tradition older than Buddhism in Tibet that grew alongside it. Related forms are also taught in Tibetan Buddhist schools. Anyone can practice the breathing; the full meaning comes from the tradition's teachers.

Sources

Ahearn D. Let the “Nine Breaths of Purification” clear your mind and open your heart. Lion's Roar, 2025. lionsroar.com
Ghiya S. Alternate nostril breathing: a systematic review of clinical trials. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2017. msjonline.org
Kamath A, Urval RP, Shenoy AK. Effect of alternate nostril breathing exercise on experimentally induced anxiety in healthy volunteers using the simulated public speaking model: a randomized controlled pilot study. BioMed Research International, 2017. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Updated October 2026. This page is for education, not medical advice. If you have a heart, lung or blood pressure condition, epilepsy, or you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you start a breathing practice with holds or fast breathing.