Jalneti Benefits and How you can do it

Woman doing Jal Neti Kriya
Source: Flickr

Health is the greatest possession! For ages, people have been practicing yoga to maintain ideal physical, mental, and emotional health. There is a total of 6 types of cleansing that are practiced in Yoga, known as “Shatkarma.” One of the most beneficial yogic cleanse is “Jalneti.”

Jalneti has numerous benefits and significantly helps to alleviate upper respiratory complaints. After COVID, we all have realized the importance of having a strong immune and respiratory system. If you are a beginner, this blog is for you. We are going to be talking about Jalneti benefits and how you can do it.

Our body is a marvelous creation, and there is so much that we are discovering about ourselves as we evolve. So, let’s get into this topic and understand our bodies a little better!

What is Jalneti?

In Sanskrit, “Jala” means water, and “Neti” means “to guide.” basically, in this cleanse, you are guiding water through your nasal passage. Many people find it a bit uncomfortable, but it is just a cleanse for your nasal cavity. It is as basic as brushing your teeth in the morning to maintain dental hygiene.  

woman doing yogic practice
Photo by Shashi Chaturvedula on Unsplash

Since ancient times people have been using Jal Neti to clean their sinuses. So they can breathe properly without any nasal congestion. Moreover, it’s really essential to clean your nasal passages as it helps in reducing the risk of many diseases like asthma, allergic rhinitis, and infections. Help improve your physical and mental wellness.

How can you do Jal Neti Kriya?

Your nose is like the air conditioner of your body, and it helps in regulating your body temperature. As both of your sinuses are connected and have a hollow cavity through with you breathe. If there is any blockage or impurities in your nasal cavity, it can increase the risk of infections and other respiratory diseases.

So, in Jal Neti, you need to guide water from one nasal chamber to another. It’s a simple practice, and you should make this a part of your daily routine. You will then see a significant improvement in your overall health.

Technique for Practicing Jal Neti

  • Take some lukewarm water in a Neti pot, water must be of appropriate temperature so you can easily pour it.
  • Add a little salt to your neti pot filled with water to do saline nasal irrigation.
  • Take a few deep breaths, and now tilt your neck slightly.
  • Touch the tip of the pot to your nostril and gradually pour water into your nostril.
  • Open your mouth and breathe gently, do not talk or sniff. Just breathe slowly and gently through your mouth.
  • For a better flow of water through your nose, tilt your neck slightly more.
  • Once you have cracked the right neck posture, the rest of the process is quite easy and will happen automatically.
  • Make sure you do this whole nasal cleansing process with calm and patience. Do not rush while doing Jalneti.
  • After a few minutes, you can fill the Jal Neti pot again and pour the water in from another nostril.
  • Once you are done with the process, you must stretch your arms and start breathing from your nostrils. Breathe out from each nostril 10-15 times to make sure no water is left inside the nasal path.
  • Now look up and blow 10-15 times again to make sure no water residue is left.

Advantages of this Yogic Practice

There are a plethora of Jal Neti benefits that one could derive if he/she performs it regularly. Here are these:

  • Jal Neti helps in nasal cleansing and removing all blockages and upper respiratory tract infections. Thus, it facilitates maintaining nasal hygiene easily. 
  • It helps in cooling down your brain by eliminating the excess amount of heat. Which eventually helps in dealing with migraine, headaches, and other infections as well.
  • It significantly helps in dealing with diseases like asthma and bronchitis by cleaning the nasal passages. 
  • If someone is suffering from severe conditions like middle ear infections, glue ear, or tinnitus, Jal Neti can help in reducing the infection.
  • This yogic cleanse also helps in increasing the sensitivity of your olfactory system and can also restore your sense of smell. This has been proven really good for digestion as well.
  • If someone is trying to quit smoking, Jal Neti can be really helpful for them.
  • It also helps in meditation and activating your chakras.
  • If someone is suffering from migraine, epilepsy, and depression, doing this yogic practice can be extremely beneficial for them.
  • Jalneti also reduces the habit of mouth breathing and can resensitize your nose.
  • If someone is suffering from anger issues, Jalneti can help them keep calm and composed.
  •  It also helps in clear vision and clearing your tear duct as well.

Precautions You should take while Performing Jal Neti

Jal Neti requires practice and patience. Most people are not able to get it right in one go. So, you must have patience and try regularly. Moreover, to get the maximum benefit of Jalneti, you must practice it regularly. You must try to perform Jalneti under the supervision of an expert or professional. If you are doing Jal Neti by yourself, then you must take these precautions.

  • Make sure that once this exercise is done, no amount of water is left in your nasal chamber.
  • If you have issues with High blood pressure, then you should be really careful.
  • Your nose should be dried properly after doing Jalneti.
  • You will only get the benefits of Jal Neti once you make this yogic practice a part of your daily routine.
  • If you are feeling dizzy while removing water from your nostrils, you can try it in a standing posture.

The Bottom Line

If you are suffering from a dry, crusty nose. if you have a watery, stuffed, blocked nose and you have to carry a handkerchief everywhere you go. Jalneti can help you maintain good respiratory health and cleanse your nasal chamber. In short, it helps you live a disease free lifestyle easily. 

Just like many other Yogic practices, there are endless Jalneti benefits you could derive. But you can only achieve them if you include this in your daily routine. Just like brushing your teeth, this should also be a part of your morning routine.

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