In the ancient text on the practice of Yoga, "Hatha Yoga Pradeepika", six cleansing techniques have been prescribed: Neti: nasal cleansing, Dhauti: cleansing of the digestive tract, Nauli: abdominal massage, Basti: colon cleansing, Kapalbhati: purification and vitalization of the frontal lobes, and Trataka: focused gazing.
In this discussion, we will be focusing on one of the nasal cleansing techniques called "jala neti" (saline nasal irrigation). Jala Neti is a simple technique which involves using a special "neti pot" filled with warm, slightly salted water. The nose cone is inserted into one nostril and the position of the head and pot is adjusted to allow the water to flow out of the other nostril. Whilst the water is flowing through the nasal passages one breathes through the mouth. After half a pot has flowed in one direction, the water flow is reversed. When the water in the pot is finished, the nose must be properly dried.
To a person who has never used it before, the technique may seem a little intimidating. However, the technique is not hard or uncomfortable. Most people are pleasantly surprised after even their first attempt at just how simple and effective this method of health maintenance is. Once learned, the practice can be done in about 3 minutes, and like showering and cleaning the teeth, Neti is easily integrated into ones daily routine.
For general nasal cleanliness, practicing neti once a day is usually sufficient. In the case of a cold, 2 -3 times a day will give great relief, providing the nose is well dried each time and this frequency does not induce nose bleeds. Reduce this frequency when the worst of the congestion is over.
Jala Neti is best practiced first thing in the morning to clear out the night’s grogginess and prepare the body and mind for the day’s breathing activities. However, if you live or work in a dusty or polluted environment where the nostrils have an increased load of filtering, a good second occasion is upon returning from such work. Neti should always be done before rather than after meals. The best times are: (i) upon waking before breakfast, (ii) mid morning before lunch, (iii) evening before dinner, (iv) just before bed
Benefits
- Neti removes all the dirt and bacteria filled mucus from within the nose.
- It helps to drain the sinus cavities. This in turn, will help to reprogram the body’s natural mechanisms against nasal infections such as hay fever, allergies, sinusitis and other upper respiratory complaints like sore throats and coughs, post nasal drip, inflammation of tonsils and adenoids.
- It is beneficial for illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis as it reduces the tendency for mouth breathing by freeing the nostrils of mucus.
- It has a cooling and soothing effect on the brain by drawing out excessive heat, and is therefore beneficial for headaches, migraine, epilepsy, temper tantrums, hysteria, depression and general mental tension.
- Neti is of great benefit for problems associated with the eyes. It helps flush the tear ducts, encouraging clearer vision and gives a sparkle to the eyes.
- It can be beneficial for certain types of ear disorders such as middle ear infections, glue ear, tinnitus.
- Neti improves sensitivity of the olfactory nerves, helping to restore lost sense of smell, and thereby benefits the relationship with taste and the digestive processes.
- It has subtle effects on the pineal and pituitary glands which control the hormonal system. This has a harmonising effect on emotional behaviour.
- Neti affects the psychic centre known as Ajna Chakra which helps in awakening higher states of meditation.
- It helps to stimulate better powers of visualisation and concentration and gives a feeling of lightness and clarity to the mind.
- Neti is excellent for those trying to give up smoking. Since it reduces the tendency for mouth breathing, Neti re-sensitises the nose to the actual pollution of ingesting smoke, thereby de-programming the brain of the physical and psychological addiction.
Anatomy of Nasal Cleansing
The first line of nasal defense is the set of tiny hairs called "cilia" which should trap larger particles entering the nose. These cilia are usually cleansed by normal breathing and by blowing the nose, but sometimes, due to a gradual build up of dirt, they can become clogged and may require washing out. The whole of the nasal passage from nose tip to throat (and beyond) is covered with a layer of mucus. This mucus is secreted from within the mucous lining, and its function is to trap smaller foreign particles and bacteria. The dirty mucus is normally blown out, snorted and coughed out or swallowed. The sinus passages are an even finer mechanism of filtering which, if infected, secrete a runny mucus to evict the germs. This is generally called sinusitis and can be a short term symptom or a chronic condition.
