Neti Faq

Jala Neti
Frequently Asked Questions

For Those Currently Learning/ Using the Practice
www.HealthAndYoga.com
Disclaimer
The contents of this report are not prescriptive. They are only of an advisory nature.
You are advised to consult your practitioner before acting upon such advice.
This information may be treated as a reference resource for yoga teachers
and students those who have already been instructed in the techniques
described within. No responsibility is accepted by the publishers
for those who disregard this advice.
Copyright 2006, HealthAndYoga.com
FAQ Categories
Stage 2 Queries.........................................
25
Introduction................................................
Substances Other Than Salt........................
26
Allergies....................................................
Technique Problems...................................
27
Burning and Stinging...................................
Types of Salt..............................................
34
Blockages of Water Flow.............................
Water Quality.............................................
34
Blockages of Nasal Structure....................... 5
Troubleshooting
Child Neti...................................................
Ear Problems.............................................
Eye Problems............................................
Fear and Reticence.....................................
10
How to Make Normal Saline..................................... 37
Getting Outside Help...................................
11
Water Temperature.................................................... 37
Elevated Blood Pressure.............................
11
Water Types............................................................... 38
Headaches and Pains.................................
12
Types of Salt.............................................................. 38
Miscellaneous............................................
13
Mixing the Solution................................................... 39
Nose Bleeds..............................................
16
Getting the Flow.........................................
40
Nasal Polyps..............................................
17
Drying the Nasal Passages..........................
45
Other Forms of Neti....................................
17
Stage 2 - Rationale & Metod........................
46
Neti Pot Issues..........................................
17
Frequency of Jala Neti Usage.......................
48
Sense of Smell...........................................
20
Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions..... 49
Sinuses and Sinusitis..................................
20
Sneezing...................................................
25
What To Do If . . . . ?...................................
35
Technique Details
Water and Salt Mixing.................................
37
Nasal Anatomy
Nasal Passages & Sinuses CT Scan............
51
Introduction
The advice and answers in this FAQ are provided by Swami Omananda Saraswati, a Jala Neti practitioner, user,
researcher, Integral Yoga therapist of some 25 years experience. Swami has been one of the major forces responsible
for Jala Neti and neti pots becoming more well known throughout the world over the last 15 years since his original
Jala Neti Website first appeared on the Internet in 1992. At that time there were only 7 entries returned in a worldwide
search engine for neti, jala neti, nasal irrigation, neti pot. Today there are over 70,000 pages discussing the technique
and 215,000 pages talking about the benefits of neti pots.
Swamis approach to the ancient yoga practices is pure and traditional. He feels that, although modern Western
medicine has much to offer people for the management and cure of many ailments, yoga techniques like Jala Neti
should be preserved and disseminated in their original forms, just as they have been for thousands of years by the
masters in these sciences. His style of teaching (as you will see in this FAQ) is direct and no-nonsense, incisively
analytical as well as broadly experiencial, compassionate and humourous, and ultimately practical and results-based.
He would also like to remind people that Jala Neti is part of the broader yoga system of Hatha Yoga, a rigorous system
of self-purification. It is not just something recently discovered or re-invented by ENT doctors in the last few decades.
As Jala Neti has been picked up and popularised by non-yogis, renamed, modified, medicalised and commercialised,
some people have sought to improve upon it, by changing its formula, by hybridising it with medical science. But in
truth, Jala Neti does not need improvement. It has been developed and trialed by the master yogis over thousands of
years and has already evolved to a point where any so-called improvements will only serve to take it further away from
its original purposes that is, a method of purifying the physical AND mental faculties of human perception in
readiness for meditation and self-transcendence.
Swami says that it is good that yoga has spread out from the caves and ashrams of the Himalayas and is now
reaching far and wide, helping to improve the lives of many people who would never have otherwise been exposed to
such ideas and practices. However it is not so good that yoga's original intents and purposes are being forgotten and
ignored in exchange for commercial returns and mundane benefits such as sinus relief.
In time-honoured tradition, long before books and the World Wide Web, Jala Neti (and all yoga practices in fact) were
passed on by direct transmission, direct teaching, word of mouth, from guru to disciple, so that (i) the practitioner
learned the technique properly without complications and adverse side effects, and was therefore qualified to pass it
on to others; (ii) the practitioner gained the full and intended benefits for their physical and spiritual journey; (iii) the
reputation of yoga did not become tainted by charlatans or exploiters.
