Sheetali means ‘cooling’. Sheetali pranayama cools the body and mind, hence the name is sheetali pranayama.
Let us perform sheetali pranayama by following the steps given below.
Sheetali
1. Sit in Padmasana or any other meditative posture.
2. Keep the hands in jnana mudra.
3. Open the mouth. Extend the tongue and bring it outside the mouth as far as possible.
4. Roll the tongue from the sides to make it like a tube. The sides of the tongue should be curled up.
5. Inhaling draw the air from the curled tongue and fill the lungs with air to the maximum.
6. Draw the tongue inside and close the mouth.
7. Exhale through the nose.
This is one round of sheetali pranayama. Practise it 3-5 times.
Remember the following points
Dos
- Focus on the tongue and the cooling sensation of the breath.
Don’ts
- Do not practise it during cold weather.
- Do not practice it in polluted environment because inhaling through the mouth does not have filtering process.
Benefits
- It cools the body and tranquilises the mind.
- It quenches thirst and improves digestion.
- It enhances endurance to the deprivation of water.
- It is beneficial in the case of high blood pressure and also in low fever.
- It is beneficial for skin and eyes also.
Limitation
- Persons suffering from low blood pressure, asthma, bronchitis and constipation should avoid practising this asana. It should not be practised in cold climate.
