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Frank-in-SanDiego
USA
363 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 28 2005 : 10:51:27 PM
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Hari OM
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Hello Mumuksu ( or a seeker/sadhu with the desire for Moksa)
Is anyone practicing JALA NETI ( Jala is water,nasal passsage cleaning) ? Something to consider for those with stuffy nose's ( allergies like me) and difficulty with Pranayam i.e. only one channel open and the other closed.
Its said that this cleaning also stimulates Ajna Chakra - yet I cannot discern this from my experience... but will pay more attention.
If you care to read more about this, and other Hatha Yoga cleansing techniques this site may be of use:
http://www.rainbowbody.net/Purity/Jalneti.txt
Om shanti shanti shantiye
Frank in SD
"This Source of knowledge; this source of power; all these worlds; all these gods; all these beings; -- All this is just the Self."
SAGE YAJNAVALKYA, BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD
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Edited by - Victor on Aug 29 2005 12:13:19 AM |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Aug 28 2005 : 11:21:16 PM
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| I have done it from time to time. it clears the sinuses from mucus accumulations. i would put it in the same catagory as brushing your teeth or gargling. It is cleansing and good for you but not terribly profound a practice. I am curious if mutra neti goes deeper. the one time I tried it there was too much sting so didn't try again. maybe watered down would help a bit. |
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yogani
USA
5195 Posts |
Posted - Aug 29 2005 : 1:17:12 PM
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Hello Victor & Frank:
Salt content is the main determinant of comfort in neti. Too much salt like in seawater or mutra/urine can cause discomfort. So does too little salt like in tap water. So watering down on too much salt or adding some salt if there isn't enough is the formula. Everyone has their own ideal salt level that is comfortable in the delicate nasal passages.
As for thoughts on jala neti (salted tap water based), it is a good general cleanser of the nasal passages and sinuses, but it and all the other shatkarmas can take a lot of time. There was a time on my path many years ago when there was a strong inner call for all the shatkarmas -- neti/nasal wash, basti/enema, dhauti/intestinal wash, etc. At that time there was more involved than hygienic body cleansing (something much deeper was going on), so I did a lot of shatkarmas then. In recent years the inner call for shatkarmas has been much less, so I spend very little time doing them now -- typing instead!
That is one way to approach the shatkarmas -- if you feel called to them from within, do them. If not, then you will not be shortchanging yourself spiritually by not doing them. Meditation, spinal breathing and the other AYP practices are far more important factors in our spiritual transformation. The interconnectedness of yoga will natually call us to shatkarmas and the other yamas and niyamas, as necessary, along the way. See lesson #149 for more on the interconnectedness of the limbs of yoga. http://www.aypsite.org/149.html
By the way, the shatkarmas are niyamas, and I suppose ayurveda claims them too. So they can be discussed either here in healthcare or in the yama/niyama forum. If the discussion moves beyond cleansing techniques to other yamas and niyamas, it is suggested to switch over to the yama/niyama forum. There is overlap between the forums, just like there is overlap between the limbs of yoga. The One is the many and the many are the One!
The guru is in you. |
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Lili
Netherlands
372 Posts |
Posted - Aug 31 2005 : 09:04:07 AM
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Thanks a lot for the site! I have been doing jala neti daily for many years (learned it as a kid from a book) and think it's great for ppl prone to runny nose or sinus problems. For people who don't have such problems I guess it's not such a big deal as it is for me. I'm not competent enough to make comments on the energy aspect but the health effect is there and is enough to justify doing it anyway. 
quote:
Originally posted by Frank-in-SanDiego
Hari OM
~~~~~
Hello Mumuksu ( or a seeker/sadhu with the desire for Moksa)
Is anyone practicing JALA NETI ( Jala is water,nasal passsage cleaning) ? Something to consider for those with stuffy nose's ( allergies like me) and difficulty with Pranayam i.e. only one channel open and the other closed.
Its said that this cleaning also stimulates Ajna Chakra - yet I cannot discern this from my experience... but will pay more attention.
If you care to read more about this, and other Hatha Yoga cleansing techniques this site may be of use:
http://www.rainbowbody.net/Purity/Jalneti.txt
Om shanti shanti shantiye
Frank in SD
"This Source of knowledge; this source of power; all these worlds; all these gods; all these beings; -- All this is just the Self."
SAGE YAJNAVALKYA, BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD
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Jim and His Karma
2110 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 11:06:09 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by yogani
Salt content is the main determinant of comfort in neti.
satyananda recommends one teaspoonful of salt per half liter of water. I'd also use distilled or natural mineral water (not from a plastic bottle) |
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Jim and His Karma
2110 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 11:07:47 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Victor
I am curious if mutra neti goes deeper.
Satyananda says it's a primo practice for activating ajna.
He also says you've got to be real careful about drying the nostrils afterwards. His book Asana Parnayama Mudra Bandha (which is worth owning) goes into some detail. |
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david_obsidian
USA
2602 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 12:14:14 PM
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I followed the link given by Frank (thanks for the link), where Swamootra Neti is discussed.
I was interested to see that the speculated mechanism for the effectiveness of ones own urine is the same one that I speculated for amaroli -- namely, hormesis -- the triggering of a positive body response through the stimulus of a toxin. And indeed what more tailored a set of toxins than those your body is already getting rid of?
