The Wonders Of Jala Neti: A Yoga Nasal Irrigation Technique

The Ancient Yoga Technique of Jala Nethi To Clear Your Sinus

An important part of Shatkarma (Shatkriya), the yogic system of body cleansing techniques, Jala Neti and the Neti pot used in this technique have become a popular solution to blocked sinuses and nasal clearing. So popular, that the queen of television Oprah Winfrey did a feature on her talk show (click here) with Dr. Oz who stated that the treatment may be more effective than medication.

Method of doing Jala Neti-

• What you need to begin with is a special pot called the neti pot which has a specially designed spout that is used to irrigate the nostrils.
• Fill the neti pot with lukewarm water (cold water may make you feel like you’re drowning in a pool) and add to it a quarter teaspoon of non-iodized salt.
• Standing over a sink, large bowl or outside, place the spout of the pot pot into the right nostril. The end of a neti pots spout is specially designed to seal the nostril gently.
• Bend forward, tilt your head to the left and with you mouth open (breathe through your mouth) allow gravity to do its work as the water flows through the one nasal passage and out the other nostril.
• Allow the water to flow in a small steady steam and don’t forcefully pour the water into your nostril.
• Do this for a few seconds (20-30 seconds is all it takes). Remove the pot and stand up.
• Before changing sides, gently blow out any remaining water and mucus from your nose. Slow, soft blows as you would clear a cold is all you need to do.
• Repeat the method with the other nostril.
• If you still feel there is a mucus blockage you can repeat the whole process over several times until it clears.

While Yogis have practiced this method of nasal irrigation to flush out the sinuses using the neti pot, scientific studies too have proved its efficacy – Read- The Claim: Nasal Irrigation Can Ease Allergy Symptoms (NYTimes article).

While it may look , the benefits of Jal Neeti should eliminate any reservations you may have in trying it out. Used to treat a wide range of chronic sinus symptoms, evidence suggests that nasal irrigation also causes relief for both hay-fever and the common cold. If not just for blocked a blocked nasal passage or sinus, people who perform Jala Neti on a regular basis without any particular symptoms have been stated claiming it improves the quality of life and reduces use of medication, including antibiotics.

The simple yoga technique is used by many across the world (including scuba divers, to put an end uncomfortable diving due to equalization problems)  that swear by its wondrous results. Primitive, yet proven supremely beneficial I picked up my first Neti pot a few years now and life  has smelled so sweet since!

Photo Credits:photos by cesarastudillo, Chiot’s Run on flickr

Extreme Yoga Poses

While Yoga isn’t just about twisting one’s body into an intricate pretzel or doing headstands or balancing acts, it is certainly a part of the practice of Yoga. You may just start off with simple yoga asanas (yoga poses) like the downward facing dog and simple back bends, but with regular practice your flexibility, balance and strength improves drastically allowing you explore and try some harder postures.

Here’s a look at some advanced yoga poses that look a little extreme yet make yoga so damn cool-

photo by milopeng on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by domananda on flickr

photo by Sami Taipale on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by milopeng on flickr

photo by milopeng on flickr

photo by domananda on flickr

photo by Kelly Loves Whales on flickr

photo by milopeng on flickr

photo by Pedro Moura Pinheiro on flickr

7 Yoga Asanas to Stimulate Each Of The 7 Chakras

In our last post we saw how Yoga can be a means of energizing or stimulating our 7 main chakras or energy centers in our body to keep them balanced and functioning well. Here’s a closer look at 7 Yoga Poses for each of the 7 chakras to energize them –

1. Muladhara (Root Chakra)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

This chakra located at the base of the spine is the force that keeps us connected to this Earth and is the base of our existence. It is associated with the feeling of groundedness. The backbend asana called the Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or Bridge pose which requires your feet to be firmly grounded while the spine raised, opens up and focuses energy to this root chakra.

• Lying flat on your back, hands palm down by your sides, bend your knees and bring your feet close to your bottom making sure your feet are parallel on the yoga mat.
• Pressing your feet firmly against the ground, lift your hips up towards the ceiling.
• Interlace your fingers under you, straighten your arms and press them down on the to mat to raise your back and chest higher.
• Roll your shoulders and draw your chest towards your chin.
• Stay and breath
• Release the pose, by releasing your hands back into the palm down position beside you, then bringing the your upper, middle then lower back and hips down. Knees are still bent
• Allow your knees to touch and rest

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2. Svadisthana (Sacral Chakra)
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

The second chakra known as the sacral chakra is your sensing power station, connecting you to your feeling sensitivities or your inner child. It is situated in lower abdomen and womb area. Bhujangasana or the cobra pose emphasis that region and helps open up this second chakra.

