Recipe and Health Articles

Shitali Pranayama

Shitali means cooling. It is a pranayama which cools whole the body so it is best done in hot weather or at the end of a vigorous yoga session.

1.  Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position in a well ventilated room free from any distractions. Keep the waist, back, neck and spine erect.
2.  Take two or three deep inhales and exhales through the nose to prepare.
3.  Open your mouth slightly, in such a way that the tip of your tongue should be closer to both lines of the teeth. Now roll the tongue, curling the sides in towards the center to form a tube. Stick the end of the tongue out between your pursed lips. If you can’t roll your tongue, just purse the lips making a small `o` shape with the mouth.
4.  Inhale through the tube of the tongue.
5.  Exhale through the nose.
6.  Repeat 5-10 times as you feel the cooling effect.

Benefits of Shitali Pranayama

1.  It has great energizing, soothing, relaxing and cooling effects on all the nerve channels and on the whole body.
2.  It has a pacifying and relieving effect for various troubles such as headache and fever.
3.  The Pranayama purifies the blood expelling the toxins.
4.  Shitali pranayama is highly recommended as an immediate remedy for nervousness.
5.  Diseases like tumor, jaundice, skin diseases, fever are cured and it also corrects indigestion and constipation.
6.  It quenches the thirst. Hence if one feels thirsty and hungry at a place where water and food are not available, this pranayama could be tried.
7.  It activates the liver and improves digestion.

Caution

This Pranayam should not be practiced in case of heavy cough or cold, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis and low blood pressure.