During the neti practice, the water simply flows up one nostril to just above the bridge of the nose where the usual air flows meet, backwards into the middle cavity and then down and out the other side of the nose. In this route, it passes by the frontal and mid nasal sinuses. The practice does not cause any discomfort or damage to the nasal functions.
The way in which Jala Neti rinses out the dirt and bacteria filled mucous lining would be obvious to most people as the warm water loosens and dissolves any internal build ups, and takes them outwards. 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.
For those with thick mucus conditions as well as those with running sinuses, the relief of sinus pressure can be felt within seconds. Also, the eustachian tubes (which are also dead end passages) receive exactly the same effects as the sinuses – a drawing outwards of dirt and mucus. Hence Jala Neti is of great benefit for blockages and infections of the middle ear, by draining the tubes to relieve the pressure build up as well as removing germs.
The eyes derive benefit by Neti. The tear ducts, which connect from the eyes into the nasal passages, get the same drawing out effect as the sinuses, resulting in a brighter, clearer sense of vision.
The nose is the "air conditioner" of the body. One of the many functions of the nose is to regulate the temperature and humidity of the incoming air. This is necessary so that the breath does not strike the throat and enter the lungs too hot or too cold, too dry or too wet. Upon exhalation, the nose also helps to draw out excessive heat from the frontal portion of the brain, which is the part where the heavy thinking is done, and where the greatest heat builds up when under stress. People with chronic nasal blockages who end up being habitual mouth breathers, therefore have a cooled throat, which imbalances the thyroid function. They also have cooler lungs, which creates excessive moisture and mucus secretion in that area. Mouth breathers also fail to get enough of the cooling effect from exhalation at the front of the brain, and can therefore be described as "hot heads". Regular practise of Jala Neti helps to establish the correct working environment of temperature and humidity in the nose.
Another aspect of physiology which Jala Neti affects is the relationship between olfactory function and the body’s nervous systems. According to medical science, there are two branches of the Autonomic Nervous System called sympathetic and the parasympathetic which are constantly working to keep in balance. Each of these systems affects different organs and functions of the body. Basically, one controls the functions of stimulation and the other controls the functions of sedation. This dualistic push/pull conflict correlates exactly with what the yoga masters say about the forces of Pingala and Ida, or Ha and Tha.
According to yoga science, by balancing nasal breathing function, better balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems is gained, and hence better balance of the whole body’s nervous function is achieved. So, by cleansing, balancing and manipulating these two complimentary opposite forces, better physical and mental health is maintained. Hence it is one of the known effects of Jala Neti that mental tension and headaches can be relieved, as well as nervous system disorders such as epilepsy, and psycho-emotional imbalances like temper tantrums can be controlled.
Technique
- Nasal cleansing can be performed over a sink, a bowl on a table, in the shower or outside. First fill the Neti Pot with warm water of a temperature suitable for pouring in the nose – neither too hot nor too cold. It is recommended that the water temperature should be same as the temperature of the tears. Pure water is best if available but this is not obligatory.
- Mix in salt to the proportion of one level teaspoon for half a litre of water. This equates to 0.9% – the same as human blood – and is called isotonic or physiological solution. Mix the salt thoroughly. Be sure to fully mix and dissolve the salt, as you don’t want fresh water in the spout or very salty water at the bottom of the pot. Pure sea salt is the recommended salt. However, if that is not available, clean table salt which is used for cooking can be used.
- Place the nose cone into the right nostril, sealing it to the nostril with a slight pressure. Try to point the spout straight up in line with the nasal passage so as not to block off the tip of the nozzle on the inside of the nose. Open your mouth and breathe gently through the mouth. Do not sniff, swallow, laugh, talk or have any movement of air through the nose whilst the water is flowing through.
