Sheetkari Pranayama: The Hissing Cooling Breath

Pranayama 3 illustrations Updated 2 Nov 2026

Sheetkari pranayama cools you through the teeth. With the upper and lower teeth just touching and the lips drawn back, you pull air in through the narrow gaps so it makes a faint hiss, then close the mouth so the breath exits through the nose. Anyone who cannot curl the tongue for sheetali can use this instead and get much the same fresh, settled feeling.

Its other spellings include sitkari, shitkari pranayama and seetkari, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika counts it among its eight kumbhakas. Below: the method, a comparison with the tongue version, why people like it in summer, and when to leave it alone.

Inhale: Through the teeth, lips parted, soft hiss
Exhale: Through the nose, mouth closed
Rounds: 8 to 15
Best for: Hot weather, feeling heated or irritable
Spellings: Sitkari, shitkari, seetkari
Skip if: Cold, cough, sensitive teeth, low BP

How to do sheetkari pranayama

Take any steady seat with the back upright.
Let the teeth meet gently, without clenching.
Draw the lips back so the front teeth are visible.
Pull the breath in slowly across the teeth, listening for a soft hiss.
Shut the lips and release the air through the nostrils, taking longer than the in breath.
Continue for eight to fifteen cycles, about three to five minutes.

In some lineages the tongue tip curls back toward the palate during the inhale. If that feels awkward, just leave the tongue at rest.

Sheetkari pranayama in pictures

Sheetkari pranayama seated with teeth lightly together and lips parted while drawing in air — Level
Beginner
Hold
8 to 15 rounds
Works on
Cooling
Teeth together, lips apart: the breath slides in over the teeth with a whisper of sound.
**Teacher's cue:** Keep the jaw soft; the teeth only touch.

Breathing out through the nose with the mouth closed after the cooling sheetkari inhale — Level
Beginner
Hold
One slow exhale
Works on
Calm
Seal the lips after each hiss and let the warmed air drift out of the nostrils.
**Teacher's cue:** Make the out breath longer and quieter than the in breath.

Practising cooling breath in a room with a ceiling fan on a hot afternoon — Level
All levels
Hold
3 to 5 minutes
Works on
Heat relief
On a sweltering afternoon, five quiet minutes of this breath under a fan can feel like a cold drink.
**Teacher's cue:** Stop if the teeth feel sensitive to the cool air.

Sheetkari vs sheetali

	Sheetkari	Sheetali
Air enters	Between the teeth	Through a rolled tongue
Sound	Soft hiss	Quiet sip
Who can do it	Almost everyone	Only people who can roll the tongue
Effect	Cooling, calming	Cooling, calming

Sheetkari pranayama benefits

The cool air over the teeth and tongue gives an immediate cooling sensation, which many people find soothing in hot weather or when they feel flushed or irritable. Like other slow breathing practices, it may help lower heart rate and stress for a short while. Traditional texts also claim it reduces hunger, thirst and sleepiness, which has not been studied.

Sitkari pranayama in a hot climate

In much of India the summer months bring sticky heat and short tempers. Cooling breaths have been used for centuries in exactly this setting. A practical way to use sheetkari is to do a few rounds after coming indoors from the sun, before a meal on a hot day, or when you notice irritation rising. Drink water as well; no breathing technique replaces hydration. People who work outdoors may find a short round at lunch helps them feel fresher for the afternoon.

Who should avoid it

Put this practice aside on cold days, when a chest or throat infection is brewing, during an asthma flare, if your blood pressure tends to run low, or if cold air hurts your teeth. Mouth breathing pulls in whatever is in the air, so practise indoors when it is dusty or smoggy. The classical method adds a pause after the inhale; omit it with high blood pressure or a heart condition.

Where it fits

Sitkari pranayama works well to cool down after a demanding session or as a midday reset in summer. Combine it with the left nostril breath on our chandra bhedana page for an extra calming effect, and compare every method in the types of pranayama table or the main pranayama guide.

Breathe gently and never force a hold. Skip fast or forceful breathing in pregnancy, high blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy or after recent surgery, and stop if you feel dizzy or breathless.