08/15/2025
We've put this into practice a few times during the summer! Check out this site for more info. about this breathing technique.
Feeling overheated—physically or emotionally? There’s a yogic breath for that.
Śītalī is a traditional cooling pranayama that soothes the nervous system, hydrates the throat, and helps you dial down inner heat, on hot summer days or during moments of inner intensity.
This simple technique invites you to breathe in through a curled tongue (or through the teeth, in Sitkarī), drawing in a cool, calming current.
Here’s how to use this pranayama practice to beat the heat:
1. Sit in a comfortable position with the head, neck, and spine in alignment.
2. Close your eyes and breathe diaphragmatically for several minutes.
3. Curl the tongue lengthwise and project it out of the mouth (about 3/4 of an inch).
4. Inhale deeply across the tongue and into the mouth as if drinking through a straw.
5. Focus your attention on the cooling sensation of the breath as the abdomen and lower ribs expand.
6. Withdraw the tongue and close the mouth, exhaling completely through the nostrils.
7. Continue doing sitali for 2-3 minutes, return to diaphragmatic breathing for several more, and repeat the cooling breath for 2-3 minutes longer.
Gradually, you can work your way up to a 10-minute practice.
💌 Share this “how to” with someone who might enjoy this practice
🔗 Dive deeper into this practice in the full article by Shannon Sexton here: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/beat-the-heat-sitali-and-sitkari/
