Why, why, why would you want to do this I hear you cry?
Because once you get the hang of it, it’s as quick as brushing your teeth. And I’m taking ancient Ayurvedic practices and making them fit for the rushed modern world. It’s a win/win.
Sutra neti, (nasal cleansing with thread), will not be discussed here but Jala neti, (Nasal cleansing with water), will.
Both sutra and jala neti basically clean the cavities of the mouth and nose, (nasopharynx and oropharynx). At this physical level pathogens, dust particles, and mucous build up are removed including the entrance to the eustachian tubes and unobstructed airflow is restored.
Jala neti may be practiced weekly if a person is well, more often if its being used to ward off colds, headaches, eyestrain, tonsillitis, ear problems. I do it for those reasons but mainly as it supports my meditation and gets me into a deeper awareness of me.
However it’s real benefits are it’s psychological effects. These nasal passages are highly innervated and are a direct line of communication to the brain. Think about emotions being triggered by certain smells from your life’s experience, good or bad. Like the eyes, these sense organs just bring information/data to be interpreted by your brain/mind. It leaves the head and cranium relaxed and calm, balances left and right hemisphere of the brain resulting in harmony and is a reset button to the nervous system. Higher mental faculties improve, (remember where there is good blood flow/energy flow, any specialised tissue will function at its best).
Many yogic texts state that regular practice of neti leads to “divya drishti”, or “divine sight”, due to the awakening of the ajna chakra, third eye. As an Osteopath this overlays with my knowledge of neuroanatomy and how this might well affect cerebral spinal fluid flow, venous drainage, how the vagus nerve may be obstructed at the occipital base amongst other ideas of which I have many.
This awakening basically relates to improved intuition leading to better decision making and understanding of your internal and external world.
Please check out my video tutorial on how to easily carry out jala neti, what you need, where to get it.
It would be amazing if you shared this, liked and subscribed as I hope to make this whole Science of Life thing achievable in the modern age.