Nadis in Yoga: Meaning, Sanskrit References & the Role of Ida, Pingala, Sushumna in Pranayama

One of the most beautiful aspects of Yoga is that the deeper you go, the more you realise how intelligently the ancient Yogis understood the human system. They didn’t separate body from mind, nor mind from breath, nor breath from consciousness. Everything was seen as one interconnected field.

At the heart of this interconnected system lies a concept that is both poetic and practical: nadis (नाडिः) - the subtle channels through which prāṇa flows.If prāṇa is the “electricity,” Nadis are the wiring.If prāṇa is the “river,” Nadis are the riverbeds.

Understanding Nāḍīs transforms your Yoga practice. It helps you make sense of why some days feel light and some feel heavy, why your breath shifts, why meditation deepens effortlessly on certain days, and why the mind behaves the way it does. In a Yoga Teacher Training course, Nāḍī theory connects the dots between āsana, prāṇāyāma, bandha, chakra, meditation, emotion, and even Ayurveda.

What Are Nadis?

The word Nadi comes from the root nad, meaning “to flow,” “to vibrate,” or “to move.” While modern anatomy deals with nerves, veins and tissues, the Yogic anatomy looks at the flow of prāṇa - the energy that animates life.

Nāḍīs are not physical tubes. They are energy pathways that govern our vitality, mind, emotional states, and spiritual experiences. In the same way that you cannot see Wi-Fi but - you know exactly when it is strong or weak - Nāḍīs are felt, experienced, and known through practice.

When Nadis are clear, the breath flows freely, the mind becomes light, and the body feels balanced. When they are blocked, everything feels “off, your mood, breath, motivation, physical ease, emotional stability.

This is why ancient Yogis paid such importance to understanding and purifying these channels.

Nadis in Classical Yogic Texts

Classical Yoga texts differ in how many Nadis they mention, but even this difference is meaningful.

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā – Only One Nāḍī Matters

The Haṭha Yogins were straightforward. They emphasised Suṣumnā as the only Nāḍī that truly matters in awakening.

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā 4.18

द्वा-सप्तति-सहस्राणि नाडी-द्वाराणि पञ्जरे ।

सुषुम्णा शाम्भवी शक्तिः शेषास्त्वेव निरर्थकाः ॥

“There are seventy-two thousand Nāḍīs in the body.But Suṣumnā, the Śāmbhavī Śakti, is the only meaningful one.”

This does not dismiss the other Nāḍīs - it simply tells you where the destination is: Suṣumnā is the central channel of awakening.

Śiva Saṁhitā – A More Descriptive Map: 14 Main Nāḍīs

The Śiva Saṁhitā, on the other hand, gives us a complete list.

Śiva Saṁhitā 2.13–15

सार्धलक्षत्रयं नाड्यः सन्ति देहान्तरे नृणाम् ।

प्रधानभूता नाड्यस्तु तासु मुख्याश्चतुर्दशः ॥ २.१३॥

“There are 350,000 Nāḍīs, out of which fourteen are the principal ones.”

The text then lists all 14 and concludes:

एतासु तिस्रो मुख्याः स्युः पिङ्गलेडा सुषुम्णिका ॥ २.१५॥

“Among these, three are the most important: Piṅgalā, Idā, and Suṣumnā.”

So, whether you look at Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā or Śiva Saṁhitā - everyone eventually points toward one thing: Idā, Piṅgalā, Suṣumnā are the center of the Yogic experience.

Gorakṣa Śataka – A Practical View: 10 Nāḍīs Are Vital

The Gorakṣa Śataka, one of the earliest Haṭha Yoga works, gives a practical—and very important—perspective:

Gorakṣa Śataka 16 - 19

ऊर्ध्वं मेढ्रादधो नाभेः कन्दयोनिः स्वगाण्डवत् । Ūrdhvaṁ meḍhrād adho nābheḥ kanda-yoniḥ sva-gāṇḍavat |

तत्र नाड्यः समुत्पन्नाः सहस्राणि द्विसप्ततिः ॥ १६॥ Tatra nāḍyaḥ samutpannāḥ sahasrāṇi dvi-saptatiḥ || 16 ||

“There is a Kanda above the genitals and below the navel from which the 72,000 Nāḍīs originate.”

तेषु नाडिसहस्रेषु द्विसप्ततिरुदाहृताः । Teṣu nāḍi-sahasreṣu dvi-saptatir udāhṛtāḥ |

प्राधान्यात्प्राणवाहिन्यो भूयस्तत्र दश स्मृताः ॥ १७॥ Prādhānyāt prāṇa-vāhinyo bhūyas tatra daśa smṛtāḥ || 17 ||

“Among them, 72 are prominent; out of these Nāḍīs which are vehicles of Prana, 10 are the most important.”

इडा च पिङ्गला चैव सुषुम्णा च तृतीयका ।

गान्धारी हस्तिजिह्वा च पूषा चैव यशस्विनी ॥ १८॥

अलम्बुषा कुहूश्चैव शङ्खिनी दशमी स्मृता ।

एतन्नाडिमयं चक्रं ज्ञातव्यं योगिभिः सदा ॥ १९॥

The ten match the later lists of Haṭha Yoga: Idā, Piṅgalā, Suṣumnā, Gāndhārī, Hastijihvā, Pooṣā, Yashasvinī, Alambuṣā, Kuhū and Śaṅkhinī.