Swamootra Neti - Neti using one's own Urine
The idea of pouring urine through your nose would be, for nearly everybody,
a very strange and disgusting concept. Here we will not be dealing with the
subject in any detail, as this is a whole branch of yogic science, about which
there are more complete texts. The principle of Swamootra Neti functions in
the same way as that of Homoeopathy, where "the ingestion of like cures
like". The daily by-products of body metabolism such as urine, have within
them tiny amounts of tell tale substances which indicate the condition of the
body's internal health. The smell and taste of urine, when used in Swamootra
Neti, is a method of bio-feedback to the brain, which stimulates it to
gradually reprogramme the body's metabolism towards a better function with
lesser toxic waste products. This has a very potent healing effect on many
illnesses. When learning Swamootra Neti, there are certain dietary
guidelines which must be followed. To overcome any aversion to urine, one
is eased into acceptance of the practice, by beginning with weak solutions
and eventually moving towards full strength urine. |
Edited by - david_obsidian on Nov 29 2005 12:16:12 PM |
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david_obsidian
USA
2602 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 2:56:56 PM
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Lili (or others),
the site in question speaks of doing Jala Neti with a Neti pot. I don't have one -- is it possible to do it without a neti pot? I mean, what if I close one nostril and suck some water up my nose with the other? Then I could spit it out my mouth which would be 'like' Jala neti stage 2 (according to the site).
I know the site recommends doing stage 1 first...
Thanks,
-D |
Edited by - david_obsidian on Nov 29 2005 2:58:40 PM |
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lucidinterval1
USA
193 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 3:57:14 PM
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David,
The neti pot allows you to measure the amount of fluid to flow through each nostril. Also, with a neti pot, the saltwater goes through one nostil and out the other, not out the mouth. I find the neti pot useful as it is easy to regulate the temperature of the water (which for me is critical) and the right amount of salt each time. Also the neti pot is shaped like a genie lantern. The spout fits into the nostril. By applying some upward pressure, you can increase the flow if you are particulary congested.
You can find them on-line or at health store for cheap. They come with pharmacutical grade salt.
Regards,
Paul |
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david_obsidian
USA
2602 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 4:06:23 PM
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Thankyou Paul. What I am wondering is, could I try it without the neti pot, in the way I mentioned? Then, if I 'like' it, I could get the neti pot... any ideas?
-D |
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lucidinterval1
USA
193 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 4:49:52 PM
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You can certainly try that. In fact I did that before I got the neti pot and still occasionally do that in the shower - the temp that I take a shower is about the same as the temp that I use for the neti pot. The neti pot is a more thorough flushing, that's all. One more note. I find it useful before meditation. It may be in my head but, if both nostrils are opened nicely it makes sense that Ida and Pingala are more balanced. In that way, in my mind, it should be easier for sushumna to flow more smoothly as the alternate energies are working harmoniously, creating a generator-like effect.
Paul |
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Jim and His Karma
2110 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 5:22:23 PM
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| David and all, there are very precise details (about neti pots, etc etc) in the book "asana pranayama mudra bandha"" by satyananda. If you're serious about this practice, it's probably a must read. Good book just in general. |
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david_obsidian
USA
2602 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 5:25:58 PM
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Thanks folks. I am going to give it a shot.
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yogani
USA
5195 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 7:07:12 PM
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Hi Folks:
Nice topic here. For whatever it is worth, it can be a pretty short trip from the neti pot to sucking the lightly salted warm water up from a bowl with both nostrils and expelling it out of the mouth. The bowl can be emptied in a few cycles this way. It can also be expelled through the nose, but that is messier. The nasal pharynx is a natural vessel for this operation, and even has a "dam" in the form of the soft palate to keep the water from running down into the lungs while inhaling it up through the nose (same effect when using the neti pot).
This approach is fast and effective. The longest part of it is waiting for the sinuses to drain, which can take a few minutes. That is true of any form of jala neti, but especially the big kahuna of doing a whole bowl. If you don’t wait for the sinuses to drain, you can walk out of the bathroom and suddenly drop a shot or two of water on whomever you might be standing over. 
If this jala neti procedure sounds risky, it isn't. I can't remember one time in the last 20 years when I actually inhaled water. We seem to have a natural ability to handle water in this way. But if the salt content is too much or too little, not so pleasant...
The guru is in you.
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Jim and His Karma
2110 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2005 : 11:35:34 PM
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| FWIW, satyananda says that the neti pot is for beginners, and that advanced practice is directly from a bowl. He also has extensive notes on drying the sinuses, and he says if you don't attend to that carefully, you can leave yourself irritated. |
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david_obsidian
USA
2602 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2005 : 09:55:04 AM
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I tried it last night, inhaling it from a bowl. I found it quite easy and comfortable. No need for 'stage 1' at all. From this perspective, that website above seems perhaps a little over-cautious.
Yogani said:
If you don’t wait for the sinuses to drain, you can walk out of the bathroom and suddenly drop a shot or two of water on whomever you might be standing over.
Yes, and imagine if that wasn't water, but urine... 
Actually last night I probably did not drain enough. I did some sun-salutation half an hour later and splash -- out on my yoga mat.
That was just salt-water. There's another reason to start with salt-water -- get to know risks to innocent bystanders!
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thibaud05
France
86 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2009 : 10:29:25 AM
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Wow I've just started doing jala neti from a bowl, and I love it. Way more powerful effects than with a pot. I am concerned though if inhaling the water in-through the nose and expelling it out-through the mouth may not be very hygienic. The nose is a natural filter, so in the bowl process we are forcing what was stucked in the nose to go down through the mouth. How clean and safe is that ?
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Edited by - thibaud05 on Jun 18 2009 10:30:48 AM |
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JALA NETI
