Cooling down with the breath: Sheetali

The Eight Kumbhakas: Part III

Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Salutations to all the teachers.

Praanaayaam is the fourth limb of the eight-limbed Yoga. Literally, it translates to “lengthening the Praana.”

It is not meditation, but is tremendously helpful as a preliminary step for accessing deeper meditative states. This is especially true if you are one of those people who finds it difficult to meditate.

Notice, when your mind is focused, the breath automatically slows down and becomes more subtle. Conversely, when you are agitated, the breath automatically speeds up and becomes more coarse.

Praanaayaam allows you to take control of the mind by consciously controlling your Praana. However, before controlling the Praana, we must first become aware of it.

In order to become aware of the Praana, we use the breath as a bridge, since we do not need any special skills to be aware of or control the breath. Through becoming more and more aware of the subtleties of the breath, with practice, we start to become aware of the underlying Praana, and are eventually able to control it - with practice.

We have discussed the fundamentals of Praanaayaam, which allow the Yogi to create their own kriya (ie. set of techniques). However, before jumping to creating your own kriya, it is helpful to practice techniques that have been tried and tested by Yogis through the ages. These techniques of traditional Praanaayaam are known as the eight Kumbhakas.

Each kumbhaka is said to have a particular effect on the mind. However, each mind is different. Given this, it is important to be vigilant as you are practicing these techniques, to note what effect it has on your mind, and use it accordingly. Do not blindly believe anything that you are reading here. Try it for yourself, and see how it works for you before adding it to your daily routine.

सूर्यभेदनमुज्जायी सीत्कारी शीतली तथा । 

भस्त्रिका भ्रामरी मूर्च्छा प्लाविनीत्यष्टकुम्भकाः ॥

SooryabhedanamUjjaayee seetkaaree sheetalee tathaa

Bhastrikaa bhraamaree moorchhaa plaaviniItiAshtaKumbhakaah

The eight Kumbhakas are Suryabheda, Ujjaayi, Seetkaari, Sheetali, Bhastrika, Bhraamari, Moorchhaa, and Plaavini.

- Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 2.44

The eight Kumbhakas are:

1. Suryabheda: The Secret of the Sun

2. Ujjaayi: Victorious Breath

3. Seetkaari: Hissing Breath

4. Sheetali: Cooling Breath

5. Bhastrikaa: Bellows Breath

6. Bhraamari: Bee Breath

7. Moorchhaa: Swooning Breath

8. Plaavini: Gulping Breath

The Eight-Limbed (Ashtaanga) Yoga: In this article, we are discussing Sheetali Kumbhaka. This is one of several techniques within the fourth limb of Yoga, Praanaayaam.

Over the past few weeks, we have discussed Suryabheda, Ujjaayi, and Seetkaari. This week, we will discuss the next one on the list - Sheetali, or cooling breath.

Sheetali: Cooling Breath

जिह्वया वायुमाकृष्य पूर्ववत्कुम्भसाधनम् । 

शनकैर्घ्राणरंध्राभ्यां रेचयेत् पवनं सुधीः॥

Jihvayaa vayuumaAkrishya poorvavatKumbhaSaadhanam

ShanakairghraanaRandhraabhyaam rechayet pavanam

The wise inhale air through the tongue and practice kumbhaka (ie. retention of the breath) as before (ie. in the other techniques). Air is then exhaled through the nostrils.

- Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 2.57

Have you ever felt so hot that it felt uncomfortable?

Aside from the mental technique of noticing the klesha of aversion in order to weaken its hold on the mind, Yoga also provides a breathing technique to cool the body.

There are two types of heat that we feel: external and internal.

External heat is the regular sort of heat - if it is hot outside, or if you are wearing a jacket when the sun is out. The sensation is generally one of discomfort. The skin feels sticky, the heart starts to beat faster, and for some, we may start to feel discomfort in the stomach area as well.

Credit: Man’s Not Hot

The second type of heat is internal.

Try to remember a time when you drank too much the previous night, didn’t drink enough water on a hot day, had too much food towards the end of the night, or ate something spicier than your stomach could handle. The sensation is similar to the feeling of external heat, except that the source feels as though it is within the body.

