As kids headed back to school this month, and the news going on about protecting us all from the H1N1 virus, it seems fitting to remind us all about the practice of Neti. Since the H1N1 virus is airborne, doing Neti is a perfect first defense.

Neti, or nasal irrigation, is an ancient practice done by Hatha Yogis. The sinuses often become blocked or congested, causing problems such as headaches, ear infections, and sore throats. Since yogis are always concerned with maintaining a healthy body, the cleaning of the sinuses through nasal irrigation has been adopted into their daily hygiene.

At the International Yoga Teachers Conference in Australia, 1997, Dr. Thomas Schmidt, a Doctor of Internal Medicine, presented results from a study he had done on the benefits of Neti in reducing the affects of the common cold and other airborne viruses. Dr. Schmidt conducted research over 5 years on the effects of jal neti, or nasal irrigation. He had 115 soldiers in the study. Some were a simply a control group, while the others practiced neti on an average of one time per day. Some did it two times a day, and the time varied between am and pm. The soldiers kept a diary on how they did Neti and how often. Each soldier had a check-up at the beginning of the study, at the end of the 1st month, and at the end of the 3 month course.

The participation in Dr. Schmidt’s research study is as follows.
39 soldiers performed neti……………27 completed the 3 month course
76 were a control group………………61 completed the 3 month course
TOTAL 115 BEGAN
TOTAL 88 COMPLETED

The following table shows the results of Dr. Schmidt’s research:

Days of Disease (cold and flu symptoms) resulting in days off duty

Disease dropped by 70% for the group that practiced jal neti. Why?

Nasal mucous membranes have 1 layer of cells with cilia. On this is a film of liquid. One phase of this liquid is like mucous, and one is like water. The cilia move like a whip in the water layer, moving a constant flow down to the throat. The same action is occurring in the lungs, only going upwards. The sinuses bring this liquid to the nose, where it can be drained. This protects the body by moving bacteria and germs away from the cells.

The cilia are sensitive to many effects. They become less effective in removing germs when they become too cold, too hot, too dry, too moist, too dusty, etc. Temperature change affects the cilia and this is the most frequent cause of days off work (+- 70%). Our society averages 17.77 days off working per year due to the effects of the common cold.

It only takes 6 hours for a virus to take hold. The first thing a virus does is stop the cilia from working, so they can no longer make the whipping action. Then a virus can infect the cell. If a cell loses its cilia it takes 2 weeks to regenerate it. By performing Neti regularly, it helps the normal flow of cilia, normal flushing and cleansing. Neti works as a defense to keep the cilia functioning when a virus is trying to disable them. This helps to reduce the frequency of colds as well as lower the secondary effects (flu, pneumonia, tonsillitis, ear infections, etc). Neti can also reduce the length of a cold if it does take place. If you are exposed to a virus, Dr. Schmidt suggests you do Neti three times a day so the virus doesn’t have 6 hours to infect your cells. Otherwise, doing Neti once a day should keep the cilia healthy and functioning well.

Many Allergy and Respiratory Health Clinics use “nasal irrigation” as a standard treatment. They instruct people suffering from chronic problems with the nose and ears, headaches, and blocked sinuses to “slowly sniff in a small amount of mixture (warm water, baking soda and salt) through one nostril at a time, pulling the water in through the nose and out the mouth”. They recommend this practice twice a day to start, and once the sinuses start to clear, reduce to once a day. Not only that, one clinic says, “Once you get onto this technique, often it is the only treatment you need to keep your sinuses and upper airways clear.” A very high recommendation, and based on the research and my own experience, I fully agree.

Since the 1970’s the practice of Neti has spread in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Germany. In Germany, some health insurance companies have even considered giving clients Neti pots to help reduce lost days of work.

Dr. Schmidt’s study group used a solution of salt and water for performing Neti. Ideally, you want the solution to match the salinity of your body, or to taste like your tears. This works out to be approximately 9 grams of salt to 1 litre of water. Sea salt doesn’t burn. Table salt will burn if too much or too little is used, but when mixed to match the body’s PH it will be fine. You may need to adjust the amount of salt up or down until you find the comfortable amount.

HOW TO DO NETI
Fill the Neti pot with the salt and water solution. Insert the spout into the right nostril and tip your head to the left. The water will pour into your right nostril, fill the right sinus passage, and then come out the left nostril. Let the water flow until about ½ the solution is gone, or less if it is too uncomfortable. Blow your nose and repeat on the other side.

Any stinging sensations will disappear with regular practice. You may also find any discomfort being reduced by not doing Neti first thing in the morning - give the sinuses an hour or so to clear after waking.

Caution: It is advised that this practice be learned with a teacher. One may need assistance with the position of the head in order to avoid water entering the wind pipe. If you feel water going down the throat, tip the chin more forward and down. If you feel water going into the ear, reduce the angle of your head.

Neti Pots are available for $15 to $18 at neti pots and Okanagan Yoga Essentials will have them on sale for $5 each at the Vancouver Yoga Show !