Sitali Pranayama
1,491Śītalī means cooling. It also means calm and passionless. As the name indicates this prāṇāyāma cools the mind-body. It is specially designed to reduce the body temperature. Practice of this prāṇāyāma brings harmony in the body system and calms the mind.
Technique
• Sit in Padmāsana or any other comfortable sitting posture.
• Place the hand on the knees in Jñānamudrā or anjalimudrā.
• Roll the tongue from the sides to shape it as a tube Inhale through this tube shaped tongue, fill the lungs with air to their maximum capacity, take the tongue inside the mouth and close the mouth.
• Then slowly exhale through both the nostrils.
• This is one round of Śītalī prāṇāyāma.
• Repeat it 4 more times.
Benefits
• Śītalīprāṇāyāma purifies blood.
• It has cooling effect on body and mind.
• It is beneficial for persons suffering from high blood pressure.
• It satisfies thirst and appeases hunger.
• It relieves indigestion and disorders caused by bile (pitta)
• It destroys the disorders of gulma (chronic dyspepsia) and spleen or other related diseases (H.P 2/58).
• It is beneficial for skin and eyes.
A word of caution
Those who are suffering from severe cold, cough or tonsillitis should not do this Pranayama.