Neti is the name given to a class of kriyas, or traditional yogic cleansing techniques, that focuses on purifying the nasal passages. According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the oldest surviving text on Hatha Yoga and the enumerator of the six kriyas, "Neti is the cleaner of the brain and giver of divine sight." There are two classic forms of neti: Jala Neti, using lukewarm water, and Sutra Neti, with thread.
Jala Neti
Jala Neti is the flushing of the nasal passages with a mild saline solution (1 tsp. sea salt to 1 cup water). If you use a neti pot, stand over a sink or drain and tilt your head slightly, pouring the saltwater down into the raised nostril, allowing gravity to draw it through the nasal cavity and out the other nostril. Stay relaxed and remember to breathe through your mouth.
If you find it difficult or disorienting to use a neti pot, you may find it helpful to squirt the solution up into your nose with a squeeze bottle. Or, if you've forgotten your neti pot at home, sniffing the solution out of your cupped hand will suffice in a pinch.
Sutra Neti
Sutra Neti is a more physically imposing technique, and should only be practiced after Jala Neti. The method, as described in the Pradipika, is as follows: "A cord made of threads and about six inches long, should be passed through the passage of the nose and the end taken out in the mouth." Srinivasan, director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch, recommends modern practitioners use a sterile rubber catheter in leiu of a thread to avoid synthetic fibers lodging in the sensitive mucous membrane.
Soak your thread or catheter in a saline solution. Tipping your head back slightly, ease the thread up your nose and gently push it toward the small opening at the back of the nasal cavity. You may feel a slight pressure, and perhaps the urge to sneeze, when the thread reaches the juncture of the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx. When you feel the thread tickle your uvula, reach into your mouth with your fingers and draw it out. Voila.
Benefits
Neti has been practiced for thousands of years for both its physical and mental benefits. Physical irrigation clears out excess mucous from the nasal passages, allowing air to flow freely, making it especially practical for daily meditators. Sutra Neti in particular stimulates the tear ducts, irrigating these passages as well. Regular practice of neti is a highly effective preventative against colds and sinusitis. If you feel a cold coming on, a traditional Ayurvedic practice is to mix 1 tsp. of turmeric, a natural antiseptic, into your saline solution. Be careful not to spill, however; this familiar ingredient in mustard will leave a bright yellow stain on just about anything. Another suggestion from the staff at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch is to apply nasya oil to the nostrils after neti. This oil not only keeps the mucous membranes moist, but is also a calming form of aromatherapy.
Tags: Jala Neti, Sutra Neti, into your, nasal cavity, nasal passages, saline solution