With the increase in the COVID-19 cases daily all over India, the country is eagerly waiting for the vaccines to come out to help cure the Coronavirus disease. Amidst this, various preventive measures have been doing the talks to keep the Coronavirus at bay. The new one is Jal Neti, which is a yoga procedure to clean the nasal cavity. 

In Jal Neti, salted lukewarm water is used to remove the congestion and blockages of nasal as well as respiratory regions. Jal Neti helps to keep you free from many diseases and also facilitates a smooth breathing process through the nostrils. 

Also, Swami Ramdev has propagated Jal Neti many times in the past if one has a problem of cold-cold or excessive phlegm, then it can be beneficial to do Jala Neti Kriya and Sutra Neti Kriya. 

One needs to perform this with a little care and this method can be easily done at home, but just in case you do not understand how to go about doing it, then it is best to avoid doing it altogether without a trained teacher. 

How to perform Jal Neti?

Water is poured into one of the nostrils and then, that water comes out easily from the other nostril. Following are the steps for performing Jal Neti:

• Sit in Kagasana with a 1-foot distance between the legs.
• Lean forward from the lower back.
• keep the neck tilted diagonal and breathe through the mouth. Never breathe through your nose while doing this activity.
• Insert the nozzle of the pot into the nostril which is active at that moment.
• Keep your mouth open throughout the Neti process
• Let the water flow in through one nostril and out through the other nostril.
• After finishing half of the water of the Neti pot, put it down and clear your nostril.
• The same thing should start on the other side.
• After finishing from both sides, do forceful exhalation from both the nostrils in all the directions i.e. left & right, top & bottom.

 When to perform Jal Neti?

• Jal Neti can be performed either in the morning or evening at home.
• Those who have blocked or nasal congestion should perform it many times of the day to prevent germs.

 A scientific explanation of the Jalneti

Using saline liquid to cleanse the nasopharyngeal mucosa, might cause mild irritation to the mucosal region. Jal Neti dissolves many accumulations produced either as a result of retained secretions or deposits from the inhaled air.

This process helps the nasopharynx, sinuses, nasal ducts, and eyes thus good for the health of Ear Nose Throat (ENT) areas of the body.

Benefits of Jal Neti

• Relieves sinusitis

Jal Neti helps in relieving sinusitis, ailments of the eyes, nose, and throat, tonsillitis, catarrh, as well as inflammation of the adenoids and mucus membranes.

• Cough and Cold

Jal Neti is extremely helpful in the prevention of cold and cough. It also prevents allergic sneezing.

• Headache

Headache is quite common these days. The regular practice of Neti helps to alleviate chronic headaches and migraines.   

•  Drowsiness

Nasal cleaning yoga helps to reduce the symptoms of drowsiness and regular practice of it ensures to get rid of it.

• Psycho-spiritual health

It helps to clear impediments to the free flow of air thus effects on all the Kośas of the body which has a great influence on psycho-spiritual health.

• Memory

It helps to sharpen your memory and overcome the problems of forgetfulness.

• Insomnia

 There are many people who can’t fall asleep or suffer from insomnia. To cure insomnia, Jal neti is one of the effective yoga processes.

• Eye diseases

It treats many eye-related problems and diseases such as soreness, night-blindness, dimness, etc. Accordingly makes your eyes lustrous and beautiful.

• Ear

Diseases related to the ear are also getting helped with the practice of Jal Neti. In nutshell, one can say that the practice of Jal Neti is a panacea for the ENT region of the body. 

• Grey Hair

Hair problems are quite common these days irrespective of age. Jal Neti is beneficial for hair health and prevents untimely falling of hair, graying of hair, and other hair conditions.

What precautions need to be taken while performing Jal Neti?

• After performing Jal Neti, either Kapalbhati or Bhastrika Pranayama should be performed so as to dry the nasal region.

• While doing the breathing process as mentioned above, one shouldn’t blow very hard as it may push water into the ears. 

• If adding salt to the water, the proportion should be kept in mind as more salt leads to a burning sensation in the nasal region. 

• Breathe through the mouth throughout the practice. 

• This whole procedure should be practiced under the guidance of a yoga expert until you get a hang of it.