Pranayama 101 | Shitali, Sitkari, Kaki Breath | Cooling and Relaxing
Beat the summer heat with these simple breathing exercises:
- Shitali Pranayama
- Sitkari Pranayama
- Kaki Pranayama
Our mind and body often get stressed by the hot summer heat, which creates a sense of tiredness in us. In these long hours of summer heat, there are some yogic breathing techniques to soothe our body and mind.
For all the techniques in this video, the inhalation is through the mouth, and the exhalation through the nose, always practicing full yogic breathing. If you don’t know what this is, it means breathing through your abdomen, chest and shoulders, really making use of the whole of your lungs.
These three very similar techniques have multiple benefits:
- stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, relaxing the body and an overactive mind;
- the cooling powers are very helpful for people who suffer from anxiety and hypertension;
- clear extra heat out of the system by affecting those parts of the brain that regulate body temperature;
- helpful for people suffering from a sleep disorder;
- help in lowering blood pressure;
- can help with managing anger.
Avoid these if the weather is cold, if you live somewhere polluted, and if you suffer from low blood pressure or any respiratory disorder or congestion.
Enjoy your practice!
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