Cooling Pranayamas
As the title says, they have a cooling effect withing our bodies. From an Ayurvedic point of view, they are really good bringing down any aggravation related with Pitta dosha. They will also help you to face the heat during summer, or at any time when you are feeling too hot.
The following instructions are just a complementary guidance for the practice of pranayamas, they are not meant to replace the teachings and supervision of a qualified Yoga teacher. Please, keep in mind that they just aim to give an extra theoretical support to the practical experience that you develop with the help of a professional.
If you have further questions, or you want to start practising pranayamas, do not hesitate in contacting us here!
As the title says, they have a cooling effect withing our bodies. From an Ayurvedic point of view, they are really good bringing down any aggravation related with Pitta dosha. They will also help you to face the heat during summer, or at any time when you are feeling too hot.
The following instructions are just a complementary guidance for the practice of pranayamas, they are not meant to replace the teachings and supervision of a qualified Yoga teacher. Please, keep in mind that they just aim to give an extra theoretical support to the practical experience that you develop with the help of a professional.
If you have further questions, or you want to start practising pranayamas, do not hesitate in contacting us here!
1.- Shitali Pranayama
Instructions: Sit in a comfortable position. Put your hands resting on your knees. Keep head, neck and trunk aligned, straight to the ceiling. Close your eyes and relax your body. Extend your tongue outside your mouth as far as you can, rolling the sides of the tongue as in an “U” shape (see picture). Gently and smooth inhale through your mouth. At the end of the inhalation, draw your tongue in, close the mouth and exhale through your nose. This is one round.
Usually, 15 rounds of this Pranayama are enough to cool the body, but if you are in a very hot environment, you can practise up to 60 rounds.
* For some people it is not possible to bend the tongue in the “U” shape. In these cases it is possible to obtain similar effects from Shitkari Pranayama, explained below.
Benefits:
√ It has a cooling effect for the body.
√ It helps to reduce aggravations related with Pitta Dosha.
√ It reduces mental and emotional blockages, and induces muscular relaxation.
√ It can be useful in situations when you are hungry and you don not have food available, because it generates a feeling of satisfaction.
√ It is helpful as a tranquilizer before sleep.
Contraindications:
X It should not be practised in cold weather.
X It is not recommended for people with low blood pressure or respiratory disorders (such as bronchitis, asthma, excessive mucous) or chronic constipation.
Instructions: Sit in a comfortable position. Put your hands resting on your knees. Keep head, neck and trunk aligned, straight to the ceiling. Close your eyes and relax your body. Extend your tongue outside your mouth as far as you can, rolling the sides of the tongue as in an “U” shape (see picture). Gently and smooth inhale through your mouth. At the end of the inhalation, draw your tongue in, close the mouth and exhale through your nose. This is one round.
Usually, 15 rounds of this Pranayama are enough to cool the body, but if you are in a very hot environment, you can practise up to 60 rounds.
* For some people it is not possible to bend the tongue in the “U” shape. In these cases it is possible to obtain similar effects from Shitkari Pranayama, explained below.
Benefits:
√ It has a cooling effect for the body.
√ It helps to reduce aggravations related with Pitta Dosha.
√ It reduces mental and emotional blockages, and induces muscular relaxation.
√ It can be useful in situations when you are hungry and you don not have food available, because it generates a feeling of satisfaction.
√ It is helpful as a tranquilizer before sleep.
Contraindications:
X It should not be practised in cold weather.
X It is not recommended for people with low blood pressure or respiratory disorders (such as bronchitis, asthma, excessive mucous) or chronic constipation.
2.- Shitkari Pranayama
Instructions: Sit in a comfortable position. Put your hands resting on your knees. Keep head, neck and trunk aligned, straight to the ceiling. Close your eyes and relax your body. Hold your teeth slightly separated, exposing them at the same time that you separate your lips. Fold your tongue against the soft palate. Breath in slowly and deeply through your mouth. Exhale slowly through your nose. This is one round.
Benefits:
√ It has a cooling effect for the body, and similar effects than Shitali Pranayama (read above).
√ It helps to reduce aggravations related with Pitta Dosha.
Contraindications:
X It should not be practised in cold weather.
X It is not recommended for people with sensitive teeth, missing teeth or dentures (instead they can practise Shitali Pranayama).
Instructions: Sit in a comfortable position. Put your hands resting on your knees. Keep head, neck and trunk aligned, straight to the ceiling. Close your eyes and relax your body. Hold your teeth slightly separated, exposing them at the same time that you separate your lips. Fold your tongue against the soft palate. Breath in slowly and deeply through your mouth. Exhale slowly through your nose. This is one round.
Benefits:
√ It has a cooling effect for the body, and similar effects than Shitali Pranayama (read above).
√ It helps to reduce aggravations related with Pitta Dosha.
Contraindications:
X It should not be practised in cold weather.
X It is not recommended for people with sensitive teeth, missing teeth or dentures (instead they can practise Shitali Pranayama).
3.- Chandra Bheda Pranayama
Chandra Bedha is related with the moon energy, the cold, the process of introversion. It can be practised to cool down our mood, temperature, agitation.
Intructions: Sit in a comfortable position. Put your hands resting on your knees. Keep head, neck and trunk aligned, straight to the ceiling. Close your eyes and relax your body. Adopt Nasagra Mudra. For that you will need to extend the thumb, ring and little fingers of your right hand. About the position of the index and middle fingers there are 2 variations: in the first one you bend the index and middle fingers towards your palm. In the second one, you extend you index and middle fingers, at the time that you keep them separated from the rest of the fingers (see the picture). You can adopt any of these 2 variations, the one that suits better for you.
Continue by closing the right nostril with the thumb finger. Breath in, slowly and deeply through the left nostril. Exhale slowly through the right nostril, closing the left nostril with your ring finger. For the next inhalation, close again your right nostril with your thumb finger and open the left one. Breath in slowly and deeply. Exhale through your right nostril, blocking the left one with your ring finger. This is one round.
For beginners in this practice, 10 rounds are enough. When it becomes comfortable, the practice can be increased up to 5 min (not more than that to avoid imbalances in the flow of energy).
Benefits:
√ Chandra Bheda cools down the body.
√ It is helpful to balance Vata and Kapha doshas.
√ It stimulates Ida Nadi.
√ It increases calmness.
Contraindications:
X Chandra Bheda should not be practised for people with low blood pressure.
Continue by closing the right nostril with the thumb finger. Breath in, slowly and deeply through the left nostril. Exhale slowly through the right nostril, closing the left nostril with your ring finger. For the next inhalation, close again your right nostril with your thumb finger and open the left one. Breath in slowly and deeply. Exhale through your right nostril, blocking the left one with your ring finger. This is one round.
For beginners in this practice, 10 rounds are enough. When it becomes comfortable, the practice can be increased up to 5 min (not more than that to avoid imbalances in the flow of energy).
Benefits:
√ Chandra Bheda cools down the body.
√ It is helpful to balance Vata and Kapha doshas.
√ It stimulates Ida Nadi.
√ It increases calmness.
Contraindications:
X Chandra Bheda should not be practised for people with low blood pressure.
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Balance your feminine and masculine energy through the Pranayamas of the balancing section. Keep reading here ! |
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