JALA NETI
Jala neti is a process of cleaning the nasal passage with salt water, and is essential in allowing free breathing as required in many of the practices we will teach you, as well as in helping to ensure your good health.
Neti pot
A pot or lota (pitcher) should be used to introduce salt water into the nostrils. There are various designs and even a teapot can be used if nothing else is available. We recommend the shape of the pot to be as shown in the accompanying picture. This pot is known as a neti lota. It can be made of brass or any other suitable material which does not contaminate water, but the important thing to remember is that the nozzle on the end of the spout should be suitably sized so that the end fits comfortably into your nostril.
Salt water
The water used in the practice should be pure and lukewarm; body temperature is the ideal temperature for pouring the water into your nose. The water should then be mixed with clean salt in the proportion of one teaspoonful per half litre of water. Make sure the salt is fully dissolved in the water. People often wonder why salt water is introduced into nostrils instead of ordinary water. The reason is very simple and very practical. Salt water has a much higher osmotic pressure than ordinary water, which means that salt water is not easily absorbed into the delicate blood vessels and membranes in the nose, whereas ordinary water is. If you try this practice with ordinary water you will discover for yourself, in the form of discomfort or a little pain in the nose. However, we don’t suggest you do this, though it is not at all dangerous. In conclusion, salt water is ideal for jala neti, because while it thoroughly cleans the nostrils of impurities it is not absorbed into the delicate nasal membranes. As such no discomfort will be felt when the water flows through the nose.
Posture
One may either sit in a squatting position known as kagasana”, or one may assume a standing position, bending the shoulders and head forwards. This position is most suitable for doing neti into a sink or wash basin, while the other position, kagasana, can be done in the garden or in a shower.
Technique:
Fill the neti pot with the prepared salt water.
Hold the bottom of the pot with one hand, as shown in the accompanying picture. Gently insert the end of the nozzle into the end of the left nostril (or, if this is blocked into the right nostril).
There should be no force involved, but the nozzle should press firmly against the side of the one nostril so that no water leakage occurs. Progressively tilt your head to the right side while simultaneously raising the neti pot in such a way that water runs into the left nostril. Make sure that you keep your mouth wide open so that you can breathe. Some people say that the mouth should be closed and the breath held during the practice, but we feel this complicates, especially for beginners, a practice that is essentially very simple. If the pot is in the correct position, if your head is tilted at a suitable angle and if there is a tight fit between the nozzle and the sides of the nose, then the water should flow in through one nostril and out through the other nostril. It doesn’t matter if water flows into your mouth or throat, but if the practice is performed correctly with relaxation this should not happen. Allow the water to flow through the nostrils for 10 to 20 seconds.
Then remove the neti pot and remove the water and impurities from your nose by closing the left nostril and breathing quickly and forcibly through the other nostril. Don’t blow so hard, however, that you damage your nose and cause bleeding. In this respect the practitioner should use his/her discretion. Now close the right nostril and blow forcibly through the left nostril.
Now pour water into the right nostril for about 20 seconds and repeat the same process. Again pour water into each of the nostrils in turn, repeating the same technique just described.
Drying the nostrils: after completing this practice the nostrils must be dried and any further impurities removed. Stand erect. Bend forwards so that the trunk assumes a horizontal position.
Close one nostril by pressing the side of the nose with the thumb. Breathe in and out vigorously up to 10 times in quick succession. The exhalation should be especially emphasized to expel the moisture from the nostrils. Repeat the same procedure with the other nostril closed. Then repeat the same procedure with both nostrils open.
This simple practice should remove most of the moisture from the nose. If moisture remains the vigorous breathing should be repeated until the nose is perfectly dry.
Duration
Once the practitioner is familiar with the technique, the whole practice can be completed in a short period of time. Not including preparation of the water, the whole process should take less than five minutes.
Neti is ideally practised early in the morning before breakfast. However, if necessary, it can be practised at other times of the day, exceptingstraight after meals. Once a day is sufficient, though if one has nasal catarrh, a cold or any other specific ailment, it may be practised more times.
Limitations and precautions People who suffer from chronic bleeding of the nose should not do neti without expert advice. Make sure that the water is not too hot when you introduce it into the nostrils. Do not breathe in and out too deeply when removing the moisture from the nose; we are trying to improve the condition of your nose, not damage it. Also, if the sinuses are blocked with mucus, be careful not to blow your nose hard. It is very easy to push the mucus further into the cavities. Ensure that the salt fully dissolves in the water before pouring it into your nose.
Be careful to hold the head correctly and not to hold the neti pot too low. In order for the water to flow into one nostril and out the other, the water level in the pot must be higher than the region at the back of the nose, where the two nostrils merge with each other. If you tilt your head too much then the water will go down your throat instead of the other nostril. If you tilt the pot too much the water will merely overflow out of the pot. You must adjust the position of your head and the pot so that they are at correct levels.
People who have great difficulty passing water through the nose may have a structural blockage such as a polyp. Expert advice should be sought. If there is a slight burning sensation in the nose during your first attempt with salt water, don’t worry. This will disappear as your nose tissue becomes accustomed to contact with water.
