The Wonders Of Jala Neti: A Yoga Nasal Irrigation Technique
March 28, 2010 by noreen
Filed under Inspired Living
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
Jala Nethi – Nasal Irrigation for Scuba Divers | Aquaviews – Online SCUBA Magazine on Sun, 28th Mar 2010 9:11 pm
[...] Posted on 16 March 2010 by Nevin Having equalization problems while diving due to a stuffy nose? Are your sinus problems keeping you out of the water? Almost every Scuba Diver has faced the dreaded cold or stuffy nose that has put them off the day’s diving or has resulted in an uncomfortable dive with equalization problems. While medication is one way to go, several divers swear by Nasal Irrigation or the ancient Yoga technique of Jala Nethi. [...]
Yoga Cleansing and Purification Techniques Explained : Comfort In Style Magazine by Yogacara on Fri, 2nd Apr 2010 9:50 pm
[...] Jala Neti or Jalneti (Nasal irrigation) Jala Neti is the most popular of the cleaning practices and is a simple yet powerful technique which works wonders to purify and clear the breathing path from the nostrils to the throat as well as sinuses. For more details and the method to perform Jalneti (which is simple can can be tried even at home), read- The Wonders Of Jala Neti: A Yoga Nasal Irrigation Technique [...]
Detoxify Your Body Inside and Out The Yoga Way : Comfort In Style Magazine by Yogacara on Fri, 2nd Apr 2010 9:52 pm
[...] Neti (Nasal Cleasing): This is the process of purifying the breathing path from the nostrils to the throat. Jala Neti (nasal irrigation) is the most popular of these cleaning practices and is a simple yet powerful technique which works wonders for chronic sinusitis, allergies and in several cases Asthma. Neti is divided into Jala Neti (using water), Dugdha Neti (using milk), Ghrita Neti (using ghee), Swamootra Neti (using ones own urine), and Sutra Neti (using a thread). (Read: The Wonders Of Jala Neti: A Yoga Nasal Irrigation Technique) [...]
Dave Hanchette on Fri, 9th Apr 2010 7:32 pm
What scientific evidence exists to show that each of these cleansing practices really works?
Aaron Bennett on Sat, 1st May 2010 12:53 am
The usual remedy for common cold is just lots of water, fruit juice and also vitamin-C tablets.’-”
Sophie Sanders on Mon, 3rd May 2010 8:21 am
i have been suffering from sinusitis for so many years and i can only relieve the stuffiness of the nose by means of decongestants.,’`
Brayden Sanchez on Wed, 5th May 2010 9:46 pm
there are also some alternative medicines that you can try for sinusitis. i have tried some herbal stuffs and it is good for relieving sinusitis too. .`
padma rao gooje on Tue, 7th Sep 2010 5:42 am
Hi,
I do regularly jala neti, after completing the process,
still some water is leftover, i could not remove complete
will you please sujest how remove that leftover water.
awaiting for your early advise.
padma rao gooje
Pine Cupboard · on Tue, 9th Nov 2010 11:20 am
i really hate sinusitis, the feeling of having a stuffy nose and headache is really annoying “
Cellucci on Mon, 22nd Nov 2010 12:13 am
you can say that alternative medicine is cheaper too and usually comes from natural sources ,:,
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