Because I love Jal Neti and recently bought a new ceramic neti pot, I’ve decided to rerun a post from a few months back.
Please enjoy reading about this wonderful shat karma.

Here I am, setting up to do jal neti in Chamrajanagar, Karnataka, India.

Jal neti, or nasal irrigation, is a beautiful cleansing process that removes excess mucus and pollutants from the nasal passage and sinuses. It relieves allergies, colds, and sinusitis. Jal neti can prevent and treat other disorders of the ears, eyes and throat, as well as respiratory tract diseases such as asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis. The practice rinses and therefore opens up the nasal passages, which can help relieve mouth breathing. In addition to this, jal neti helps reduce muscular tension in the face which results in a fresh and youthful appearance. It can also treat and alleviate anxiety, anger, depression, headaches, and even improve eyesight.

So, what is this incredible practice? Jal neti involves putting 6 to 12 ounces of warm saline water (or other ayurvedic tonics) up one nostril and allowing it to come out the other. To do so, one uses a neti pot, a ceramic, plastic, or bronze vessel that resembles a small teapot.
The practice may sound a little uncomfortable and awkward at first. In fact, when I was first introduced to neti last year, I never imagined that it would be come a routine practice for me. I have since been able to reap the benefits of neti. It has even improved my singing and chanting.

a little demonstration… I know it’s not the most flattering shot!

A bit about the history of neti:
Jal neti, which means nasal cleansing with water in Sanskrit, is an ancient ayurvedic cleansing technique. Jal neti and sutra/dhanda neti (a practice in which a waxed thread or thin rubber tube is inserted through the nose and out the mouth) are classified as one of the six cleansing techniques mentioned in hatha yoga. These purifying processes, called the shat karmas (“six actions”), also included dhauti (internal, head, and thoracic cleaning), nauli (abdominal strengthening and massaging), basti (enema and other techniques to wash and tone the large intestine), kapalbhati (frontal brain cleaning. see related post), and trataka (internal and external gazing on a fixed point).
While jal neti has been practiced for centuries in India and other Asian countries, it first became popular in the West during the second half of the 20th century. Today, you most likely can find a neti pot at your local health store.

As jal neti should first be practiced under the guidance of an experienced instructor, I am not providing step-by-step instructions. If you are in the New York area and would like to learn, I will be conducting individual or small group classes for just $15. Bring your own neti pot or purchase one from me. If you are interested in scheduling a lesson or would like to learn more, feel free to contact me at sophiesundar@sophieherbert.com. You can also inquire about jal neti at your local yoga center.