How does sitali pranayam benefit you in pregnancy?. How to do cooling breathe and what are the benefits for you and your baby?
What is cooling breath technique?
Sitali is a type of breathing exercise that helps cooling and moisturising the body. It does this by encouraging water in the body to flow more fluidly.
It works with the pitta energy of your body that fire in your belly calming and stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system which is medicine for every mom.
Hence it is also great for hot weather climates, feelings of anger and frustration.
How to do Sitali pranayam
You’ll often always find a local yoga class particularly kundalini yoga which works with the rising energy of the spine.
If you are doing home yoga;
- Sit in a comfortable position and come into your breathe.
- Stick your tongue out and curl it.
- Inhale for the count of 5 through your straw shaped tongue.
- Close your mouth and exhale for 5 through nostrils.
- Tuck your chin towards your chest as you exhale.
- Inhale through straw tongue, bringing your chin parallel to floor.
- Exhale through nostrils, close the mouth, tuck chin to chest.
- Repeat 5-15 times or minutes with your breathe.
What if I can’t curl my tongue?
Myth debunked, so theres a common myth held that tongue rolling is a mendelian inheritance.
However according to Edinbrugh University studies it is a mixture of genes and environment.
Good old long standing nature/nurture debate.
So if you are a person who finds curling the tongue challenging, simply do sitkari pranayama by:
- Bringing your teeth together and open the lips so your gnashers are showing
- Inhale through teeth
- Exhale through nostrils hiding your teeth.
- Repeat 5-15 times or minutes with your breathe.
How does Sitali pranayam benefit you in pregnancy?
The benefits of sitali pranayam are:
- Cleanses the liver
- Moves water in the body hence helping digestion
- Cools the body
- Works with balancing emotions
- Lowers blood pressure
- Calms the nervous system
By practicing breath work meditation it encourages a calmer mom. This facilitates feelings of inner contentment in creating harmony, peace and balance to the body, through the breathe, for you and your baby.
⚠️ Do not practice sitali if
Pranayama is great to do however there are some cautionary points to note.
Do not practice if you have:
- Sniffles or cold
- If you’re inhaling cold air, be aware it could irritate the lungs further and boost the likelihood of a chest infection.
- Low blood pressure
- This breathing technique works with reducing a high blood pressure.
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