But what we see in this day and age, due to the disintegration of this direct teaching tradition, is that all these things
are happening such that: (i) people are not learning the technique properly, despite all the books and documents
available on the topic. Many are experiencing learning difficulties and adverse side effects. Some then go on to badly
teach others. In this way the knowledge is becoming degraded. (ii) The full and inherent benefits are not being
experienced. Most people just think Jala Neti is for mucus reduction, thus people drop the technique when their cold or
their sinusitis has cleared up, or else those with severe nasal problems way beyond the capacities of salt water
therapy say - that yoga irrigation thing doesn't work. (iii) Charlatans and exploiters are renaming it, remodeling it, demystifying it, over-charging for it, all to make massive commercial profits from the sale of this traditionally free
knowledge and its associated products.
So, as you mix your warm salty water each day to pour through your runny or your blocked up nose, spare a thought
for the gift of improved health that the kindly yogis have bestowed upon your life.
Allergies
Q. How long does it take to see results in the clearance of the nasal passage?
A. The amount of time in which any therapeutic method takes to effect changes in ones symptoms depends on
several factors such as: the causes of the illness (which might be environmental, or food-based, or other); the severity
of your condition; and your general health and constitution. Three times is far from enough to show any definitive
change, although some users have reported benefits from the first time onwards. As a minimum, I would recommend
you stick with the practice twice a day each morning after rising and each evening before retiring for at least 2
weeks before making any kind of assessment as to its effectiveness. Once a positive change has been detected, you
may find that cutting back to once only per day is enough to keep allergy symptoms at bay. See Frequency of Usage.
However, Jala Neti (at any frequency) is no substitute for addressing the root causes of any allergic condition. I would
suggest that, in addition to regular nasal irrigation, you use constant self-awareness within your everyday life to avoid
those situations and things which you discover aggravate the allergy. See also Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper
Respiratory Health and Mucus in the Body". As Jala Neti gradually restores your nasal sensitivity to more normal
levels you will naturally become more attuned to those things in life which get up your nose. Then you can make real
life changes which will improve your health in a deeper and more permanent way. Only then will you have cured your
allergies.
Burning and Stinging

Q. Does the solution burn during and/or after irrigation?
Q. I am getting a stinging sensation in my nose during the technique?
Q. I am having a difficult time getting used to the technique because it burns my sinuses so badly.
A. When the irrigation solution is made correctly and the technique is performed correctly, very few users report any
stinging sensations. To avoid the primary possibilities of stinging or burning in the nose, always be sure:
(i) the water temperature is correct. See Water Temperature.
(ii) the water is reasonably pure and free of chemicals. See Water Quality and Water Types.
(iii) the salt is mixed to normal body saline ratio of 0.8%. See How to Make Normal Saline
(iv) that the salt used is raw sea salt with no additives. See Types of Salt Queries and Types of Salt Explained.
However, there are some users who experience a stinging sensation during the water flow even with the correctly
made solution. This is usually in those who have been long time users of strong nasal medications (cortisone, steroid,
and anti-histamine-based sprays) or those with extremely sensitive nasal cavities post-surgery. For these people the
only advice is to bear with it until the nasal passages recover their natural skin linings (only possible through cutting
back and/or stopping medications). A handy hint to help reduce nasal rawness is to wipe a small amount of olive oil
into the nasal passages several times per day, as well as following each irrigation session.
Blockages of Water Flow

Q. I couldn't get the water to flow through either nostril. I cleared my passages by blowing a lot first but
afterwards my nose was so swollen that I couldn't get the water through.
A. Blowing the nose strongly (or a lot) beforehand is counter-productive to the irrigation process. Blowing increases
the blood pressure to the capillaries in the nasal linings and will only serve to reduce the openness of passageways
thus causing water blockages. To effectively clear the nose of stubborn mucus with irrigation, exactly follow the
instructions as described below in Getting the Flow and pay special attention to the section regarding initial water and
mucus blockages.
Q. I often found that nasal cleansing would not clear my blocked nose, so I gave up and resorted back to just
blowing my nose.
A. I am sorry that you have discarded a potentially valuable procedure, most probably because you were not able to
master the technique properly on your own. The fact that you state it seemed to have worked sometimes yet not
always indicates that there was at least partial relief of your symptoms and hope for the future. Perseverance and
some further tuition or advice would have gotten more lasting effects I am sure. If you still have a serious desire to
master the technique and gain its reputed benefits, I suggest you find an experienced Jala Neti instructor to teach you
the proper method and help you overcome the common teething problems. We are constantly adding more people to
our Community Instructors List for Neti learners to track an experienced user in their area. Please feel free to Scan
this list and if you find someone in your city, then you can make a direct contact.