- Now slowly bend forward from the waist so that the tip of the nose is the lowest point of the head; and then tilt/roll the head to the right, so that the left nostril is now the lowest point of the nose. Tilt slowly so that water doesn’t run out the top of the pot onto your face! Keep the nose cone fully sealed into the right nostril so that water doesn’t leak out. Keep on mouth breathing whiles the water comes through. Just wait a few seconds and the water should run out the left nostril. Keep breathing slowly and gently through the mouth. After the water begins to flow, wait for about half a pot to flow right to left, and then remove the pot and stand up.
- Before changing sides, blow out gently through both nostrils to clear water and mucus from the nose. It is important that you do not blow hard at this point or you will send water up into the ear tubes and sinuses. All that is needed is a couple of slow, soft blows out into the sink to remove the water in the nose. Do not pinch the nostrils to create extra force, or blow hard and vigorously.
- Repeat steps 3 & 4 as above, but with the nose cone entering from the left nostril and the flow of water going left to right. After the pot runs dry, stand up, blow out gently through both nostrils and then prepare to dry out the nose.
- Drying the nose properly is a very important part of the practice. First bend forwards from the waist and hang the head down with the nose pointing towards the floor, letting any residual water drain from the nose for 10 – 20 seconds. Then point the nose towards the knees. Closing one nostril at a time, gently breathe in the mouth and out the nose about 10 times. Then stand up to do some rapid breathing through the nostrils. First do 10 breaths through both nostrils together, sniffing in and out moderately with a bit more emphasis on the exhalation. Then close off the right nostril with one finger and do 10 rapid sniffing breaths through the left nostril only. Then do 10 sniffing breaths through the right nostril only. Finally, do 10 breaths again through both nostrils together.
- Another effective technique of draining out any residual water from the nose is to practice a few rounds of the cat-and-cow pose. Failure to dry the nose properly may manifest the symptoms of a cold for several hours, or leaving dirty water in the sinus passages or Eustachian tubes may result in infection.
Limitations and Precautions
Persons who suffer from chronic bleeding of the nose should not do neti without expert advice.
Make sure that the water is not too hot or too cold 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, when your 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 some structural blockage. 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.
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This is the most thorough online recap of nasal cleansing I’ve ever come across. Wonderful job! I’m eager to put into action some of the tips I’ve learned from your article.
Jenny,
I am glad you find the information useful. I would love to hear back from you after you have practiced the ‘jala neti’ for some time.
Hello,
yogawithsubhash.com to GoogleReader!
yogawithsubhash.com » Blog Archive » Jala Neti (Nasal Irrigation with Saline Water)Hey, nice post, very well written. You should write more about this.
Thanks for article. Everytime like to read you.
Thank you so much for your positive and encouraging feedback. I will continue my effort to provide yoga-related material that the readers can use.
Subhash
Interesting, I`ll quote it on my site later.
Dirnov
I have been using Neti to address my daughter’s nasal blockage problems. Though the immediate results are wonderful, to our dismay, after about an hour of blockage free breathing the symptoms return … and I am really disappointed about this.
Am I doing something wrong here ? or is it unreal to expect a longer term remedy from Neti.
thanks
Jala Neti helped in clearing my sinus infection. It is truely an amazing technique.
Is this technique is advisable for the person who had head injury ( in road accident) in past.
Dear Kumar,
As far as I know, Jala Neti is a very safe technique in almost all situations. However, since I am not a medical person, I would suggest that you please check with your doctor and make sure that there are no medical grounds against using it in your specific case. Good luck!
- Subhash
Hi. I’ve currently mastered the Stage 1 of jali neti, however when attempting to do Stage 2 I do it all wrong. Can you further explain how to perform stage 2?
Thanks for your comment. Can you please let me know what are the two stages that you mentioned? In my article, I donot have stage 1/stage 2. Thanks.
