Shitali – Setu Bandhasana – Simhasana
Are you often angry? Does your mind feel fiery, like a dynamite waiting for a spark to explode?
According to Ayurveda, when the fire element or Pitta dosha increases and goes out of balance, it raises the tendency toward anger, irritability, impatience, perfectionism, and pessimism.
Pitta governs metabolism, and its main seat is around the navel and abdominal area — where the small intestine, liver, spleen, and pancreas are located.
Now imagine constantly tightening the muscles around this area, like when doing sit-ups or intense abdominal workouts. The liver, stomach, and intestines get compressed, releasing bile, acids, and digestive enzymes — this intensifies the digestive fire (Agni).
Asanas that contract the abdominal muscles therefore increase Pitta, such as Surya Namaskar, twists, or Kapalabhati breathing. If your Pitta is dominant or imbalanced, avoid overdoing these postures.
Now think of movements that expand the abdominal muscles. When these muscles relax, space opens between the organs, air circulation improves, and the temperature in the abdomen decreases.
Think of abdominal breathing — when you take a deep, cool breath into your belly, filling it like a balloon and letting a soft breeze touch your inner organs.
By practicing Shitali pranayama (cooling breath) and the poses Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose) and Simhasana (Lion’s Pose), you can cool the inner fire, calm the mind, and release suppressed emotions.
In **Shitali breathing, the body and mind fill with cool air, the heart rate and blood pressure** drop, and a gentle wind soothes the fire within.
Why this matters?
The brain is full of nerve cells that affect our mood — creating feelings of joy, peace, anxiety, or anger.
The Enteric Nervous System (ENS), a major part of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), contains a network of neurons, about 80% of which constantly communicate between the small intestine and the brain.
Many of the brain’s hormone receptors are located in the digestive tract, especially in the small intestine, which is why it’s called the second brain.
When the digestive system is clean and toxin-free, these receptors function properly, producing serotonin and other hormones that bring energy, happiness, and calm.
But when the gut fills with toxins from unhealthy eating habits, these receptors become blocked, hormones are misregulated, and depending on the type of toxin (too hot, cold, wet, or dry), different emotional states can dominate — anger, anxiety, depression, or lethargy.
Practicing Setu Bandhasana or similar poses like Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Ustrasana, and Matsyasana expands the abdominal muscles, improves air flow between organs, reduces internal heat, and cools the hormone receptors — helping to reduce anger.
Through Simhasana, you also release tension and suppressed anger from your system.
Diet plays a major role in reducing irritability.
To learn more about Pitta-balancing foods and home remedies for anger, read about Pitta and anger.
Be full of health
Written by Setareh Kiumarsi