Q. I have noticed that water pours out of my left nostril very thin and slowly, while it pours out evenly and
steadily out of my right nostril. Why might this be?

Q. If the irrigation isn't opening up the nasal passages, should I continue to keep doing it until it does?
Q. Whenever I try to go from the right side to the left I get nothing. Do you have any ideas as to the reason? It
does flow in one direction.
A. The answer will depend on whether the cause of the blockage or the imbalanced flow is simply mucus or whether
the cause is something more serious, like cartilage, polyps or a structural deviation of the nose bone (septum). To find
out see Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
Q. I successfully used the pot yesterday morning, but in the afternoon found the flow wasn't consistent.
A. This situation can have numerous causes.
(i) The body has certain circadian rhythms (daily fluctuations), which alternate the flow of breath through the nostrils.
You may have been flowing more freely on both sides in the morning and been flowing more on one side later in the
day. This is perfectly normal and will operate to varying degrees in everyone.
(ii) You may have eaten something during the day to which you have a low grade allergy, which will tend to block up
the nostrils.
(iii) Extreme energy levels will tend to make one nostril close up more than the other. You may have been very tired,
or very manic in the afternoon, which will change the nostril air flow and hence the water flow from what it was in the
morning.
(iv) You may work in an environment which has many air pollutants which block you up during the day more so than
when you have just woken up in your home environment.
(v) During a womans monthly cycle, the flow of the nostrils fluctuates differently according to the ovulation and
menstruation times. Self observation is the only way to figure out how this is going to affect the efficiency of Jala Neti.
The best thing to do is to watch and notate how the nostril and water flow fluctuates. Then you will understand the
patterns.
Q. Is it possible that some solution got trapped in my nose and blocked it up, because afterwards I felt more
blocked?
Q. My condition is so bad that I become more congested when I use it - so bad that the water doesn't flow
through to my other nasal passage.
A. This situation can be caused by several factors.
(i) In many users who are very blocked up to start with, initially the warm water will clear the flow at the front of the
nasal cavities. A little later, heavier, more deeply stuck mucus comes down from the back of the nasal cavities and
seems to block the flow for a while. In this case a second pot of water, or even more, will give a deeper cleanse. Keep
using the pot until the flow continues uninterrupted by the natural process of it bringing down back mucus into the
frontal nose area. Also, in such severe conditions, nasal cleansing up to 3 times per day is recommended for the first
few weeks. Once this historical cleansing is over with, cutting back to once a day should keep the nose clear and the
mucus blockages at a lower level.
(ii) Blockages after irrigation can also be caused by not drying the nose properly. See Drying the Nasal Passages.
(iii) Blockages can also be caused by performing neti too close to having eaten. After a meal, the nose will usually
tend to block up a bit, especially in those who eat low grade foods, cold foods in cold temperatures, or foods to which
they have a low grade allergy. To avoid this always, do nasal cleansing prior to eating. Also clean up your diet! See
also the article - Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health and Mucus in the Body.
Q. When I first got the neti pot I was unable to get any water to flow at all. I went to my ENT doctor who
unblocked my sinuses and eustachian tubes. He then gave me the go-ahead to use nasal irrigation at home
alone.
A. Blocked water flow is very common in new users, as are congested sinuses and eustachian tubes in those with
long term nasal ailments. Whereas a doctor may well use stronger methods to clear the nose, a little patience and
perseverance with the standard Jala Neti methodology recommended for stubborn congestion would gradually have
solved the problem without the medical consultation (and saved you the cost!). See Getting the Flow.
Blockages of Nasal Structure

Q. Might it be less effective, or even contraindicative, for a person with a deviated septum to use neti?
Q. Can you tell me if Neti is contraindicated for those with deviated septum?
A. Jala Neti is not contraindicated at all for a deviated septum, rather is a most advisable practice to help keep your
restricted airway better open and free of mucus. However, it will only ever have limited effectiveness until the structural
issues are properly addressed. Structural deviations are often accompanied by fleshy build up of scar tissue which
further constricts airflow in one or both nostrils. I highly advise you to get it fixed. Then, after surgery you will have two
fully flowing nostrils and many things in your health will improve. Jala Neti will be a necessary practice post-surgery
and should be continued after that for general breathing health. See also Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
Q. I have a deviated septum which does not permit free flow of water from one of my nostrils to the other. How
can neti help me?
Q. I have a deviated septum which makes me have nasal blockages pretty often usually in my left nostril.
A. Firstly: As a yoga, breathing and meditation teacher, as well as yoga therapist of some 25 years experience, I
strongly advise all people who have a deviated septum to go and get it fixed. Dont procrastinate just decide to do it.
