Atma Niranjan Yoga Vidyalaya

Hari Om. A practical demonstration guide of Jala Neti

Jala neti
The practice of jala neti, or nasal irrigation, is so simple and has such a tremendous range of therapeutic effects that it must be considered foremost among the tools in the chest of the yoga therapist. A flow of warm, slightly saline water is introduced into the nostril by means of a suitable container (traditional neti lota or small teapot) and allowed to flow through the nasal pharynx and out the opposite nostril. The procedure is then reversed.

The flow of warm, saline solution over nerve endings connected with the olfactory bulb, a structure in the cranial floor just above the nasal pharynx, has a reflex soothing and relaxing action on the centres of emotion in the limbic system of the brain. It aids in improving concentration and in harmonising the interaction between the reasoning, thinking cerebral cortex and the feeling limbic system. This same soothing relaxing effect is responsible for the benefits to headache sufferers. Because of the direct connection between the limbic system and the medulla oblongata (the area in the brain stem at the top of the spinal cord responsible for the unconscious functions - autonomic nervous system, control of blood pressure, heart rate, breathing etc.), neti is an essential part of the yoga therapeutic program for conditions ranging from hypertension to carcinoma. By its action on the trigeminal nerve, it has a soothing effect on the whole facial area and may be used to alleviate tired eyes, nervous twitching and facial pain. Classically, neti is a preparation for pranayama, and it is in its cleansing action that it finds particular application in the polluted environments of people living or working in industrial areas. It removes the accumulation of toxic airborne residues, helping to prevent the build up and concentration of these cumulative poisons in the system