Shitkari Pranayama Cools During Summer Heat

Shitkari Pranayama cools the body and quenches thirst. Read general guidelines for pranayama before starting this pranayama.

Preparation

• Sit on your favourite Asana ( Padma asana, Vajra asana or Sukh asana) in a well ventilated room free from any distractions. Keep the waist, back, neck and spine erect. For the beginners, you can sit on a chair or sit cross legged on the yoga mat/ carpet keeping your back, neck and spine erect.
• Keep your hand in gyan mudra (press your first finger against the thumb and keeping other three fingers straight) on the knees.

Steps

• Fold the tongue so that the tip of the tongue might touch the upper palate.
• Draw in the air through the mouth with the hissing sound "SSSSS". The air flows over your tongue.
• Now, bring your tongue inside the mouth and retain breath as long as you are comfortable.
• Exhale slowly through both nostrils.

Practice

• Do this pranayama 10 to 20 times.
• Shitkari pranayama can be done while standing/ walking also.
• You can practice this pranayama in the morning as well as in the evening during the summer season.

Benefits

• Purifies blood.
• Quenches thirst.
• Cools body.
• Makes you more beautiful.
• Reduces high blood pressure.
• Helps to cure acidity, indigestion and fever.
• Reduces the effect of poison, snake bite.

Caution

• This pranayama is prohibited for low blood pressure patients.
• Heart and asthma patients should not hold breath.
• Do not practice this pranayama in winters.

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