Sitali and Sitkari pranayama are one of the simplest ways to cool your body. When Kali went on a non-stop rampage, Shiva had to help her calm down. When Kali finally gave in, by standing on top of Shiva, her tongue is out and she is under control. Sitali and Sitkari are two techniques of pranayama which use the tongue to simply cool you down.
When you feel the Kali energy or just tired in the afternoon, try practicing about six rounds of Sitkari or Sitali. It feels fresh, calms you and you are awake. To do Sitali, come to a comfortable seated position. Keep your spine straight and shoulders relaxed. Roll your tongue like a tube and start inhaling through the tongue and move you head slightly up. You should feel your upper spine straighten and your lungs fill up. When the inhale is done, place your tongue on the upper palate of your mouth and bring your head down gently on an exhale. Your chin should get close to the chest now. We place the tongue on the upper palate so that the mouth does not dry out while doing Sitali.
Sitkari is another technique which gives the same results as Sitali and is much simpler to do. Many people cannot roll their tongues and Sitkari is prescribed for them. Place your tongue between the teeth. Your cheeks are outwards as if you are smiling. The tongue should protrude out just slightly, like 3 mm or so. On an inhale, with a hissing sound move your head slightly up. On an exhale, place the tongue in, move the head close to the chest. Hatha Yoga Pradipika says, if you practice Sitkari regularly one can stay young as kamadeva. Wrinkles are prevented when we practice this technique!
A great way to cool down in the Indian summer.
Posts