The Art of Neti

Neti or nasal lavage, is a low tech way help to maintain pathways for proper breathing. Breathing, as you know, is a major component to life and proper breathing helps to ensure the elimination of toxins from our bodies both physically and energetically.The importance of breath in life is well noted in the Sanskrit word prana which denotes both the English words breath and life. Breath and life are inextricably linked. Some say your life is measured is breaths.


To those who may be tempted to Google yourselves silly here, you shall find many types of neti in hatha yoga, including those that do not involve salt and water and will freak you completely out.
Stay with me.

In 1996 when I opened my first public yoga/meditation center, I introduced our students to the neti pot, its use and benefits. Over the next 10 years, I sold more than 1000 neti pots in our small yoga center and gave countless demonstrations of proper application of nasal lavage. I explained that it is a low tech solution to allergies, as well as simply maintaining clean a nose, sinuses, throat, et cetera. Many an ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) and General medical practitioner balked at our little claims or even cautioned our students from trying such a bizarre things because they just weren't familiar with or open to the idea.

Flash forward about 15 years


Every corner drug store carries the neti pot (and some higher tech versions that force water up) for about $15. You may certainly thank the popularity and sigh the commercialization of yoga in the U.S. directly for this. Funny how economics drives our culture.

Those who tried it, became true believers, those who shied away from the simple act of letting gravity and briny water work, and found it more palatable to dose themselves with drugs and/or invasive medical procedures and preferred to suffer from many sinus headaches, colds and so forth.

In another post, surely I would like to discuss breathing practices/pranayama. For the very next one, we will learn how easy it is to do so that you may begin reaping the benefits.