Jala Neti: 7 Health Benefits and Step-by-step Instructions

We know that yoga has many benefits ? it strengthens our body, calms our mind, improves flexibility and gives you balance. There are certain yogic techniques that even claim to keep the body disease-free. One such technique is jala neti, which improves breathing by relieving any disease that may have been blocking the respiratory tract. If done correctly, jala neti can provide you with several health benefits, some of which are mentioned here.

Benefits of Jala neti

As per Ayurveda, there are several benefits of practising Jala neti, including the following:

1. Jala neti can remove mucus and pollutants from the nasal passage and sinuses, allowing air to flow without obstruction. This helps relieve allergies, colds and sinusitis.

2. It claims to prevent and manage diseases of the respiratory tract such as asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis and pulmonary tuberculosis.

3. It is said to relieve disorders of the ears, eyes and throat such as myopia, allergic rhinitis, hay fever and tonsillitis.

4. It helps relieve muscular tension of the face, tics and Bell?s palsy.

5. People with epilepsy and migraine may find the practice of Jala neti cooling and soothing.

6. It can help in alleviating anxiety, anger and depression.

7. Jala neti is believed to bring harmony and balance between the right and left brain hemispheres, thus improving blood circulation and digestion.

How to correctly perform jala neti?

For performing neti, you must have a special pot, which is known as a neti lota or a neti pot. The nozzle of the end of the spout should fit comfortably into your nostril so that the water does not leak out. Make sure that the water is at body temperature and has salt mixed in it. The proportion of salt should be one teaspoonful per half a litre of water. If you experience pain or a burning sensation while performing jala neti, it could mean that there is either too little or too much salt in the water. There are two stages of Jala neti:

Stage 1: Washing the nostrils 

1. Firstly fill the pot with salted water and stand straight with legs apart.

2. Now lean forward (from your back) and close your eyes.

3. Tilt your head to one side and then slightly raise your chin while moving your head back.

4. Breathe through your mouth and insert the nozzle into the upper nostril.

5. Press the nozzle of the pot firmly into the nostril (do not force it) to avoid water leakage.

6. Now tilt the neti pot in such a way that the saltwater from the pot runs into the nostril and not down your face.

7. Now adjust your body position to enable the saltwater to pass through the other nostril.

8. Remove the nozzle from the nostril when half of the saltwater has passes through. Let the rest of the water run out of both the nostrils.

9. Blow your nose gently to remove any mucus.

10. Now tilt your head to the other side and repeat the process.

11. You might feel that your nose has dried completely after this process.

Stage 2: Drying the nostrils 

In order to dry your nostril, you will have to follow these steps:

1. Stand straight and close the right nostril with your right thumb. Now breathe in and out through your left nostril 5 to 10 times quickly. Now repeat the same on the other side.

2. Stand straight and bend horizontally forward from your waist. Close your right nostril, tilt your head to the right and breathe in and out through your left nostril 5 to 10 times quickly. Repeat the same process again on the left side. Finish it by keeping your head in the centre and breathing through both nostrils.

3. Stand straight with your feet apart. Close your right nostril and breathe out forcefully while bending forward quickly from your waist. Now return to the upright position while inhaling normally. Do this 5 to 10 times. Repeat the same process by closing the left nostril and then end it by opening both the nostrils.

For more information, read our article on Home remedies for nasal congestion.

Health articles on News18 are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.