• Lie flat on your stomach, palms face down on either sides just under your shoulders, elbows touching your body.
• Without using your hands for support, start lifting – forehead, nose, chin, shoulders and chest up as much as you can using your back muscles.
• Once you reach a point where you can’t go up higher, press your palms down on the floor and using your arm support slide your chest forward and higher. Your elbows should be touching your sides and not away from your body.
• Make sure the pelvic bone and your legs are not raised but firmly touching the ground
• Roll your shoulders back, opening the chest further, look upwards without cranking your neck and breathe
• To release the pose, using your arms support lower your body back down, face down and rest with your hands besides your shoulders.

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3. Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra)
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

The Manipura chakra located in the area of the navel is associated with Will and Power. Dhanurasana or the bow pose is a great way of energizing this chakra as it works the region of the body where the pancreas, adrenal gland and digestive system is located.

• Lie flat on your stomach, arms stretched out by your sides.
• Reaching your arms back, take a hole of your ankles and breathe  normally.
• On an inhalation, lift your legs up from the thighs and your torso will raise too. Try not using your arms to pull you legs.
• Lift your torso higher, opening up your chest and breathe deeply while holding the pose.
• To release- lower your thighs until they are touching the floor and let go of your ankle to rest.

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4. Anahata (Heart Chakra)
Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

The heart chakra is the power house of the human energy system and the center of love and healing. It is also your link between body and spirit. The Camel pose or Ustrasana, raises your chest towards the sun and is excellent for opening this chakra.

• Start from a kneeling position
• Extend your arms behind you and as you open up your chest looking up and then backwards
• One at a time, take a hold of your heels while keeping your hips pushed forward so they are inline with your knees.
• Let you head fall back and open your throat, your chest towards the sky and breathe.
• To release, bring your head up and let go of your heels one by one coming forward until you are back in a kneeling position.
• Rest in vajrasana sitting on your heels.

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5. Visuddha (Throat Chakra)
Matsyasana (Fish Pose)

The Blue throat chakra is the center of our communication and rules the neck region including the thyroid, throat, trachea, neck vertebrae and mouth. It is also associated with the shoulders, arms, and hands, there fore Matsyasana or the fish pose is a good posture to open up and call attention to the neck and throat region.

• Lie on your back arms by your sides and slowly come up onto your elbows.
• Positioning your arms under your back as close together as possible, palms pressing down on the floor near or even under your buttock, with your weight on your elbows, lower your body back
  while puffing your chest.
• Looking backwards drop the crown of your head onto the floor and open up your throat.
• Hold and breathe, pressing your forearms and elbows to raise and open your chest up further.
• To release, push up on your forearms and elbows to raise your head off the floor. Then gently lower your body and head to a sleeping position.

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6. Ajna (Third Eye/Brow Chakra)
Seated Yoga Mudra

The third-eye chakra located in our forehead, between the eyes is the key to our wisdom, learning and putting things in perspective. This seated mudra helps open up the tird eye and stimulates the brow chakra.

• Start in Vajrasana (sitting on your heels) back straight.
• take your hands behind you and interlace your fingers pulling your arms down and your chest up to straighten your spine further. Roll back and squeeze your shoulder blades together, opening up your chest.
• Now bend forward from your hips keeping your bottom firmly seated your arms still locked behind you. Allow your back to round over your knees and put your forehead (third eye) to the ground.
• Slowly raise your arms up behind you so your hands are reaching towards the ceiling, shoulders still rolled back and arms straight.
• Hold this position and breathe
• To release, lower your arms back down to your behind and slowly raise your body back to the seated position.

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7. Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)
Continued from Seated Yoga Mudra (6th Chakra Pose)

The Crown Chakra is our connection to our spiritual nature and rules the entire connects to the central nervous system. Meditation in full or half lotus or even the headstand pose called Salamba Sirsasana helps stimulate the crown chakra. However from the seated mudra pose explained in the 6th chakra you may continue the following steps that focus on the 7th chakra – the crown chakra.

• Before releasing the your arms down from the last pose, from the same postion lift your buttocks up off your heels to come onto your knees.
• Roll your head from the forehead to come on the crown of your head, continue to keep your arms overhead and stretched.
• Focus on the crown of your head as you hold the pose and breathe.
• To release, come back to you forehead and lower your bottom back to your heels in a seated position and release in the same way explained in the 6th chakra posture.

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*Photo Credits: Photos by tarnalberry and Kelly Loves Whales on flickr

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An Introduction to Stimulating Your Chakras and Chakra Yoga

Yoga and Other Ways to Stimulate and Energize Your Chakras

As we’ve see in previous posts, our bodies have 7 main Chakras or Energy Centers responsible for the power, energy and activity of various parts and organs of the human body and which are associated with different mental and emotional interactions. (Read: The Power of Chakras- Their Influences and Imbalances, Understanding the 7 Chakras or Energy Centers). Each of the Charkas – Muladhara (Root Chakra), Swadhisthana (Sacral Chakra), Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra), Anahata (Heart Chakra), Vishuddha (Throat Chakra), Ajna (Third Eye/Brow Chakra) and Sahasrara (Crown Chakra) are associated with different colors and other energy sources that resonate the same frequency.