I know it may sound like an expensive and possibly painful thing to do, but it really is the best thing you can do for your
health to get your nose flowing fully on both sides. All doctors and ENT specialists will agree with this fact. None will
advise you to just leave it, unless they sense you are too poor or too afraid to consider it. So, book in tomorrow! In a
few months youll be very, very glad you did. It will change your life like you wouldnt believe. Secondly: Until such time
as you have the operation, keep up with daily Jala Neti, to help clear out the dirt and mucus which will be accumulating
in your nose and restricting what little air flow you have through the limited side. Every little bit of air through each side
is important, so trying to maintain the best flow you can until the operation will help very much in general health as well
as upper respiratory ailments like sinus, hayfever, allergies, headaches, etc. See also Analysing More Serious Nasal
Conditions.
Q. I had my nose broken when I was a kid. I always have the feeling of oxygen deprivation when I am
breathing in yoga sessions. When I suck in through both nostrils my left side completely collapses in and my
right side does not. Maybe I have a deviated septum or something. What do you suggest?
A. It is highly likely that you do have a deviated septum, and/or fleshy growth like cartilage or polyps inside the nose
which is restricting airflow. I recommend having it professionally examined and fixed as soon as possible. Your yoga
practice (either in asanas or pranayama breathing) will never improve until it is, and your yoga teacher should have
already picked this up and told you that, but then it is a well known fact amongst we yogis that people with a
chronically blocked left nostril dont listen well to others anyway. See also Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
Q. I think I have a physical blockage in my nasal passage that inhibits optimal use of the neti pot.
A. See Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
Q. I want to know if Neti is helpful in straightening of the bone in our nose.
A. Aaaah, no. Salty water is not known for its abilities to bend bones back into place. See also Analysing More
Serious Nasal Conditions.
Child Neti
Q. Do you have a childs Neti pot available yet.
Q. Do you have a child's Neti pot like the one the child is using in the video.
A. We intend to have one available soon. Please email to inform us of your interest and we will contact you as soon as
the smaller pots are available.
Q. How would you suggest making a child comfortable with the process of irrigation?
A. Teaching Jala Neti to children is not difficult and will equally have the same benefits as for adults, but care must be
taken so as not to accidentally give them bad impressions or a bad experience of the practice. Depending on the age
and breath control of the child, Jala Neti must initially be done to them until they are skilful enough to hold their own
pot. The major problem with children, is that element of fear. If you have a trusting child it is easy. But if, for example,
they have had a frightening experience when swimming, it can be nearly impossible to get them started. They can also
have a repulsive attitude to such things as nasal mucus if their parents/grandparents or teachers/peers have given
them a repulsive attitude to body fluids. We have found the best method is as follows:
(i) Before asking them if they might like to try it, let them see you doing it on a regular basis. Mention all the nice things
it does and how good it feels. Just wait until they show a positive attitude of inquiry. The worst thing a zealous parent
can do is to force a child to do something prematurely; something which they do not do or like themselves; something
which may be good for the child", but which the child hates and will grow up resenting that weird thing my parents
made me do as a child. So, if one day they become open to the technique, then that is the time to offer them a go.
(ii) On this first occasion, do not try to get a full and proper flow through. Show them the mixing method they may
like to do it for themselves; let them taste and spit; put the nose cone into one nostril and seal it well; check that they
have their mouth open for breathing and that they understand not to breathe through the nose or to sniff through the
nose once the nozzle has been placed in the nostril. Then just tilt their body, their head and the pot enough to fill their
nose with water. Make sure their nose is lower than their chin so that the water cannot run towards the throat. After a
few seconds, withdraw the pot you dont need to wait for a proper flow through, (although you can if they are
trusting). Say Good, well done. Before changing sides they should gently blow the water out of their nose. Do the
same brief attempt on the other side. After that, teach them the drying method as per normal and tell them That was a
good effort for today. Ask them if they would like to try it again tomorrow. Whatever they decide, let it be honoured
and not force fed to them.
(iii) Do this false Neti for the first few attempts checking that they are always happy and comfortable to go this far,
and that they will be able to mouth breathe correctly when water flows all the way through. Even this simple nose
washing can help with clearing mucus and give children freer nose breathing. Eventually you will have their
confidence enough to let the water flow through fully, and they will actually look forward to the benefits of the
technique.
(iv) Note: Kids can get a bit spaced out or stoned from Neti. They may go very quiet for some time afterwards. If this
happens dont worry. They will just be enjoying the increased visual stimulation it gives. Some children with a history of
bad diet, mouth breathing or chronic mucus congestion (just as with some adults) may take months to get a full flowthrough the nostrils. Sometimes, even after months of daily Neti, dark, thick mucus is expelled. This is just historical
cleaning. Dont worry, just keep going.
