Ann Grace Yoga, Breathing Exercises, Women's Health, Yoga

Cool down with Śītalī Breath

Panting is the primary way for dogs to cool themselves off because they don’t sweat the way humans do. Instead, dogs cool down through their mouths using the evaporation of moisture from the mouth and tongue, and by exchanging the hot air of their lungs with cooler external air.

For us humans, Cooling Breath, or Śītalī (shee-tuh-lee) Prāṇāyāma, can help in much the same way. We can “drink the air” through a curled tongue to cool down!

Śītalī Breath cools the body, adds moisture to the system, and may reduce fatigue, bad breath, fevers, and high blood pressure. I use it for hot flashes.

How to Practice Śītalī / Śitakārī Breath:

  1. Close your eyes, take a few normal breaths, then open the mouth and form the lips into an “O.”
  2. Curl the tongue lengthwise and project it out of the mouth.
  3. Inhale deeply across the tongue and into the mouth as if drinking through a straw.
  4. Focus your attention on the cooling sensation of the breath as the abdomen and lower ribs expand.
  5. Withdraw the tongue and close the mouth, exhaling completely through the nostrils. During each exhalation, you can also lightly touch the tip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth, inviting the tip of the tongue to send coolness toward the upper palate.
  6. Swallow now and then if the throat feels dry. 
  7. Continue this cycle until you feel refreshed.
  8. If you are unable to curl your tongue, try Śitakārī (shee-tuh-kah-ree) breath. Gently press your lower and upper teeth together and separate your lips as much as you comfortably can, so your teeth are exposed to the air. Inhale through the teeth and exhale through the nose.

Besides building breath awareness, this practice is said to calm hunger and thirst! If you experience hot flashes or feel uncomfortably hot due to the weather, give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Ann Grace Yoga, Ayurveda, Women's Health, Yoga for Everybody

Self-Care for Women

Summer Self-Care for Women Workshop

We’ll explore using the tools of Yoga and Ayurveda to develop self-care routines that support a woman’s health after the age of 35. 

  • 3 Saturdays in Summer from 10am-12pm
  • June 25, July 23, August 27 at the PAC Center in Swarthmore, PA

Find out more about your dosha, or personal constitution, and learn new (but ancient) ways to manage your current imbalances.

Expect to do gentle yoga, breathing exercises, and guided relaxations tailored to harmonize with the summer season.

Get acquainted with the subtle anatomy of the chakra and kosha systems.

Find fellowship within the communal support of the group while sharing an Ayurvedic drink and snack.

Bring a yoga mat, yoga blocks, and pillow. Chairs are available if sitting is preferred.

Ayurveda means “science of life,” and is a 3,000 year old system of living originating in India that focuses on preventing dis-ease by living in alignment with one’s personal constitution, the seasons, and one’s phase of life.

Bio: Ann MacMullan, E-RYT 500 Yoga Therapist Candidate, and Breath Coach has been joyfully sharing the gift of yoga since 2015. A native of Swarthmore, Ann has 150 hours of training in Ayurveda and has completed Women’s Health and Hormones  through Dr. Claudia Welch.