It is a known fact that every practice - whether it is yogic or medical- has to be done in the manner in which it is advised to avoid any adverse effects. Though the Neti kriya or the practice of Jala Neti with a Neti pot is a very simple technique, there are certain precautions that one must follow for using the saline solution.
Either sea salt or rock salt is to be used for the Neti practice. Table Salt is not to be used. The ideal ratio is two teaspoons of sea salt or rock salt or the prepackaged salt provided by us into 2 cups of distilled/purified lukewarm water. Once this is mixed properly, it becomes the saline solution which will be used in the Neti pot for nasal irrigation. This nasal solution is to be guided through the nostrils for cleaning of the nasal passage and is not meant to be swallowed.
The saline solution, if it enters the mouth, needs to be spat out and should not be swallowed. It is critical to note that the only adverse effect of a Jala Neti can be felt when one of the two or both the ingredients are contaminated. If you use impure water or salt that may have had contaminants then you are releasing these contaminants directly into your nasal passage which is nothing short of a major risk! Hence, utmost care must be taken to ensure that you are using the best of both these ingredients to derive maximum benefits from the Jala Neti Kriya!
Neti salt is usually available very easily and can be purchased from us as well. This might make you wonder why salt is chosen as the ingredient and not anything else. To begin with, please note that Pharmaceutical grade Sodium Chloride is to be used for the Jala Neti Kriya. This is because Pharmaceutical grade Sodium Chloride is 99.99% safe and does not have any impurities. The nasal passages are very gentle and impure salt can cause irritation and discomfort. Salt is the perfect choice for Nasal irrigation as it dissolves quickly and when one spoon of neti salt is added to one cup of lukewarm water, this concentration becomes the same as that of the nasal tract.
The importance of preparing the nasal solution in the right manner cannot be overlooked. If too much salt is added, then a lot of discomfort and irritation can be experienced. If salt is added in less than the advised proportion, then the efficacy of Nasal irrigation or Jala Neti or Neti Kriya is impacted. Hence, it is advised that Neti salt be used for the practice which is easily available with us.
We have come a long way from the traditional method of sniffing ocean water from one’s palm to building elegant Neti pots with different materials including Ceramic, Steel and Copper to be used for the Jala Neti Kriya. The Neti pot has evolved and adapted itself to suit the present-day requirements and lifestyle making it a handy and trendy addition to the personal hygiene kits.