Sheetali: The Cooling Breath, Gentle Steps, Tradition and Who Should Avoid It

Sheetali is the cooling breath. You curl the tongue into a tube, breathe in slowly through it so that the air feels cool, then close the mouth and breathe out through the nose. The Sanskrit sheetala means cooling, and the practice is taught as a way to feel cooler and calmer in warm weather or after exertion. There is a variant called Sitkari for people who cannot curl the tongue, in which the air is drawn in through the teeth.

Unlike the other breathing practices in this section, Sheetali breathes in through the mouth, and so it has its own cautions about cold air, dust and illness. This page gives the steps, the tradition, the dosha view that teachers use, who should avoid it and what research says. Please read the safety notes for the whole section too.

How to do it

1. Sit comfortably in a clean, fresh place with the spine upright and the shoulders soft. Choose a time and place with clean air, as the practice bypasses the nose’s filter.
2. Stick the tongue out a little and curl the sides upward to make a tube. Many people can do this, and some cannot, which is an inherited trait and nothing to worry about.
3. Breathe in slowly and gently through the tube, as if sipping air through a straw. Feel the cool air on the tongue. Do not gulp or force the air.
4. Draw the tongue in, close the mouth and breathe out slowly through the nose. Do not hold the breath between the in-breath and the out-breath.
5. Repeat for five rounds at first, up to ten if it is comfortable.
6. Then breathe naturally, and notice whether you feel cooler or calmer.

If you cannot curl the tongue, you may use the Sitkari form. Close the teeth lightly, part the lips, and draw air slowly through the gaps between the teeth, with the tongue resting behind them. Stop if you cough or feel any chill, dizziness or discomfort.

What the tradition says

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a medieval text, describes Sheetali among the eight breath practices, saying that the tongue is to be shaped like a crow’s beak and the air drawn in. The text makes claims for it about cooling the body and relieving thirst and hunger, which we report only as the text’s claims, and as tradition. Its fuller form includes holding the breath, which is not taught here. Modern teachers present it as a cooling, calming practice for hot weather. Those are descriptions from tradition and from teachers’ experience and not established medical effects.

Sheetali and the doshas

Linking breathing practices to doshas is a modern teaching convention. The medical texts of Ayurveda describe pitta as hot, but they do not teach this exercise, and the pairing has not been tested.

• Teachers most often suggest Sheetali for pitta, which tradition describes as hot, sharp and prone to overheating, and especially in summer or when feeling irritable. See pitta.
• For vata, which tradition describes as cold, dry and light, teachers usually say to skip it or use it little, as cold, dry air may not suit. See vata.
• For kapha, which tradition describes as cool, heavy and damp, teachers usually advise against it, especially in cold or damp weather. See kapha.

Treat these as conventions, and if you feel chilled, stop.

Who should avoid it or take care

• Anyone with a cold, cough, sore throat, tonsillitis, sinus congestion, asthma or other chronic lung disease should avoid it, since drawing in cool, unfiltered air may irritate the airways.
• Those with low blood pressure should avoid it, and anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy or a history of stroke should ask a doctor first.
• Avoid it in cold, damp or polluted air, in dusty places and in cold weather, and never practise it where the air is smoky or dirty.
• In pregnancy, ask your doctor first, and avoid it if you feel chilled or breathless.
• Children should practise only with a qualified teacher.
• People with sensitive teeth, dental problems or mouth sores may find the Sitkari form uncomfortable.
• Anyone with anxiety or panic who feels worse during breath practices should stop and see a doctor.
• Anyone who feels dizzy, tingling or light-headed should stop and breathe normally.

A gentler option

If the tongue curl or the mouth breathing feels awkward, simply breathe in slowly through the nose and out slowly through pursed lips, as if cooling soup, for a few rounds. This is plain slow breathing and carries few of the cautions above. You can also do the practice in a cool, clean room with a cup of water to hand, for just three rounds. Other cooling habits that need no breathing practice are resting in the shade, drinking water and wearing light clothes. If you live somewhere hot, see how the seasonal advice in the ritucharya overview treats heat. A short practice is enough, as the half-effort rule in exercise by dosha reminds us.

What research says

There is very little research on Sheetali. A few small studies of cooling breath report changes in body temperature, heart rate or sense of calm, but they are too small and too varied to draw firm conclusions. There is no good evidence that it treats fever, high blood pressure, acidity or any other condition. Fever, persistent heat or burning symptoms need a doctor and not a breathing exercise. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that new practitioners should avoid forceful breathing, and that people with medical conditions should ask for clearance.

Making it part of your practice

Some people use Sheetali briefly in the afternoon in hot weather, or after a walk, and then sit quietly. Compare it with the even breathing of nadi shodhana, the hum of bhramari and the soft sound of ujjayi. If you are looking for rest afterwards, corpse pose is a natural close. The wider view of breath and routine is on yoga and pranayama in an Ayurvedic routine. Practise on an empty stomach.

The cooling breath above is described as a tradition, not as medical advice. The medical disclaimer sets out the limits of this site. If anything about your health worries you, speak to a doctor before trying it. A registered Ayurvedic practitioner is the person to see for Ayurvedic treatment.

Frequently asked questions