A Tip for Keeping Your Cool
by Shannon Sexton • Honesdale, PA

Whether we are sitting still, running up a hill, or sound asleep, the breath acts as a continuous resonant presence infusing and influencing all other processes, from the chemical reactions of our cells to our moment-to-moment psychological and emotional state.
—Donna Farhi

Are you irritated by the summer heat? Flushed with anger? Plagued by hot flashes? Long ago, the yogis discovered a cooling breath that can soothe you in the time it takes to drink a glass of water.

Deep in the Himalayas, ancient sages observed and imitated the world around them in the noble attempt to master body, breath, and mind. They noticed the curve of a bird’s lower beak, a new, green leaf uncurling, and the hiss of a cobra—and emulated those shapes and sounds in a practice called sitali (the hissing breath). In this pranayama, the inhalation is moistened as it passes through the curl of the tongue (alternately described as a bird’s beak and an uncurling leaf), so that you are “drinking” water-saturated air.

Besides building breath awareness, this practice is said to calm hunger and thirst and cultivate a love for solitude. Sitali is also great for cooling the body, adding moisture to the system, and soothing a pitta imbalance (overactive metabolism). And it can reduce fatigue, improve bad breath, activate the liver and spleen, and lower a fever.

The Practice of Sitali

Sit in a comfortable position, keeping the head, neck and spine in alignment. Breathe diaphragmatically for several minutes, then open the mouth and form the lips into an O. Curl the tongue lengthwise and project it out of the mouth (about 3/4 of an inch). Making a hissing sound, inhale deeply across the tongue and into the mouth as if drinking through a straw, letting the abdomen and flanks expand. Then withdraw the tongue and close the mouth, exhaling completely through the nostrils.

Continue this practice for 2-3 minutes, return to diaphragmatic breathing for several more, and repeat the hissing breath for 2-3 minutes longer.

Sitali is most helpful during hot weather, and may not be appropriate during wintertime, especially if you have a vata or kapha constitution (nervous or lethargic). And be sure to take in air that is close to body temperature, since the breath won’t be warmed by the nostrils—if the air is shockingly cold, it may aggravate the lungs.

From the book Quick Tips for Balanced Living, copyright (c) 2005 by The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U.S.A. Reprinted with permission of Himalayan Institute Press, 1-800-822-4547, www.HimalayanInstitute.org.