Sheetali Pranayama (Cooling Breath)

Aloha Everyone,

Sheetali or Seetali means the cooling breath. Sheetali Pranayama helps balance heat within your body and restores equilibrium. This pranayama is widely used in the schools of Hatha Yoga as well as breathing techniques to combat Ayurveda’s Pitta (heat) related conditions including heat rash and acidity.

TECHNIQUE:

      1. Sit in a comfortable seated position

      2.  Close your eyes

      3.  Elongate your spine, lengthen your neck, and place a slight chin lock

      4.  Stick your tongue out, curl the sides of your tongue and form a tunnel

            If this is not possible, just place the tongue between your lips

      5.  Inhale slowly through your mouth allowing the air to pass over the tongue

      6.  Bring the tongue backing, and then exhale through the nose

      7.  Repeat inhalation through your mouth, exhalation through the nose

      8.  Breathing should be nice, easy and even, repeat 10 times

      9.  Count a breath cycle of inhalation and exhalation as one.

BENEFITS:

• Cools the mental, physical and emotional systems

• Reduces stress, anger and irritation

• Helps you enjoy calm, peace and tranquility

• Reduces fever

• Helps induce sleep

CAUTION:

Do not practice if you have cold or respiratory related condition

Namaste -- Cathi