The discomfort from both internal and external heat leads to agitation of the mind, making it difficult to focus, and therefore, difficult to meditate.

This is where sheetali comes in.

Sheetali (pronounced shee-tuh-lee), literally means “cooling”, and is named for the cooling effect that it has on the body.

Unlike most Praanaayaam techniques, with sheetali, the inhalation is done through the mouth. As a result, the nose is unable to filter air that is going in to the lungs. Given this, it is important to practice this technique in a place where the air is clean, in order to avoid damage to the airway and lungs.

This technique is said to improve digestion and reduce high blood pressure, reduce feelings of stress, and weaken the sensations of hunger and thirst.

As you practice, keep your attention on the cooling sensation of the breath, and try to keep the flow of air as smooth and steady as possible.

The slower, the better.

Warning: Do not practice this technique in a dirty or polluted place, or if you are feeling cold. Additionally, don’t practice this technique if you suffer from low blood pressure.

Finally, this technique may change your mood. If the mind feels overly agitated, stop immediately, and practice one of the calming techniques.

Technique #1: No hold

1. Sit in your Aasana, close your eyes, and take a few normal, deep breaths (Deergha Shvaasam).

2. Push the tongue slightly out of the mouth such that the tip of the tongue is outside the lips. It should not feel uncomfortable.

3. Roll up the sides of the tongue to form a tube.

4. Breathe in slowly and deeply through the tongue-tube until the air fills your lungs completely.

5. Without a break, close the mouth and exhale through the nose.

6. This is one round. Practice at least 10 rounds to notice an effect.

Technique #2: With bandhas

1. Sit in your Aasana, close your eyes, and take a few normal, deep breaths (Deergha Shvaasam).

2. Push the tongue slightly out of the mouth such that the tip of the tongue is outside the lips and roll up the sides of the tongue to form a tube.

3. Breathe in slowly and deeply through the tongue-tube until the air fills your lungs completely.

4. Holding the breath, close the mouth and lower the head to perform jaalandhar bandha and then perform moola bandha. Hold for as long as is comfortable, counting using your maatraa.

5. Release moola bandha.

6. Lift the head to release jaalandhar bandha.

7. Exhale a slow, controlled breath through the nose until all the air is expelled from your lungs.

8. This is one round. Practice at least 10 rounds to notice an effect.

Technique #3: Counting the breath

1. Sit in your Aasana, close your eyes, and take a few normal, deep breaths (Deergha Shvaasam).

2. Push the tongue slightly out of the mouth such that the tip of the tongue is outside the lips and roll up the sides of the tongue to form a tube.

3. Breathe in slowly and deeply through the tongue-tube until the air fills your lungs completely within a count of four maatraas.

4. Holding the breath, close the mouth and lower the head to perform jaalandhar bandha and then perform moola bandha. Hold for four maatraas.

5. Release moola bandha.

6. Lift the head to release jaalandhar bandha.

7. Exhale a slow, controlled breath through the nose until all the air is expelled from your lungs, within four maatraas.

8. This is one round. Practice at least 10 rounds to notice an effect.

With this technique, the actual count of maatraas is not as important as the ratio between them. Here, the ratio is 1:1:1. With some practice, increase the ratio to 1:2:2, and eventually to 1:4:2. After this has been achieved, extend the number of maatraas from four to eight, to sixteen, and eventually to twenty or more (ie. 20:80:40).

As you practice, make sure to keep your attention on the breath, rather than thinking of other things. If the mind wanders, simply bring the attention back to the breath. With sufficient practice, you will start to notice the subtle movements of Praana behind the breath, and how it is interconnected with the other bodily (ie. Praanic) functions.

Until next time:

1. Try practicing sheetali. In particular, notice the effect on the sensations of internal or external heat.

2. If you are not feeling internal or external heat, you can generate internal heat by practicing kapaalabhaati, and subesequently practicing sheetali.

3. Take notes!

Next time: Bhastrikaa: Bellows breath