This text acts as a bridge between long philosophical lists and practical āsana-prāṇāyāma work.

Gheraṇḍa Saṁhitā – The Clearest Instruction on Nāḍī Śuddhi

And then comes the most practical verse for a Yoga practitioner; one that every Yoga teacher should know:

Gheraṇḍa Saṁhitā 5.34

मलाकुलासु नाडीषु मारुतो नैव गच्छति ।

प्राणायामः कथं सिध्येत्तत्त्वज्ञानं कथं भवेत् ।

तस्मादादौ नाडि-शुद्धिं प्राणायामं ततोऽभ्यसेत् ॥

“When the Nāḍīs are blocked, prāṇa cannot move. How can Prāṇāyāma succeed? How can one gain knowledge of truth? Therefore, first purify the Nāḍīs. Only then begin Prāṇāyāma.”

This is the essence of Haṭha Yoga.Prāṇāyāma is not breath control. It is subtle purification.

Modern Science Meets Yogic Subtle Anatomy

Interestingly, modern research is slowly catching up. Although science cannot see Nadis, studies on nostril dominance have shown:

• Left nostril breathing activates parasympathetic functions (rest, calm) → exactly like Idā.

• Right nostril breathing activates sympathetic functions (alertness, energy) → exactly like Piṅgalā.

EEG research shows that alternate nostril breathing creates hemispheric balance - what Yogis describe as “prāṇa entering Suṣumnā.”

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) studies reveal improved emotional regulation and reduced stress after Prāṇāyāma - confirming what Yogis have said for centuries. The Yogis weren’t guessing. They were observing directly.

Idā, Piṅgalā, Suṣumnā: The Three Pillars of Yogic Life

Now we come to the heart of the matter.Everything flows into these three.

Idā Nāḍī (इडा)

Idā begins at the left of the Mūlādhāra and ends in the left nostril. It is your cooling, calming, nourishing force. When Idā is active, you feel reflective, gentle, sensitive, and inward.

Too much Idā creates sluggishness or emotional heaviness, much like a cloudy sky.

But when balanced, Idā brings intuition, creativity, empathy - qualities every yogin needs.

Piṅgalā Nāḍī (पिङ्गला)

Piṅgalā rises from the right of Mūlādhāra and ends in the right nostril. It is the channel of dynamism, clarity, action and warmth.

When Piṅgalā flows, life feels energetic and purposeful.

Excess Piṅgalā is like too much sun - irritation, restlessness, overdrive.

Balanced Piṅgalā gives confidence, sharpness of mind and a sense of direction.

Suṣumnā Nāḍī (सुषुम्ना)

And then there is Suṣumnā.The subtle central channel through the spine, connecting all the Chakras, and leading prāṇa from Mūlādhāra all the way to Sahasrāra.

Everything else in Yoga is preparation. Suṣumnā is the journey. When Idā and Piṅgalā are balanced, prāṇa slips naturally into Suṣumnā. This is the state where meditation becomes effortless. The breath becomes subtle. The mind becomes luminous. The practitioner experiences a deep inner quietness that cannot be forced.

This is why the Haṭha Yogins said all other Nāḍīs are secondary. Suṣumnā is the true axis of awakening.

Nāḍīs and Chakras: A Beautiful Interconnection

Each Chakra is like a whirlpool where multiple Nāḍīs meet and exchange energy. When prāṇa rises through Suṣumnā, it passes through Chakra after Chakra, influencing the practitioner’s physical, psychological and spiritual experience.

This is not imagination.Every long-term practitioner feels a movement, an awakening, a shift - sometimes gentle, sometimes strong. The texts simply give language to that experience.

Nāḍī Śuddhi: The Purpose Behind Prāṇāyāma

Many modern students think Prāṇāyāma is about oxygen. Classical Yoga says something else:

Prāṇāyāma exists to purify Nāḍīs, not lungs.

When prāṇa flows freely, the mind becomes stable.When the mind becomes stable, awareness naturally deepens.

And this is why your very first Prāṇāyāma in YTT is always Nāḍī Śuddhi. You are preparing the system for meditation - not just breathing.

Ayurveda’s View: Nāḍī Parīkṣā

Nāḍī theory doesn’t stop at Yoga. Ayurveda uses the same concept in Nāḍī Parīkṣā (pulse reading). A Vaidya feels the flow of prāṇa at the wrist and can assess doṣa imbalance, mental tendencies and subtle disruptions long before they turn into disease.

Yoga, Ayurveda, Tantra - all speak the same energetic language. Nāḍīs are simply the grammar of that language.

Bringing It All Together

Whether you read the Upanishads, Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, Śiva Saṁhitā or Gorakṣa Śataka, the message is simple and unified:

• The body is full of Nāḍīs.

• Among them, certain ones are crucial.

• And among those, Iḍā, Piṅgalā, Suṣumnā form the royal path.

• Yoga is the art of purifying these channels.

• Prāṇāyāma is the method.

• Meditation is the fruit.

• Awakening is the flowering.

  
  

When the Nāḍīs are clear, life feels clear.When Suṣumnā awakens, awareness expands naturally.

This is why understanding Nāḍīs is not optional for a Yoga teacher - it is essential. It tells you how Yoga works behind the scenes. It shows you why breath, mind, energy and consciousness are inseparable. And more importantly, it gives you a way to guide your students with authenticity and depth.