As centers of force, chakras can be thought of as sites where we receive, absorb, and distribute life energies. It is believed that many body functions are stimulated or retarded by the different colors of light, because of wavelengths and vibrational frequencies, which is how they affect our chakra system. We’ve seen the colors of the chakras and how wearing them or the use of that color in our lives can stimulate the chakra. Similarly we absorb energy through our senses of sight, smell, taste, sound and touch from various other places and objects like food, minerals/gemstones, aromatherapy, music, dance, exercise and everyday surroundings that resonate vibrations, an aura or energies which trigger the chakra’s they correspond to.

Chakra Yoga
Yoga is a spiritual language and a great way to stimulate the ancient system of our chakras. Yoga helps balance the archetypal elements of earth, water, fire, air, sound, light and thought as it works its way up the spine. Asanas, pranayama, chanting and meditation of Yoga are fantastic tools to navigate through the chakra system and stimulate the main energy centers.

Of all the types of Yoga, Kundalini Yoga is a great way of opening up your chakras. Kundalini yoga is sometimes called “the yoga of awareness” because it awakens the “kundalini” which means awakening of inner knowledge, awareness and evolved consciousness. The system of exercises and meditations taught in Kundalini yoga concentrates on the flow of prana (life force) in the dormant chakras of the body. The path of Kundalini is said work it’s way from the Muladhara Chakra at the lower end of the spinal column right up to the Sahasara Chakra at the top of the head. Kundalini sequences known as kriyas usually consist of rapid, repetitive movements done with breath or holding a pose while breathing in a particular way. This helps directs the prana throughout the body and maintains the vitality and functioning of our chakras.

Each of the Chakras has an associated frequency vibration, color, sounds and exercise along with yoga and meditation creates frequencies that correspond to the chakras which keeps them stimulated. Well balanced and active chakras leads to physical and spiritual well-being!

Also Read: 7 Yoga Asanas to Stimulate Each Of The 7 Chakras

*Photo Credits: photos by heraclit and Sami Taipale on flickr

Vinyasa Yoga: Go With The Flow

The breath-synchronized movements of Vinyasa or Flow Yoga

Vinyasa yoga is a broad term used to describe a yoga class that follows performing movements or yoga asanas in sync with one’s breathing. This Yoga enables the smooth transition from one yoga asana to another according to the inhalation or exhalation of your breathing and makes the movements rhythmic like a dance. The most popular Vinyasa Yoga sequence is the Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar which is a 12 pose sequence of Hatha Yoga Asanas tuned to your breathing often performed as a warm up exercise before a Yoga session. Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga, Viniyoga and Iyengar Yoga are all types of yoga that slip Vinyasa into their styles.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Vinyasa or flow yoga as it is also known is adapted in various types of yoga. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga was popularized by Pattabhi Jois. This type of yoga adapts the traditional Ashtanga or eight-limbed Yoga, and in the practice of asanas includes the breath-synchronized vinyasa flow. The breath dictates the movement and the length of time held in the postures and unlike other types of yoga that focus solely on the final posture or pose, in this method of practice attention is also placed on the journey between the postures and the steps leading to the pose.

The purpose of vinyasa is to create heat in the body, which leads to purification of the body through increased circulation and sweating. It includes the principles of Agni and inversion to purify the entire body stretching and making it limber and while strengthening it .

Hatha Flow Yoga
This already physically intensive yoga creates a strong cardiovascular workout when combined with the vinyasa style of yoga. The movements from one posture to another “flow” with the breath with very little rest in between, making it quite vigorous. The intense movement-oriented style of Hatha Vinyasa Yoga is designed to warm the body, and build stamina, strength and flexibility with the internal heat from vinyasa that tones the muscles and purifies the body.

Modern Yoga’s too like Power Yoga, Yoga Dance and Hot Yoga adapt the Vinyasa style to their movements. Flow Yoga has no rulebooks, set philosophy, or sequence that you have to follow; which is why you have room for improvisation. Depending, solely on your own level of skill students progress from one stage to the next at their own pace and level of efficiency students progress from one posture to another at their own pace and breath which decides the movement and the length of time you hold the poses.

However, to practice a vinyasa style of yoga it’s important to know the basic yoga asanas and postures well for those fluid movements. For those looking for stronger physical workout from their yoga practice, the flow of postures brought to you by Vinyasa yoga is a great way to warm the body, build stamina, strength and flexibility!

* Photo Credits: photos by smays, milopeng and myyogaonline on flickr

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