Sheetali Pranayam
(Cooling breathe)
The time is changing. People of this new generation have no patience. In our busy schedules, we don’t have much time to fix our things. People often feel irritated and agitated. What could be the reason behind that? The answer to the question is pitta. Pitta is the stomach fire. This fire attracts negative energy and negative thoughts. The negative thoughts thus make us feel more irritated and agitated.
So, to get rid of all this it is very important to cool down your stomach fire or pitta. To balance the fire, we can practice yoga. Yoga is one of the best ways to balance your pitta. One such pose to balance your pitta is Sheetali pranayama. Sheetali pranayama is one of the most effective exercises to balance your pitta. This pose can be practiced in the morning and evening after evacuation. Children can also practice this pose. It will stimulate their digestive system and strengthen it.
Sheetali pranayama is a Hindi word. The word Sheetali is divided into two parts: sheet + tali. Sheet means cold,Tali is for the bottom part of your mouth
Hence, this pose is called cooling pranayama. This is a very simple yet very effective pose. The most basic purpose of the Sheetali breathing technique is that it reduces the temperature of the body which does have a positive effect on the endocrine glands as well as the nervous system. According to hatha yoga, ancient people practiced such exercises to look younger. This pose is very beneficial for eye problems. It reduces eye strain and enhances eye health. this pranayam is also beneficial for your skin. It also increases the capacity in the absence of air, water, and food.
Benefits:

• Beneficial in summer: Practicing this pose could be beneficial in summer. It reduces heat from your body and cools you down. The breathing exercise will provide you with a feeling of relaxation and hence cools down your body.
• Fever: This pose is beneficial in fever. It cools down your body and cures fever. It will bring the temperature of your body down.
• Relieves from stress and anxiety: This pose will reduce stress and anxiety through its soothing and relaxing effect.
• Calms down hunger and thirst: This pose will calm down your hunger and thirst in an emergency. If you are stuck in such a place where you couldn’t find food or water, relax and practice this pose to calms down your hunger and thirst.
• Blood pressure: Practicing this posture results in lowering your blood pressure. It enhances oxygen in your body and cools down body. The relaxing effect will maintain the blood pressure.
• Insomnia: This pose is great for people suffering from insomnia. The regular practice of this pose can cure insomnia.
• Sleep disorder: Practicing this pose could be beneficial in sleep disorders. Its regular practice will help to cure sleep disorders. It will be a great pose to cure the sleep disorder. It helps them to relax and get a balanced sleep of 8 hours at least.
• Purifies blood: Practicing this posture will purify the blood. It will increase the oxygen-carrying blood in your body and increase the rich blood flow. The rich blood flow will result in purifying the blood in your body.
• Hyperacidity:  This posture is very beneficial in hyperacidity. The technique of cooling down your body will result in relieving hyperacidity of your body.
• Spleen: This pose is very beneficial in the spleen. Spleen is an organ that is left in the upper part of the abdomen, not far from the stomach, that produces lymphocytes, which are the important elements in the immunity system. Hence, this pose is beneficial in curing diseases like the
• Reduce spasticity: Sheetali pranayama benefits can reduce mental and emotional excitement and spasticity of mind. And at the same time, the flow of life in the body is regular.
• Relaxing muscles and nerves: This pose will prevent damaging the muscles. It will get rid of the muscles stiffness and supports the muscles as well as the nervous system.

Technique:
Step 1: Sit on the floor in a meditation position. Keep your spine straight and your hands on your knees. Adjust yourself according to your comfort level to avoid injury.
Step 2: Keep your body straight and relaxed. Do not force yourself too much. You can take the help of a wall or blanket to avoid injury.
Step 3: To practice the pose, bring out your tongue and fold it from the sides to the inside in such a way that it makes a tube.
Step 4: inhale from the tube that you have formed out of your tongue and exhale it from the nostrils.
Step 5: Hold on to the inhaled air as long as you can and exhale.
Step 6: Repeat the process at least 15 times.
Precautions:

• Do not practice this pose if you are suffering from a back injury. This process may increase the pain.
• Do not practice this pose if you have just recovered from surgery.
• Consult your doctor before practicing this pose during pregnancy.
• This pose is prohibited for people having respiratory problems. This pose may worsen their situation. So it is advised not to practice this pose in such cases. You can consult your doctor before practicing if your problem is minor.
• People suffering from asthma, cold, and cough shouldn’t practice this pose.
• People affected with low blood pressure are strictly advised not to practice the pose.
• Avoid practicing this pose during winters or extremely cold days. This might cause respiratory problems.

Props and Modification:

• If you are not comfortable seating down on the floor use a blanket underneath to avoid injury.
• You can sit on a chair if you are not comfortable seating down.
• If you can’t keep your back straight, support it on the chair or wall.
• If you can’t make a tube out of your tongue, simply fold it a little and practice this pose. It won’t affect your pose much.