Great article. I’ve been using the Neti pot for a couple weeks and have seen great improvements with my breathing/allergies. Now I realized why I’ve been so calm as well. Didn’t realize the cleansing could be so beneficial. I highly recommend it and have already gotten my father to use it. At 60 years old he had no problem learning the technique.
I myself started using the neti pot about fifteen years ago. Gradually, over a period of time, my allergies have gone away and my pranayama practice is much deeper now. Thanks for your feedback. Great to see that both you and your father are benefitting from this technique.
i have been suffering from sinusitis for so many years and i can only relieve the stuffiness of the nose by means of decongestants.:*;
Hi Katelyn, have you tried the neti pot?
I just have to say, I enjoy reading your post. Maybe you could let me know how I can subscribing with it ? Also just thought I would tell you I found your page through google.
Dear Yukiko, thanks for your feedback. You can subscribe by filling out the small form at the top left of the page.
I have just started the jal neeti four days back. i suffer from pollen allergies and usully have stuffy nose, sinus and cough. i just wanted to know that after neeti i some time feel little pain in one side of head which doesnt last too long. is it normal? Also i already have fluid in my middle ear but no infection so is it ok for me to continue neeti or get the fluid clear and then start.
Also what is the right time to do jal neeti? After pranayam (including kapalbhati) or before?
Thank you so much for reading the blog article on Jala Neti. I am glad to see that you are trying it out. As far as I know, Jal Neti is a very safe practice and after practicing for a few days, I am sure any discomfort in your head etc that you feel now will go away. Also, I believe it is safe to practice when you have fluid in the middle ear. In terms of when to do it, I personally practice is before I start my yoga practice. That way I feel very light and my nostrils are clear and open for an effective asana and pranayama session. Let me know how you make progress wit the pracitce.
- Subhash
Thank you so much for the reply Mr subhash, really appreciate. I had one more question. i dry my nose as you mentioned. but since yesterday i feel that there is watery mucus discharge through my right nostril through out the day time to time. Is that a good thing as in my mucus is getting clear or does it mean i have water trapped? Will appreciate your answer
Also do you teach in New Jersey anywhere, will love to learn jal neeti professionally just to gain confidence?
also i forgot to mention there was a drop of blood( very little) today,while draining the water for the first time in five days. Is that normal i thought the water was a tad bit hot. could that may cause it?
Dear SM,
I find it strange that you found a drop of blood during drainage. The only reason I can think of is that you might have tried to dry the nose too hard and that might have caused a mild internal injury.
Water staying in the nose is normal for some time after the neti. One other technique that I have found helpful is to practice a few rounds of cat-cow stretch followed by up-dog/down-dog combination a few times. That helps a lot in draining all the water. After these stretches you may blow your nose once again.
No, I don’t teach in NJ. I used to live and teach there but moved to NC in 2006 and have been teaching here since. If you are already doing the neti, I don’t think you could be doing it wrong. If you like, we can go on skype and using a webcam I can show you the technique.
Subhash
I really appreciate your response Mr Subhash, Thank you so much. It is sad that you no longer teach in NJ, it is very sweet of you to offer help on skype, speaks volumes of you only a true yogi will do that. I guess i am just thinking too much about the right & wrong and getting paranoid. I will continue doing it for few weeks to see the effect as my nose was already swollen inside due to allergy, i might take little longer than few days.
My family and I are very thankful to your site for offering such detail description. and if you don’t mind will bother you in future.
Thanks
Hi Subhash,
Thanks for this wonderful article. I have bought a neti pot in Amazon and tried it for the first time yesterday. My eyes became red at first. I had no problem with the left nostril but when I tried to clean my right nostril, the water went into my ear and I heard the sound that almost sounded like tearing a paper for few hours inside my ear. The ear problem seems to have settled now. Is it advisable for me to go ahead and continue to practice jal neti?
