Neti

जलनेती,"water treatment"

Jala-neti helps remove excess mucus from the entire body, starting with the nostrils and sinuses, which often serve as a shutter to keep mucus in the body. The use of this method sets in motion the whole physical process for removing mucus, allowing air and energy to circulate throughout the circulatory and nervous systems, which in turn affects digestion and other systems of the body. For a person suffering from excess mucus or phlegm accumulation, jala-neti is an important aid in improving health.

To perform jala-neti it is necessary to have a special vessel for water – neti-pot.

The solution for jala-neti usually consists of warm water with a small amount of salt dissolved in it. Warm water is a sedative for mucous membranes. Although the water for jala-neti should be warm, it must not be hot, so as not to cause irritation. You can check the water temperature with your finger, but it is worth remembering that the nasal mucosa is more sensitive than fingers. Chlorine used in tap water can have an irritating effect. Therefore, many people prefer to use filtered or bottled water for neti-pot.

Cool water can also be used from time to time for neti-pot, especially for inflammation. Warmer water can be used to treat headaches or sinuses when clogged, as it is a best means for opening sinuses, but this should be done carefully not to burn mucous membranes.

Beginners should use water with a temperature just above room temperature.

Recommendation for practice:

Dissolve 10g of salt in one liter of warm water and pour it into a neti-pot. Place the spout of the vessel in the right nostril, tilting the head to the side – so that the left nostril is lower than right one. Open your mouth and breathe through it. Water will start pouring out of the left nostril. Do the same with the other nostril.

If there is no sputum, it can be performed without salt and with cold water. Those who have a cough and a cold should perform neti only with warm salt water.

Neti cures the cold and rhinorrhea. Some people catch a cold while performing neti, so after neti it is needed to practice kapalbhati, so that all the water comes out of the nose, and the person does not catch a cold.

Sūtra-netī

सूत्रनेती, "purification with a thread" 

Recommendation for practice: sutra-neti is performed with cotton thread or catheter. Before you put the thread into the nose, the thread should be placed in water. After the thread has absorbed water, its ends need to be wrung out so that it can easily enter the nose. Then slowly place the thread into the left nostril, and when it enters the mouth, gently remove it through the mouth. Then repeat through the right nostril.

Note: sutra-neti creates a slight pain in the nose and throat, so jala-neti or ghrut-neti should be performed after it.

Dugdha-netī

"milk treatment" 

Sucking the milk into your nostrils.

Recommendation for practice: after the execution of the jala-netī, it is possible to perform dugdha-neti. In contrast to jala-neti, in dugdha-neti milk is not poured through the other nostril, but slowly swallowed inside.

Ghrut-netī

"purification with ghee" 

Recommendation for practice: sit on a chair or lie down on a bed. Using a pipette, drip 8-10 drops of ghee (melted butter) into each nostril. The best time for neti is in the morning. For certain diseases, neti can be performed twice a day.