Benefits
Neti is the best method of preventing and eliminating colds. An effective cure for the common cold has not yet been found. Neti is not foolproof, but it goes a long way to solving the problem. A cold indicates something signi ficant, namely that your body is in a weakened condition. If this was not the case, the cold virus would be unable to penetrate the defences of your system; your autotherapeutic powers would be strong enough to withstand such an attack. The cold virus flourishes in nerve tissue, particularly the olfactory nerves in the nose. During a cold, neti greatly helps by removingthe accumulated mucus in the nose, this being a breeding ground.
Regular practice of neti when you don’t have a cold keeps the nasal passages working at optimum efficiency and thereby helps to maintain a healthy body. Remember, breathing through the mouth or insufficient treatment of the inhaled air prior to entry into the lungs, due to nasal blockage and congestion, can encourage the onset of disease, by allowing germs to infect the lungs, or by generally weakening the state of health of the body.
Neti is also a help in curing sinusitis, ailments of the eyes, nose and throat, tonsillitis, catarrh, as well as inflammation of the adenoids and mucus membranes. It is effective in removing headaches, insomnia and tiredness. Neti has a subtle influence on the various nerves which end in the nasal passages, such as the olfactory bulb and other adjacent nerves which innervate the eyes, ears, etc. This has a very soothing influence on the brain and can help to relieve such ailments as migraine, epilepsy, depres sion, tension, etc.
Neti helps in no small manner to prevent and cure lung diseases such as asthma, pneu- monia, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, etc., for the reasons already mentioned. Respiration becomes much easier, which leads to an improved intake of oxygen, improved removal of carbon dioxide and consequently better health.
SUTRA NETI
Sutra Neti (nasal cleansing with thread)
Preparation: This practice involves passing a length of cotton thread through the nose. Traditionally, a specially prepared cotton thread, sutra, was used. Several strands were tightly wrapped together and dipped in melted beeswax. The width was about 4 mm and the length 36 to 45 cm. Nowadays, however, the practice is more conveniently performed by using a thin, rubber catheter lubricated with melted ghee, butter, edible oil or one’s own saliva, so that it slides easily through the nasal passage. The size of the catheter depends on the individual nasal passage. Beginners may prefer size 4, but progress to size 6.
Technique 1: Basic practice Take any comfortable standing, sitting or squatting position.
Relax the whole body, Tilt the head slightly back. Gently and slowly insert the narrow end of the catheter or waxed end of the thread into whichever nostril is flowing more freely.
As the thread is inserted, twist it so that it enters the nostril easily. Always keep the tip pointing downward towards the base of the nose. Never push the catheter straight up because the nasal cavity is behind the nose, not at the top of the nose.
When the thread reaches the back of the throat, insert the index finger and thumb, or the middle and index fingers, into the mouth.
Pull the catheter or thread gently and slowly out through the mouth, leaving a few inches of thread hanging out of the nostril.
This action may cause retching at first, but it will become easier with practice.
Hold each end of the sutra or catheter with the fingers. Very slowly and gently pull it backward and forward, no more than 15 times on the first attempt. Remove it slowly through the nose and repeat the process with the opposite nostril.
Technique 2: Advanced practice After completing technique 1, leave the thread with one end passing through the mouth and the other through the nostril.
Gently insert the waxed end emerging from one nostril into the other nostril and pull the end through the mouth. In the final position, both waxed ends emerge from the mouth. Loosen the hard wax at the tip of each end so that the individual strands again become separated. Push the two ends together so that they merge with one another, and twist the thread so that the two ends become joined. If the join is too thick, some of the threads may be cut away so that the join may pass easily through the nostrils. The thread is now circular. Slowly draw the join into the mouth, progressively sliding the thread through the nostrils. Eventually the join should be located between the entrance to the two nostrils. Disconnect the join. The thread now enters one nostril and emerges from the other; it no longer passes through the mouth. Gently pull the sutra to and fro, a few times only to begin with. If there is the slightest discomfort, stop the practice immediately. Pull one end of the thread and slowly withdraw it from the nose.
Breathing: Breathing is performed through the mouth.
Duration: The practice takes about 10 minutes. Once every few days or once a week is sufficient.
Awareness: Physical-on relaxing the body and moving the catheter or thread smoothly and slowly.
Spiritual-on ajna chakra.
Sequence: Sutra neti should be performed before jala neti as the latter will flush out all the impurities and particles in the nose which have been dislodged by sutra neti. Precautions: Do not use force under any circumstances. The interior of the nose is very delicate and any undue force could cause damage. After persistent attempts, if the thread or catheter will not pass through the nose, consult a competent teacher. Make sure that the sutra is perfectly clean before inserting it into the nostril. It is best not to try sutra neti until jala neti has been perfected.
Contra-indications: Those people who suffer from chronic bleeding in the nose should not do sutra neti. Anyone with nasal ulcers, polyps, or severe malformations of the nasal septum or turbinates should first seek the advice of a yogic or ayurvedic doctor.
Benefits: The benefits are the same as for jala neti. In addition, however, sutra neti can rectify the problem of deviated nasal septum. If one or both nostrils are not flowing freely due either to deformed bone or fleshy outgrowths, the regular friction of sutra neti causes these obstructions to disappear within a few months.
Practice note: Although the catheter is easier and quicker, it does not clean the nasal passages as effectively as the cotton thread. Technique 2 is possible with some types of catheter only.
