Now śītalī: inhaling the air through the tongue, practicing kumbhaka as before, the wise one should exhale slowly through both nostrils.

This verse introduces śītalī prāṇāyāma, whose name means “the cooling one.” The inhalation is performed jihvayā — through the tongue, which is rolled into a tube shape, creating a channel through which air is drawn.

The technique requires the genetic ability to roll the tongue, which approximately one-third of the population does not possess. For them, sītkārī offers similar benefits. The air passing over the moist tongue is cooled by evaporation before entering the lungs.

Pūrvavat kumbhasādhanam indicates that the retention follows the methods already described. The exhalation is through the nose (ghrāṇarandhābhyām) and must be śanakaiḥ (slow). The cooling occurs primarily during inhalation; the nasal exhalation allows the body’s heat to rebalance gradually.