Kundalini yoga

Cooling Tongue Breath

Beginner

Inhaling through a curled tongue to cool the body

7 min
Begin
overheated cool

Why this practice

Evaporative cooling on the inhale lowers body temperature and calms the nervous system. A gentle antidote to stress, anger, or excess Pitta.

Source current

Rolling the tongue into a tube and inhaling through it draws cool air across the mouth, reducing body temperature and calming agitation. Called Sitali Pranayam in Kundalini and Hatha Yoga, it is used when the body or mind runs too hot. The exhale returns through the nose. Note: if you cannot curl your tongue, simply part the lips slightly instead.

The science behind it
Sitali (Cooling Tongue Breath) combines a simple physical cooling effect with nervous-system signaling that tends to lower arousal. Drawing air across a rolled or curled tongue produces evaporative cooling in the oral cavity and stimulates cold-sensitive receptors (mediated in part by trigeminal pathways). That cool signal is interpreted by the brain as a change in body state, which can reduce the subjective feeling of heat and agitation.

On a physiological level, slow, gentle inhalations and a calm nasal exhale help shift autonomic balance toward the parasympathetic side: heart-rate variability tends to improve and sympathetic drive (fight-or-flight) decreases. Breath practices also alter blood-gases and respiratory drive — when done calmly they avoid large drops in CO2 and instead promote steadier breathing patterns that support vagal tone. Psychologically, the focused sensation in the mouth and the deliberate timing of inhale/exhale increase interoception (body awareness) and provide a simple attentional anchor, which together reduce rumination and emotional reactivity.
Sources and references
  • Article

    How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Respiratory Control and Its Effects on Brain Function

    Zaccaro et al., Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

    A systematic review summarizing evidence that controlled breathing affects autonomic function, brain networks, and emotional regulation.

  • Book

    The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation

    Stephen W. Porges

    Foundational book on vagal pathways and how autonomic state shapes social engagement, safety signaling, and physiological regulation.

  • Article

    Nose breathing: What are the benefits?

    Healthline

    Practical summary of differences between nose and mouth breathing, respiratory filtering, and reasons to favor nasal exhalation in many practices.

  • Website

    Sitali Breath (Cooling Breath): How to Do It

    Yoga Journal

    Practical step-by-step description of Sitali pranayama and its traditional indications for calming and cooling the system.

Breathing rhythm

Cooling wave
7 min
Inhale
4s
Hold
0s
Exhale
6s
Pause
0s

Tongue rolled like a straw on the inhale. Soft nose exhale.

Inhale through the curled tongue, exhale through the nose.

How to practice

  1. Sit comfortably. Curl the tongue into a tube, or purse the lips if the tongue will not curl.
  2. Inhale slowly through the tongue or lips for 4, as if sipping cool air.
  3. Close the mouth and exhale through the nose for 6.
  4. Let the exhale be smooth and a little longer than the inhale.
  5. If you cannot curl the tongue, practice Sitkari: inhale through parted teeth with the tongue behind them.
Begin practice → Choose another practice