Sheetali (Cooling Breath)

In the app: Sheetali Pranayama

Sheetali cools you down, eases irritation or frustration, and settles an overheated, agitated mind. It's a cooling yogic breath, you inhale slowly through a curled tongue or pursed lips, then exhale gently through the nose.

The slow, resistance-controlled inhale lengthens the breath and engages the calming branch of the nervous system, while the cooling sensation is traditionally used to soothe heat and tension. You may notice a cool feeling across your tongue and a softening as you exhale. As a slow pranayama, it sits within the research showing paced yogic breathing supports relaxation. Sheetali means cooling in Sanskrit, a classical practice from the Hatha yoga tradition used for centuries to cool both body and mind. If the practice feels a little awkward or hard to coordinate at first, that's completely normal, it becomes more natural the more you do it.