Neti Pot

Neti Pot – Neti pot is a specially designed pot used for Jalaneti treatment also known as Neti or Saline Nasal Irrigation. It is a cleansing technique in which the warm saline water is used to clean the sinus passages. Yogis have used this age-old practice for centuries for its countless benefits. In yoga, it is considered an extremely powerful practice that encompasses physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. It has become quite popular in the modern world also due to its spectacular effect on the sinuses. With growing pollution and chemicals in our environment, sufferers of various forms of nasal congestion and respiratory illnesses are also increasing and Neti is a gentle, safe, highly efficient way to clean the sinus blockage. 

The Benefits of Jalaneti or Neti:
Jalneti is a purification technique that helps solve the sinus problems and allergies without the use of drugs. The benefits of this purely natural and safe practice are enormous and there are no side effects.

1. Neti is highly effective for any kind of respiratory disorders like sinusitis, allergy, asthma, hay fever.

2. Neti helps to re-program the body’s natural mechanisms against respiratory complaints including sore throats, coughs, postnasal drips etc.

3. Jal Neti washes out the dirt and bacteria filled in mucous lining. The warm saline water used in this process loosens and dissolves all the internal build-ups and draw them outwards. It also drains the dead end cavity like the sinuses that is otherwise impossible to drain.  

4. It can be of great help in problems related to eyes and ears such as certain types of deafness and myopia. It cleans the tear ducts of the eyes, which moist the eyes regularly and the vision improve.

5. It has a cooling and calming effect on the brain thus beneficial for headaches, migraine, depression, mental tensions and even epilepsy, hysteria and temper tantrums.

6. It improves powers of visualization and concentration and gives a feeling of lightness and clarity to the mind.

7. It prepares the body for yoga practices and enhances the benefits of Pranayama, the yogic breathing technique. 

8. As, it clears the nasal tract the sense of odor and tastes is also improved by this practice.

9. One of the remarkable benefits of this practice is it helps to give up smoking. It reduces mouth breathing and re-sensitizes the nose to the coarseness and uneasiness of ingesting smoke, hence deprogramming the brain of the physical and psychological addiction.

Process of Jala Neti

Jala neti can be practiced over a sink, a bowl on a table, or outside. Firstly, fill your Neti Pot with slightly warm water. It should be suitable for pouring in the nose - neither too hot nor too cold. Mix one level teaspoon of salt in half a litre water to prepare the saline mixture for the neti practice. Be sure that the salt is fully mixed and dissolved.

Place the nose cone of the neti pot into the right nostril, so that it seals the nostril, you can apply slight pressure and twists to adjust the nose cone. Point the spout straight up in line with the nasal passage so as not to block the tip of the nozzle by the inside of the nose. Open your mouth and breathe gently through the mouth. Do not inhale, gulp, laugh, talk or have any movement of air through the nose while 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 the head, so that the left nostril becomes the lowest point of the nose. Tilt slowly otherwise, so the water will run out the top of the pot onto your face! Keep the nose cone fully sealed into the right nostril so that water does not leak out. Continue breathing through the mouth while the water flows. After a few seconds, the water will start running out the left nostril. Keep breathing slowly and gently through the mouth. After the water begins to flow, wait about 20 - 30 seconds for about half a pot to flow right to left, and then remove the pot and stand up. Now repeat the action to the other nostril, but before changing sides, blow out gently through both nostrils to clear water and mucus from the nose. It is important that blowing should be done gently at this point or the water will reach up into the ear tubes and sinuses. Do not pinch the nostrils to create extra force, or blow hard and forcefully. When you finished with left nostril and your pot runs dry, stand up and blow out gently through both nostrils, and then dry out the nose.  Drying the nose properly is a very important part of neti practice. For drying the nose first stand straight and bend forwards from the waist with your head hanging upside down and the nose pointing towards the floor. Let drains any residual water from the nose for 10 - 20 seconds. Then point the nose towards the knees. In each position, gently breathe in the mouth and out the nose about 10 times as this will help to run down the droplets of water. Then stand up and practice some rapid breathing through the nostrils. First do 10 breaths through both nostrils together, inhaling and exhaling moderately with a bit more stress on the exhalation. Then close off the right nostril with one finger and do 10 rapid inhaling 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. 

People with high blood pressure should be careful while drying out the nose. If you feel dizziness during the draining process, do not bend and do the process by standing upright.

How to choose right Neti pot? Right neti pot is prerequisite for proper Neti process, so you need to choose right pot. Here are some tips that will help you to select the right pot for you: 1. Your neti pot should be able to hold at least 400 ml. of water. Because, this is necessary to satisfactorily flush your sinuses with the desired pressure. 2. The neti pot must have a smoothly tapered conical tip at the spout end. This facilitates support on the nostril walls of varying sizes and prevents spillage by creating the subtle vacuum that is needed. 3. Though it is not essential, but preferable that the pot should be unbreakable, because at learning stage the pot may fall out of your hands sometimes. It also facilitates to carry your pot with you wherever you go.

Different Neti Pots

Copper Neti Pot
Copper is the traditionally used metal, as it is believed to have curative and medicinal effects. Copper Neti pots are unbreakable and come in large sizes. However, there are some disadvantages also, Copper gets tarnished and makes the pot very unappealing to use after just a few uses, it can react with water filled in and usually expensive in the comparison of other pots.

Stainless Steel Neti pot
Stainless steel pots are widely used, as these are easy to carry, non-fragile and have clean, hygienic and clinical look. It comes in the ideal size with the capacity of 500ml water solution. Good quality pots are available with smooth nose tips for plugging the nostril.

Plastic Neti Pot
Plastic Neti pots are not very advisable but used due to their cheap price, unbreakable and easy to carry quality. These pots are mainly useful in traveling. It has many disadvantages like, plastic may develop a peculiar odor with age, these pots are usually smaller in size hence do not contain sufficient water solution for the practice, life span may also be shortened as the plastic deteriorate in salty water.