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the blood vessels throughout the lungs, which gradually eliminate excess body heat. The technique and effects of sheetali and sheetkari are the same, only the methods of inhalation vary.
Sheetali Pranayama Technique l: basic method
Sit in any comfortable meditation posture with the hands on the knees in chin or jnana mudra. Close the eyes and relax the whole body. Extend the tongue outside as far as possible without straining. Roll the sides of the tongue up so that it forms a tube. Inhale through the rolled tongue in one long, smooth and controlled breath. At the end of inhalation, draw the tongue inside, close the mouth and exhale through the nose. Practise yogic breathing throughout. The inhaled breath should produce a sucking sound. A feeling of icy coldness will be experienced on the tongue and the roof of the mouth. This is one round.
Practise 11 rounds and gradually extend to 21. Practice note: The awareness should be focused on the rolled
up tongue, and the sound and cooling sensation of the inhaled breath. About one-third of the population is genetically unable to roll the sides of the tongue into a tube. For practitioners who cannot perform this action, sheetkari pranayama gives similar benefits. The duration of the inhalation should gradually be lengthened to increase the cooling effect. For general purposes 11-21 rounds are sufficient; however, in very hot weather up to 60 rounds may be performed.
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