Summer special: Cooling yoga

The heat is on and it’s best to learn a few strategies to keep cool through the summer. Sheetali pranayama regulates the temperature, reduces tension and blood pressure, purifies the blood and tones the liver and spleen.

Procedure:

• Practise this in a sitting position. Close your eyes and place your hands on your knees
• Now curl the sides of your tongue upwards to create a tunnel. Slowly breathe in through the mouth. Allow air to pass over your tongue
• Inhale for four seconds through the mouth while rolling the tongue and exhale for six seconds through both nostrils. Practise for five minutes. and then increase the counts to 4:8, or 5:10 or 6:12 seconds.

 Precautions:

• Be careful if you have low blood pressure
• Do not force the proportion of breathing