Seriously, get a neti pot

As allergy season approaches, the best advice I can offer is to use a neti pot. This simple method of natural cleansing will do wonders for your sinus passages. Firstly, the flow of water assists in the removal of debris, allowing for better breathing. Secondly, the salt in the water kills bacteria, aiding the immune system. And thirdly, the habit promotes personal care and discipline, two qualities essential to yoga.

We drip snot and blow our noses because a lot of the gunk that gets collected needs to be released. Our nasal passages are lined with miniscule hairs called cilia that pass dirt and debris over their wavy little heads, like concertgoers passing a crowdsurfer, with smooth precision. Nothing refreshes these hardworking hairs more than to be flushed with warm salty water and relieved of their slimy and/or crusty burdens. Like taking a swim in a temperate ocean, using a neti pot clears out the sinus passageways with gentle thoroughness, allowing air to pass through more freely and be better filtered.

What’s more, while the salt water is finding its way around the turbinates of each nostril, it dehydrates the bacteria it encounters. This benefit is especially useful if you are prone to bacterial sinus infections; using a neti pot is an effective alternative to antibiotics. (I’m not clear on whether it’s wise to kill healthy bacteria along with the harmful germs, but there is definitely medical precedent for the “kill ’em all, let god sort them out” approach.) Salt water can also reduce swelling of the nose and throat linings using those same death-by-dehydration powers to remove the extra fluid that’s causing the swelling. So gargling salt water in addition to flushing out the nose doesn’t hurt.

Last but not least, one must cultivate patience and persistence in order to regularly use a neti pot. Sometimes the water doesn’t flow right away; sometimes it drips steadily for what feels like forever. And throughout it all, the breath requires awareness. Maybe it’s the breath-based aspect that qualifies neti pot use as a form of yoga; it does keep the nostrils clear, and supposedly breathing in and out of both nostrils at the same time can bring you to bliss. (Normally we just use one nostril at a time. Let me know if you want to know more about that.) So neti = clear passageways = effective breathwork = bliss. Bliss that you can move toward with a simple addition to your hygiene routine. Does it get more convenient than that? You can really do yoga standing at your sink. Breathing carefully through your mouth. Patiently tuning in to the drip and the flow. Staying present and honoring the body.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Your nose needs a neti.