In yoga, pranayama is the fourth pillar or element of yoga according to Patanjali. Pranayama is important to keep the respiratory system healthy. So there are 8 types of pranayama available and today we will discuss 3rd sheetkari pranayama and 4th Sheetali pranayama in this post. Let’s start this journey with the meaning of these breathing techniques.
What is the meaning of Sheetkari pranayama?
Sheetkari pranayama(Hissing Breath) is a breathing technique in yoga. The word sheetkari is derived from Sanskrit and the word ‘Sheet‘ means ‘Cool‘ and ‘Kari‘ means ‘Making‘. If you practice this pranayama then it not only helps the body to get cool but also helps the mind to get calmer. So in short, it’s a way of making the body more ‘Cooler’ and ‘Calmer’.
This is the third pranayama out of eight. If you don’t know about pranayama then you can check our article on ‘Difference between Yogasana and Pranayama’. Anyway I am giving you a brief definition of pranayama. Getting control of the respiratory process or getting control on the breath is called pranayama and getting control on breath for making the body cool is sheetkari pranayama. Hope you understood the meaning of Sheetkari Pranayama. Now let’s know the benefits of Hissing Breath.
What are the benefits of Sheetkari pranayama?
There are many benefits of sheetkari pranayama on the physical body and mind. So we are writing 5 most relevant benefits of sheetkari pranayama according to us:
- Cooling Effect: As its name shows that it keeps the body cool. In summer it will be a very helpful pranayama to make the body cooler. It helps to keep the body temperature in control and if your body gets warmer in Summers then you can take help of this sheetkari pranayama to make your body cool.
- Reduces hypertension: If you are suffering from hypertension and stress then you should try sheetkari pranayama because it helps to reduce hypertension and make the brain stress free.
- Improve Breathing: As you know sheetkari pranayama is directly connected to our respiratory function so it also helps to improve the respiratory system and breathing related disorders.
- Calms the Mind: By practicing sheetkari pranayama your brain gets mental calmness and you feel more peaceful and focused towards your goals. So it also helps you to improve your mental health.
- Balance Pitta Dosha: The sheetkari pranayama helps to balance the pitta Dosha which is related to ‘fire’. But it’s not mean that there’s actually fire in your body. It indicates the heat energy that exists into our body. By practicing sheetkari pranayama it is believed that you can balance the Pitta Dosha into the body such as acidity, irritation and digestion problems etc.
How to practice sheetkari pranayama step by step?
Here are the steps to follow during practicing the sheetkari pranayama:
- Firstly, sit in a comfortable position on the floor.
- Make sure your spine is in a straight position and your shoulders are relaxed.
- Now take a deep breath and relax your body and mind. If your mind has have any stress then release it.
- Now close your lips and make a small gap between your upper and lower teeth.
- Gently touch your tongue lightly to the roof of your mouth.
- Now inhale the air from the gap of your teeth and feel the sound and coolness that is created by your inhalation.
- Now close your mouth and exhale the air from your noise and release any stress or tension in your mind.
- Continue this process at least 5 to 8 times according to your convenience.
- During the process focus on your thoughts, feelings and sounds that are arising.
- When you complete your desired numbers of rounds you can open your eyes slowly, if closed, and come out to the normal condition.
Precautions: If you are new to this pranayama and don’t know how to practice it properly or you have any respiratory related problems then start it very slowly and make sure to consult with a qualified yoga teacher/ practitioner who can guide you correctly.
What is the meaning of Sheetali pranayama?
It is very similar to sheetkari pranayama that we have discussed recently. The word ‘Sheetali’ comes from Sanskrit and the meaning is ‘cooling’. It is a breathing technique which helps the body to get cool. Now you may think that it is the same as sheetkari pranayama but wait as I already told you that they both are similar not same. There’s a small difference between them. The way of doing sheetali pranayama is different from sheetkari pranayama. As we already know that we inhale the air with the help of teeth in sheetkari pranayama but in sheetali pranayama we inhale the air with the help of folded tongue. Remember that the purpose of both sheetali and sheetkari pranayama is the same, to cool the body but the way of practicing them is a little bit different. It is because sometimes people can’t fold their tongue or they feel uncomfortable to do the same. That’s why there are two ways for cooling the body.
What are the benefits of Sheetali pranayama?
- The benefits are same to sheetkari pranayama:
- Keep the body cool.
- Helps to make the mind calmer.
- Balance the body temperature especially in summer.
- Reduces the stress level, anxiety and keeps the overall mental health good.
- Helps to keep the respiratory function well.
How to do Sheetali pranayama step by step?
Here are some of the steps to follow while doing sheetali pranayama also known as cooling breath:
- Sit on the floor or on a chair comfortably. Make sure your spine is in straight position and your shoulders relaxed.
- Bring your tongue outside and fold the sides of your tongue so that it shapes itself like a roll.
- Now inhale the air from your folded or rolled tongue.
- Feel the cool air coming into your mouth through your tongue.
- After inhalation, hold the breath for a few seconds if it’s possible and comfortable.
- Now exhale the air from your nostrils slowly and repeat this process again and again according to your capabilities and comfortability.
- At the end, come in your natural position gradually and feel the thoughts in your mind and feel the energy of your body.
How many times should I do Sheetali pranayama?
When we are a beginner, we should practice at least 5 to 10 minutes every day depending on aur capacity and comfort. After some time when we get familiar with it we can extend the time of practice.
It is recommended to do this pranayama in the morning without having meal so that you can get the higher benefits from it.
What is the difference between Sheetali pranayama and Sheetkari pranayama?
They both are similar and it’s very difficult to find the difference between them but according to us, here are some important key differences between them:
| Sheetkari Pranayama | Sheetali Pranayama |
|---|---|
| The Way of Inhalation: Sheetkari pranayama is practiced with the help of teeth. We use gaps between the teeth to inhale the air from outside to inside. | The Way of Inhalation: in sheetali pranayama we inhale the air from outside with the help of folded tongue. |
| Difficulty Level: In sheetkari breathing exercise we just inhale the air from the gaps between our teeth so that’s why it is comparably easy. | Difficulty Level: Sheetali pranayama is a little bit difficult than sheetkari pranayama because sometimes people have to face problems while folding their tongue. |
Conclusion
Finally, I want to tell you that when summer comes this season let’s cool our body and make the mind calmer. These pranayama can help us a lot to keep us healthy and cooler. I know in this era we have other options to control the summer and winter but I recommend you don’t spend lots of time in Air conditioners (AC) and coolers. Instead you should try these yoga because they don’t change the temperature of the environment surrounding you but they change the temperature of your body. Hope you loved this post. Share this post with your friends and family whoever needs it. Thank you for reading this article.
