Sheetali Pranayama {Cooling Breath}: Introduction, Steps, Benefits, Precautions, Expert Tips & Alterations

Introduction of Sheetali Pranayama

Sheetali Pranayama, also known as Cooling Breath, is a breathing exercise that is very effective in cooling the body, mind and emotions. Sheetali comes from the Sanskrit root leaf, which means cold or icy. Sheetal roughly translates to that which is calm, dispassionate, and calming.

Sheetali Pranayama calms and calms the mind-body organism by using a powerful evaporative cooling mechanism when inhaled activated, which supplies the deep tissues of the body with a gently cooling energy.

Remarkably, this pranayama also ignites the digestive fire, just as an ember covered with ash might begin to glow under the influence of a cold wind.

The practice of Sheetali Pranayama can be indispensable during hot weather, intense physical exertion, prolonged direct exposure to sunlight, hot flashes, heated emotional situations and other heat-causing circumstances.

This practice is very pitta balancing and neutral to vata and kapha. However, caution should be exercised when practicing Sheetali Pranayama when there is an internal excess of cold or when the season is particularly cold. In these cases, it is essential to determine if Sheetali is really the right pranayama to practice. If this is the case, consider balancing sheetali with a more warming pranayama like bhastrika.

Steps of Sheetali Pranayama

1. Sit comfortably in any meditative pose such as padmasana, swastikasana, etc.
2. Keep both of your hands on your knees.
3. Now bring your tongue out all the way and fold both sides of the tongue like a tube or straw.
4. Take a long, deep breath in through the tongue tube formed by folding both sides of the tongue.
5. After inhaling, lower your chin to your chest (jalandhar bandha) and hold your breath for about 6 to 8 seconds. (While holding your breath, lower and bend your chin down and place it on your throat.)
6. When you are ready to exhale, release the jalandhar bandha (lift your chin to the normal position) and breathe slowly at the left nadi (nostril).
7. Repeat this about 5 to 6 times. At the end, bring your breathing back to normal and feel relaxed.

Benefits of Sheetali Pranayama

• Balances excess Pitta
• Cools the body and dissipates excess heat Ignites the digestive fire and promotes optimal digestion
• Alleviates excess acidity in the digestive tract
• Relieves inflammatory skin conditions
• Helps calm inflammation throughout the body and calms the mind, aiding in mental tranquility
• Enhances the flow of prana throughout Body
• Promotes a sense of contentment
• Reduces fever
• Alleviates colic
• Boosts the immune system
• Suppresses excessive hunger
• Disrupts excessive thirst
• Lowers blood pressure

Precautions to be taken

People with low B.P. and people suffering from asthma, cold and cough or other breathing problems should not try this. If you cannot fold your tongue like a tube, in that case try Sheetkari Pranayama. The results of sheetkari and sheetali pranayama are same.

Reference

• https://sarvyoga.com/sheetali-pranayama-cooling-breath-steps-and-benefits/
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjX7YHBgbD6AhUlRXwKHVg_Ce4QFnoECAsQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.banyanbotanicals.com%2Finfo%2Fayurvedic-living%2Fliving-ayurveda%2Fyoga%2Fsheetali-pranayama%2F&usg=AOvVaw3GAmNAD8deLhTSZbpZa55I

FAQs

How many Dosha are balanced in this pranayama?

It only balances the pitta Dosha.

What are the contraindications that can be encountered?

Sheetali and sheetkari are contraindicated for those with low blood pressure, respiratory conditions (such as asthma, bronchitis, or excessive mucus production), and those with chronic constipation.1 Those with heart disease should practice without holding their breath.1 Because this practice requires inhalation through the mouth (which does not use the filtering capacity of the nasal passages), it should not be practiced when the environment is heavily polluted.

How to Practice to practice sheetali pranayama?

Sheetali and sheetkari (like most pranayama’s) are best practiced on an empty stomach. Choose a comfortable seating position. If you can, it’s best to sit cross-legged on the floor with a pillow or blanket to comfortably elevate your hips.

Alternatively, you can sit in the front of a chair and put your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your knees and straighten your spine so that your back, neck, and head are upright and your chest and abdomen are open. Gently close your eyes and breathe through your nose. Relax the whole body. Begin by taking a few full yogic breaths, grounding the mind and gently awakening the Prana Maya Kosha (the energetic body).

When you are ready to work the cooling breath, inhale according to your tongue rolling ability.

If we can’t roll your tongue, how can you breathe in?

Simply flatten the tongue and gently grasp it between the teeth, making the lips part and widen slightly, like when we smile. Inhale and let the breath flow down the sides of your tongue and through the corners of your mouth. In either variation, breathe in as with the full yogic breath, filling the abdomen, ribs and chest completely and noticing the cool quality of the air as it enters the body.

At the top of the inhalation, pinch your tongue and close your mouth, holding your breath for a few moments as long as it feels natural, without effort. Usually, one to two seconds is enough at first. If saliva has built up and you feel the need to swallow, you can swallow during retention. Then exhale slowly through your nostrils. This completes a round of cooling breaths.

Continue for seven rounds: inhale through the curled tongue (or with the tongue between your teeth), close your mouth, hold your breath gently, and exhale through your nose. If you desire a longer practice, you can gradually increase the cooling breath to fifteen rounds When you are ready to complete your practice, take one long, relaxed breath in and out through your nostrils. Then allow your breathing to return to normal and continue to breathe through your nose.

Calmly observe your thoughts and state of mind. When you feel ready, gently open your eyes and continue to turn some of your attention inward as you slowly stand up and give your full attention to the rest of your day.

What variations can be added to this pranayama?

Some variations of sheetali and sheetkari involve more advanced techniques such as muscle locks (bandhas), longer retentions (kumbhakas), and longer inhalations and exhalations. The best way to learn these techniques is via a trained instructor.