Jala neti. Image: Fitsri
In a yogic lifestyle, much importance is given to the process of cleansing. Deep cleansing of all our organs is considered essential to let the impurities, infections out and clear our system for the intake of the goodness of yoga.
These cleansing techniques of yoga are called the Kriyas. They form an important section called the Shatkarmas in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a classical treatise of Hatha Yoga.
In this article, we will explain the procedure of Jal Neti, one of the popular kriyas of yoga for nasal cleansing.
What is Jal Neti?
Jal Neti is one of the purification kriyas of yoga which is dedicated to the cleansing of the nasal passage. There are other types of neti as well which is used for nasal cleansing.
The term Jal Neti literally translated as “water cleansing”, also called Nasal Irrigation. In this kriya, water is used to clear out the nasal congestion so that a person can breathe healthily.
Also, improper or unhealthy condition of the nasal passage is associated with many other diseases such as migraine, sinus, and respiratory dysfunctions like asthma. Jala Neti relieves all these troubles by purifying the nasal passage.
Besides draining out all the impurities clogging your nasal passage, jal neti is helpful for clairvoyance and effectively do pranayama practice. Doing this kriya is useful for you if you reside in a place affected by Air Pollution or is congested.
When the nose is free from any blockages or discomfort, you can better benefit from pranayamas. Thus, the process of Jal Neti is periodically done to clean the sinuses and maintain nasal hygiene.
Benefits of Jal Neti
The process of Jal Neti offers multifold benefits. It is considered a therapeutic process that maintains the health of the nasal passage so that a person can breathe better and avoid any nasal trouble.
Some of the important benefits of Jal Neti are as follows;
1. It Treats the Sinusitis
A very large population, including children, suffer from sinusitis. Doing Jal Neti frequently has been found beneficial for treating the symptoms of sinusitis. It rinses away the irritants and allergies to clear the nasal path and relieves sinusitis.
In an experiment conducted on patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis, jala neti reduced the symptoms like the need to blow the nose, running nose, postnasal discharge, and sneezing to a great extent 1.
In another review study Health and Therapeutic Benefits of Shatkarma 2, it is found that after a period of regular Jal Neti practice, the symptoms and the need for external medication were significantly reduced. Nasal cleansing, neti was particularly found beneficial in managing rhinosinusitis in age groups ranging from children to adults.
2. It Helps Breathe Freely
Jal Neti is responsible for throwing away all the infections and unhealthy particles out of the nasal passage. And as a result, one is able to breathe naturally and freely.
In research, it was demonstrated that Jal Neti helps dissolve the internal build-up of mucus and clears the nasal cavity, making the breath deep and effortless.
Performing Jal Neti regularly acts as a fighting mechanism against various nasal as well as upper respiratory infections.
3. It Treats Headache and Hypertension
Doing Jal Neti lessens the excessive heat and thus offers cooling and soothing benefits to the brain.
It helps cure headaches, hypertension, migraine, and other brain-related disorders. Jal Neti has also been found to be effective in the treatment of epilepsy, temper tantrums, hysteria, depression, and overall mental tension.
4. It Helps Improve the Nasal Functions
The nose is the centre of the danger triangle of the face, as considered by Western medicine. Any infection that occurs in the area around the nose, can be a dreadful situation as respiration is also connected to this passage.
Jal Neti works on the areas around the nose and removes all the impurities over there. It results in improved nasal functions and increased nasal as well as respiratory health.
5. It Improves the Vision
The Jal Neti also has positive effects on the optic nerve. In a 2010 study 3 it was demonstrated that Jal neti can improve optic nerve conduction.
It means that Jal Neti cleans the fused matter of the ENT system as well as the eye and its post retinal optic nerves.
The optic nerves get stimulated through the charging of the autonomic nervous system and improve optic nerve functioning, resulting in clearer vision
6. It Treats Major ENT Diseases
Jal Neti has proven effective on not just nasal troubles but also the diseases related to ears and throat.
In 2018, when the Immediate Effects of Jal Neti were observed by the Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College Chennai 4, it was found that the Jal Neti maintains healthy secretory and drainage mechanisms of the entire ear, nose, and throat area.
The study also found that Jala Neti helps remove colds and coughs, allergic rhinitis, hay fever, and tonsillitis.
7. It Stimulates the Olfactory Nerves
Total cleansing and purification of the nasal passage are done by Jal Neti and hence it is observed to improve the function of our olfactory nerves.
Neti helps restore the lost sense of smell, thereby also benefiting the relationship between smell, taste, and digestive processes.
Procedure of Jal Neti
Things need for jal neti. Image: Canva
Jal Neti is a practice that requires a few preparations before you start with it.
You need a neti pot, a pinch of salt, and lukewarm water as essential things for jal neti.
Here’s the step-by-step procedure;
1. Take a mug of lukewarm water
Water is the medium through which cleansing takes place in jal Neti. Use pure drinking or distilled water to ensure the proper cleansing and avoid any impurity accumulation of water in the nasal cavity.
Further, this water is warmed up at room temperature because nasal muscles absorbance for warm water is usually less than cold water. In this way, no water gets accumulated in the nasal passages.
Ideally, water should have a temperature equal to what your tears have.
2. Mix salt into it
Using salt in jal neti water further makes the whole solution (saline water) less absorbent for nasal cavity muscles. Ideally, salt used for jala neti is finer ‘sea salt’ as it has no other minerals and quickly dissolves in the water.
If ‘sea salt’ is not available, one can use simple cocking salt for Jala neti as it’s originally occupied from the sea salt.
The solution needs to be made isotonic i.e. similar to the tonicity of human blood.
To make your own saline mixture for Jala neti at home;
- Take 1 pint (16 ounces or around 500 ml) of lukewarm water
- Generally, a solution consists of salinity 1 teaspoon/500 ml is considered ideal for the nose (you can go with 1/2 or even 1/4 teaspoon of salt)
- Mix salt properly in water and then pour it into the neti pot.
3. Pour saline water into neti pot
Neti pot is an instrument similar to a teapot, usually small with a long spout on one side. It’s designed in such a way that it fits easily in the nostrils without any obstructions.
Once the saline solution is mixed well, it’s poured into the neti pot to follow jala neti procedure. Usually, neti pot comes with a capacity of 500 ml (around 1 pint), so this amount of water is enough to clear nasal passages.
Using a Neti pot is simple, place the long spout on one side to insert it in each nostril one by one.
How to Do Jal Neti?
Water coming out from opposite nostril in Jal Neti. Image: Fitsri
- Add a half teaspoon of salt into the Neti pot filled with sterile lukewarm water.
- Stand with your legs apart and hold the pot in your right hand.
- Now by slightly tilting your head towards the left, insert the nozzle of the Neti pot in your right nostril.
- Start pouring water in the right nostril slowly by breathing normally through your mouth.
- Allow the flow till the Neti pot is empty.
- Repeat the same procedure from your left nostril.
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