Cool Breezes
Chilling with your
Breath
Have you noticed that
maybe you are a little more irritable during the summer? July’s heat can
fuel frustration and aggravation. When
the body temperature rises, our tempers sometimes follow.
A committed yoga practice
can help bring awareness when these internal temperatures start to rise, as
well as providing much needed cool breezes to our souls. Surprisingly for many novice yogis, this
practice begins with controlling our breath or pranayama. “If the breath is chaotic the mind, emotions
and thoughts are chaotic. When the
breath is controlled, still and steady, so is the mind” (Rolf Gates)
Two cooling pranayama techniques to try are sitali and sitkari. Sitali translate to soothing or cool in
Sanskrit. Think of these styles as your
own air conditioning unit! Practicing sitali (or sitkari) calms the
fight or flight response. It cools the
mind, body and spirit as well as blood pressure. It has a calming effect to the entire nervous
system.
Check out Yoga
International’s detailed instructions on how to practice both sitali and
sitkari. Simply practicing these
breathing techniques for 2-5 minutes a day can make a difference. Take a breath today for a calmer, gentler
you.
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