Thanks
Dear Chaitu,
I am glad that you are trying the neti cleansing technique. Without knowing a little more about your technique, it is hard for me to assess why the water could have gone into your ear. Once it does go in that canal, the sound that you heard is not uncommon. I don’t think this one experience should discourage you. I suggest you try it a few more times. After one nostril, try to blow the nose out before starting with the other side. Tilting the head forward and to the side is important for the drainage to happen easily. Please call me at 919-926-9717 if you would like to talk further about it. All the best,
- Subhash
Hi,
First of all, I wanted to thank you for the great article that you have written.
I have a 9 year old daughter who suffers from allergies and sinus problems. I have been using Neil Med Sinus rinse (http://www.neilmed.com/usa/index.php) with very good effect. I feel it is a bit easier to use than the Neti pot.
Recently I tried using Neti pot. Also, I did not properly dry her nose as I was not aware of this procedure. Two times that I tried, she had a mild fever the next day. Is it okay if I stick to the Neil Med sinus rinse method? Do you see any problems with that method?
Thanks
Senthil
Dear Senthil, I am really sorry that I overlooked your comment. First of all thank you so much for visiting my site and sending me your feedback. As for Neil Med rinse, I am really not familiar with it so it is hard for me to comment about it. I am surprised about the fever. I would like to know if she has tried it in the last few months again and if so with what result. I would like to hear back from you.
I have tried doing jala neti couple of times but the water doesn’t flow from one nostril to another instead I feel water going in to my head, do u have any suggestions so that i do it right. Thanks
Dear Anu, I apologize for not getting back to you earlier. Water going to the head is not uncommon. However, you can do a couple of things to facilitate water flowing through the nostrils. If you think there is some blockage in the nasal passage, you may try to open it up by inhaling some steam just before neti practice. The other thing to do is to tilt the head a little more forward and to one side while practicing. Please let me know how it goes. Thanks and all the best.
my nose is block now but two year later i have been operation in hospital.so suggest me can i use jala neti and sutra neti
Dear Chamkaur,
I am sorry I couldn’t get to you earlier. Yes, certainly you can try jala neti. As for sutra neti, I would suggest that you consult with a local yoga expert who can show you the proper technique as well guide you whether or not you should do it. All the best.
sir i have just started jalneti and i feel little fever after doing that. Is it because i may not be doing it correctly .
Dear Taruna,
I am really surprised that you get fever after jala neti. I have checked all available literature with me and also did some search on the web and have not been able to find any mention of fever as a result of neti. So, I would like to believe that your situation is a temporary one and should go away with more practice. It is also likely, as you mentioned, that you may not be doing it properly. Please try it a few more times and write to me how you feel. I would certainly love to know your progress. Thanks.
Excellent article! I have been using the neti pot for four years and during that period I have not had so much as the sniffles. Prior to this use, I would get at least one (sometimes two) colds a year.
I am very interested in learning sutra neti — using the string or surgical tubing. Is this something you teach as well?
thank you.
Thanks a lot, Pat, for visiting my site and in particular the article on jala neti. It is great to see that you have used the neti pot for a while and enjoyed its benefits. Unfortunately, I have not practiced the sutra neti myself – hope to do it one of these days. Once I am comfortable with it myself, I will start teaching it. Thanks.
Thank you! I feel more airy, calm and I can breathe better through my nose. Sometimes I get a stinging in my nasal cavity when I breathe in hard through my nose, but after doing this for the first time, that sensation is gone. My ears feel full as though I got water in them however. I found it difficult at first to get water to drain out of the opposite nostril and mostly I felt it go down my throat at first. I used a baby bottle instead of a neti pot and was wondering if the more free-flowing (faster) the water is, the better it works for flowing out the other side?
Dear Andrea, I am glad that you are trying the jala neti technique. In general, I believe a neti pot will work better as the flow of water will be smoother. In order to get the excess water to drain out, I suggest that you practice a few rounds of cat-cow pose right after the neti practice. Let me know how it goes. Good luck!