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Dear Frankie:
With the “colds” season
in full bloom, your question is timely and concerns a natural
Ayurvedic yoga cleansing technique that has been used for thousands of years and keeps
colds, headaches and allergies at bay.
The amazing yoga
cleansing technique is called ‘jalaneti’ or simply ‘neti’.
More technically called saline nasal irrigation, it not only
keeps the sinuses primed up but is also thought to keep the mind fit
and calm – a little known aspect of its benefits.
An annoying thing about colds, throat infections and allergies is that you can feel
them approaching but feel helpless to do anything about it. Drugs, at best, only suppress the symptoms while adding additional side effects at the same time.
 Neti changes all that. Not only is it a preventive measure, but
even if the symptoms do strike, you can frequently temper them so they don't turn into a full blown suffering.
How it is used?
To put it briefly, a
special NETI POT is filled with warm saline (salt) water. The ratio of salt to water is approximately 1 teaspoon to a glass of water, which is similar to the saline level of our own body fluids, and thus, is calming and not nearly as abrasive or harsh as seawater.
 There are different types and styles of pots, bulbs and syringes, but with each, the spout of the
pot or tip of the bulb is inserted into one nostril, the position of the head
and pot are tilted and adjusted so that the water pours into one nostril and flows out of the other nostril.
This procedure is then alternated with the other nostril. That’s
it. The water drains out, flushing the nasal passages and the
linings thoroughly. There are also bulbs and syringes which accomplish the same purpose, albeit with a tad more force than the slow drizzle of water poured from a pot.
 The way in which Jala Neti rinses out the
mucous lining will be obvious as the warm water loosens and dissolves any internal build ups and
flushes it out, but what may not be so obvious is that, due to
gravity and a venturi-effect, the sinus passages are also drained by
the vacuum pressure flow of the water. Whereas it would normally be
impossible to drain a “dead end” cavity like the sinuses, Jala Neti
achieves this ingeniously and simply.
As the water flows past
the nasal passages it “sucks” out mucus and bacteria from the
sinus cavities and rinses them clean with saline water.
Why is
this technique little known?
 Well, most likely due to the
loss of revenue for the entire cold and nasal allergy drug market, but
also due to the very nature of this ‘humble’ natural technique.
Anymore, we want to just "take a pill" instead of being proactive and
taking an additional step or two to bring about our own wellness.
Plus, there is a certain apprehension about pouring water into our
nasal cavities -- we want to rebel against what we think will be a
drowning sensation. This isn't the case at all, actually.
Let’s see what neti does AND has been doing for centuries:
- At
the immediate level, neti is a great tool for any respiratory disorder
– sinusitis, allergy, asthma, hay fever to name a few. People
invariably notice an immediate relief which drugs fail to achieve.
- It is of great benefit to problems associated with the eyes and
ears such as certain types of deafness, tinnitus and myopia.
- As
one becomes practiced at neti, you'll find it works wonders for throat
infections. It helps to re-program the body’s natural mechanisms
against respiratory complaints including sore throats and coughs.
- Neti has a cooling and soothing effect for the brain and is
therefore beneficial for headaches, migraine, depression, mental
tensions and even epilepsy, hysteria and temper tantrums.
- From
the yogic perspective, it stimulates the olfactory bulb and the psychic
center called the Ajna Chakra. What this means is that it stimulates
better powers of visualization and concentration and gives a feeling of
lightness and clarity to the mind.
The company we choose to
promote for Neti Pots is "Heath & Yoga" due to its tradition of working
with beginners. They have worked to make neti an easy and
delightful practice through the right neti pot and the instructional
Video CD-rom. This has not only helped beginners overcome the initial
apprehension but also helped them move up to the advanced neti stages
quite easily and gain the fullest benefits.
To evaluate these
tools and read about what users are saying, please
click here, or, if the link above doesn't work then copy the
following URL:
http://www.healthandyoga.com/asp/ap/redir.asp?id=BV1140&bid=1022
Almost ALL of us have suffered from colds or nasal allergies, but Neti Pots help put a little suffering behind us.
All the best,
Spa Index
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