51 Days Yoga Consciousness Series 2nd May-21st June 2021

Namaste All My Yoga Yaatris! May Yog Bless You!

Knowledge of Yoga is infinite, boundless and timeless. “Learning Yoga is an everlasting journey that leads you within and Within is where you find the world of immortal bliss”. –Mitraasha

The idea behind running this 51 Days Yoga Consciousness series is to proffer my modest learnings and share the divine pearls of Yoga science with people at large. Let’s have a conjoint intent to learn, implement and extend the wisdom of Yoga with a positive co-action and harmonious reverberation amongst each other.

Neti

Out of all the Shat Karmas shared in the earlier post, I have chosen Neti kriya as today’s topic. Neti is the process of purification of the nasal passages. It can be practiced based on individual needs and the weather conditions where the person resides e.g., living in a hot, dry, humid, or polluted environment. This kriya cleans the sinuses, eases the headache, tones up the optic nerves and also improves sight.

Four main types of Neti kriya are as follows:
  1. Jal Neti – Saline water is used for nasal cleaning.
  2. Sutra Neti – String of a thread dipped in beeswax is used for the nasal cleaning.
  3. Dugdha Neti – Technique similar to Jal Neti, but here warm milk is used instead of warm saline water.
  4. Ghrita Neti – Warm ghee is used in this technique for clearing the nasal passages.

(1) JAL-NETI

There are 3 levels to the technique of Jal Neti, and can be performed according to the practitioner’s level of comfort and expertise. They are as follows:

A. Jala Neti- Level 1

It’s the simplest and most beginner level of Jal Neti. In this, water is passed from one nostril to the other.

B. Jala Neti- Level 2

Known as Vyutkarma, this is the second level of Jala Neti, where water is taken in from one nostril and spat out from the mouth.

C. Jala Neti- Level 3

Known as Shitkarma, this is the advanced and a little complex level of Jal Neti, where water is taken in through the mouth and removed through the nose.

Here, I will be talking about Level-1 in detail as it is easy to be performed even by the beginners. 

A. Jala Neti – Level 1
Things You Need for Jala Neti
1. Lukewarm Water: Pure drinking/distilled water should be used. Preferably, water should be as warm and at the temperature which is equal to that of your tears.
2. Salt : Salt is used to make water saline and isotonic which means similar to the tonicity of human blood. A pinch of salt for a glass of water is appropriate.
3. Neti pot : Neti pot is an apparatus somewhat like a teapot, generally small and with a long spout on one side. It’s design is such that it fits in the nostrils easily without much complication.
JAL-NETI

Remember:

  • Throughout the cleansing process while using the neti pot, avoid nasal breathing and breathe gently through the mouth.
How To Do Jal Neti
  1. Fill a sterile neti pot with saline lukewarm water.
  2. Bend forward from the waist and tilt your head at a 45-degree angle.
  3. Gently insert the pot spout into one of the nostrils maintaining the seal of the spout inside carefully, in a way that it neither touches your septum nor there is any water leakage.
  4. Tilt the neti pot a little until water starts flowing freely in the nose and maintain the pot altitude until the complete solution flows out from one nostril to another.
  5. Once the complete neti pot solution is used up, gently remove the neti pot and bring your head up.
  6. To eliminate the excess water droplets from nasal passages, blow out air gently through your nostrils by conscious exhalations.
  7. Repeat the above mentioned sequence of steps with the other nostril.

(2) SUTRA-NETI

Sutra neti, a nasal passage cleansing technique is done with a cotton thread or rubber catheter. It’s also known as thread neti or rubber neti based on the type of thread you use. 

Things You Need for Sutra Neti:

Thread or Catheter:

For this kriya, one can use a cotton thread(available in stores) that is 4mm in width and around 36 cm long, which is enough length to pass down the nose and reach out through the mouth. Lubricate it with beeswax (or ghee) to avoid feeling a sense of nausea.

Another thing that can be used for Sutra Neti is a thin rubber catheter,which is usually a 1 to 3 mm thick tube-like thread that is fairly soft, well lubricated that helps to insert into the nostril.

However, this practice should not be done by the naive practitioners on their own without any guidance. It should be done under an experienced person’s supervision.

SUTRA-NETI
How To Do Sutra Neti?
  1. Take a beeswax lubricated thread or a rubber catheter as mentioned above. Wash the cord in warm water, or some specialized oils or medications and then dry it carefully.
  2. Gently insert thread into one of the nostrils with utmost care. Keep the cord pointed towards the back of the throat.
  3. Take your hand into the mouth and with the help of the index and middle finger, slowly and gently pull the cord from the back of the throat and pull it out from the mouth.
  4. Now, holding both ends of the string with respective hands, gently move it to and fro a few times. Gently take out the thread.
  5. Repeat the same steps with another nostril.
  6. Once the above procedure is mastered, sutra neti can be performed by passing the cord from one nostril to another.
When to practice:

Sutra neti is best practiced in the morning before eating anything, as the nasal passages are naturally fully opened at that time. However, it is advisable to practice it once or twice a week, as doing it daily can weaken the natural receptors present in our nasal passages.

(3) DUGDHA-NETI 

This kriya is kind of a substitute of Jal Neti and specifically suggested for people who may experience irritation by the saline water and is done with milk. Although that does not mean that it cannot be done in addition to Jal Neti, it can surely be done as it soothes the nasal lining after its exposure to the salty water. It is appropriate and doable even for people with chronic nasal bleeding and/or inflamed nasal lining.

How To Do Dugdha Neti?

Just like you would fill water in Jal Neti, for this Kriya fill the Neti pot with lukewarm milk (of body temperature) and unlike Jal Neti, half of the pot doesn’t need to flow through one side to another. Instead, milk is allowed to fill in one nostril and then it is taken out from the other nostril.

(4) GHRITA-NETI

In this Kriya, ghee is used for nasal cleansing as a medium instead of milk or water. Besides ghee, any unconcentrated oil that is devoid of any artificially added chemicals can also be used as an alternative.

How To Do Ghrita  Neti?

Sequence for practicing this Neti is the same as Jal Neti. Fill the Neti pot with a warm ghee and tilt your head in one side. Now, gently insert the spout into one of the nostrils and allow the ghee to pass through the opposite nostril. This Kriya can aid to cure the soreness of the nose that may have been caused due to the usage of saline water in Jal Neti.

Benefits of Neti Kriya:

  1. Purifies the sinuses and the nasal cavity, thereby stimulating various centers in the brain and regulating its functions.
  2. Eliminates the infection causing bacteria by clearing all the dirt, foreign particles or antigens.
  3. Minimises the recurrence of allergy and rhinorrhea.
  4. By cleaning the upper respiratory tract, it aids in reducing the ailments like common cold, cough, and tonsil inflammation.
  5. It aids relief in conditions like headaches, migraine, epilepsy, asthma, bronchitis, depression and mental tension.
  6. It gives soothing after effects to people with hysteric personalities.
  7. Disorders like tinnitus, middle ear infection, eye infection, tear duct issues etc can see some relief by its regular practice .
  8. It restores a sense of smell by working on the olfactory nerves besides working on the nasal lining as well.
  9. Helps in anger management, makes the practitioner more calmer, peaceful and less agitated.
  10. There are numerous other benefits one can avail with the regular practice of Neti Kriyas.

Thought of the day: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”– Thomas A. Edison

Link to day 12: Dhautis, Types, Methods, Advantages https://kreately.in/day-12-dhauti-types-methods-advantages/

Link to day 14: Trataka: To Gaze https://kreately.in/day-14-trataka-kriyato-gaze-mitraasha/

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