Who should skip Sheetali?

Anyone with a cold or asthma. Skip it when the nose is blocked or the chest feels tight.

What is the water for?

Sheetali adds nothing to the water. Sip plain water afterward only if the mouth feels dry.

How long is the practice?

A few minutes in the evening. Stop if you feel dizzy. It does not treat sleeplessness or stress.

A few minutes of Sheetali in the evening

Sheetali is a cooling breath practiced for a few minutes in the evening, with plain water nearby. Skip it if you have a cold or asthma. It does not treat stress or sleeplessness.

Sheetali for a few minutes, and when to skip it

Sheetali uses a rolled tongue as a tube. You breathe in slowly through the mouth, close the lips, and breathe out through the nose. A few calm minutes in the evening are the whole practice. Plain water sits nearby only in case the mouth feels dry afterward. Nothing is added to the water.

Skip Sheetali if you have a cold or asthma. The breath is cooling, so it is a poor match for a blocked nose or a tight chest. If the tongue does not roll without strain, do not force a tube. Stop if you feel dizzy. This practice does not treat anxiety, sleeplessness, or any illness.

Ingredients

1 glass of plain water, sipped only if the mouth feels dry afterward
Room-temperature water, not iced water
No herb, salt, or sweetener in the water

How to prepare

Sit comfortably in a quiet kitchen corner with the glass of water beside you, not in the line of a cold draught.
See whether the tongue can roll into a tube without strain. If it cannot, skip the practice.

How to use

Breathe in slowly through the rolled tongue, close the mouth, and breathe out through the nose.
Continue only for a few minutes, then stop and sit quietly.
Skip the whole practice if you have a cold or asthma.

Helpful habits

A shorter round is enough. There is no need to continue until you feel light-headed.
Sip the water only after you finish, and only if the mouth feels dry.

Precautions

Do not practice Sheetali if you have a cold or asthma.
Stop if you feel dizzy, short of breath, or uncomfortable.
This breath is not a treatment for stress, sleeplessness, or any illness.

Frequently asked questions

Who should skip Sheetali?: Anyone with a cold or asthma. Skip it when the nose is blocked or the chest feels tight.
What is the water for?: Sheetali adds nothing to the water. Sip plain water afterward only if the mouth feels dry.
How long is the practice?: A few minutes in the evening. Stop if you feel dizzy. It does not treat sleeplessness or stress.