I love the neti pot.   I don’t use it often, only if I have a cold, or if it’s allergy season.   Well….. it’s getting to be allergy time!   I haven’t felt any allergies yet, but I can only assume it’s coming.

 

Traditionally, a yogi does Jala Neti (the purifying practice of nasal washing) every day.  For awhile, I tried this, and I felt dried out.   Now I use as needed.  As a teenager, the first time I used the neti pot, I remember thinking, “Well, I have no nasal issues.   Everyone else in my teacher training gets sinus infections, allergies, etc.  I have none of these, so this isn’t for me.”   Nevertheless, after my first foray into neti cleansing, I felt like I had never taken such a full, satisfying breath.  It was awesome! And, several years after moving to Boston, I developed allergies – and was very happy to already know about the neti pot!

 

Yogis have known for a LONG time how helpful the neti pot is, but in case you need scientific evidence, there are actually studies to prove its efficacy – check out this recent NYTimes article.

 

Don’t get me wrong – I’ll also be taking allergy pills and using eye drops when the going gets rough.    But the neti is unsurpassed for helping me feel clear and unclogged. 

 

Don’t resist!  If you have nasal issues (and even if you don’t), try out a neti pot.     

 

My neti pot looks like this, only blue.   You can buy them at Whole Foods and awesome natural food stores such as Cambridge Naturals.