(v) Health and Yoga also sells the Jala Neti CD-ROM which includes a video presentation of a parent helping a child
to perform this valuable technique.
Ear Problems
Q. Will the Neti pot be a good thing to use if I have an ear problem?
A. There exist far too many possibilities of ear problems to answer such a general question. You should ask that
question of an ear, nose and throat specialist. If they recommend that regular nasal irrigation would be a good thing for
you to do for your condition, then yes, Jala Neti will be an effective practice to adopt.
Q. Occasionally after neti cleansing it seems like I can feel or hear water in my ear canal.
Q. How do I get the water out of my ear that is there now after the practice and how can I stop this from
happening?
Q. I experience my ears popping a bit sometimes during the nose clearing process after Neti. Is this okay?
Q. I have enjoyed the practice for sinus irrigation, but since beginning it I have a funny feeling in my ears like
a crackling and I sound nasally although my sinuses are clear. I took a few days off from using the Neti but it
hasn't seemed to help. Any suggestions?
Q. I found that my ears felt plugged after the second time I used neti.
Q. Since using the neti I have a feeling that there is water in my ear.
Q. When I used neti today, I got water in my eustachian tubes and my ears felt clogged and I still feel some
pressure in my head. What went wrong?
A. The term water in the ear is a misnomer. An ear is the thing on the outside of your head which catches sound
waves and holds your glasses from falling off your nose! Getting water in your ear is what can happen in the shower if
you dont have a shower cap on your head or if you play carelessly with a garden hose. The actual situation which can
sometimes happen during nasal irrigation which gives rise to this sensation and this phrase is that a small amount of
water or mucus enters or just blocks the entrance to one or both of the ear canals or eustachian tubes, the inner
passageways between the back of the nasal cavities and the workings of the middle and inner ear. The eustachian
tubes which, for optimum health, are supposed to be clear of mucus, are there to equalise the air pressure between
the inner ear and the outer ear. When mucus or water partially or completely blocks the tubes, crackling or popping
may be heard, a tickling sensation may be felt, pressure in the inner ear will build up, ones own voice within their head
sounds unusual, headaches and pain can be experienced. If bacteria ever get in there, (having traveled all the way in
from the nose or the mouth), then an infection and inflammation can occur which givers rise to all manner of
complications and even greater discomforts. All this is to be avoided however possible. It is always caused by either
wrong head angle when irrigating or by blowing too hard when drying the nose. See Getting the Flow, and Drying the
Nasal Passages. Another common cause of the problem described is when the warm salty water has effectively
dislodged old mucus which has long been blocking the inner tubes. There will be a crackling sound, a change of
pressure and the feeling of water or something shifting in there. This is good. But one session may not be enough to
completely clear it right out, so one session may leave you feeling blocked in the ears. In this case, more irrigation is
the solution. Keep going with the irrigation, several pots per session, up to 3 times a day for several weeks to really get
the gunk right out. Then the symptoms of crackling and pressure will stop and you will feel fully cleared out.
Q. Can the water spread an infection into the eustachian tubes?
Q. Could my sinus infection move to affecting my ear with neti?
Q. I had an ear infection that affected my balance, which appeared to get worse after using the neti pot so I
stopped, although I believe it may just have been a coincidence. Im a bit afraid that it will bring on problems
again. What do you suggest?
Q. . Is it safe to use a Neti pot while I have bilateral middle ear infections? I have some fluid behind the
eardrum. Is there any way that the ear can trap fluid from the neti pot?
Q. I have had congested ears. Can using the Neti make the congestion worse?
Q. Sometimes I will get some water in my ear and there will be a little squeaking popping, tender feeling in
that ear. Sometime later I will feel water shifting in my head to the back of my throat and have to cough it out. I
wonder if I am going to get an ear infection from this.
Q. Is Jala Neti dangerous and what can be done if someone somehow inhales the solution so that it gets from
the sinuses into the ear?
A. The short answer to whether Jala Neti can spread a sinus infection to the inner ear is Yes, if performed poorly;
no, if performed correctly. The chances of this occurring can and must be avoided, and the technique is quite safe, if
all the points of procedure listed in the previous answer are observed with special attention to not letting the irrigation
solution run into the ear canals in the first place plus special attention to not blowing water backwards into the ear
canals when drying. These are the two most likely cause of nasal-to-auditory infection spread. With ear problems (as
well as sinus problems and nasal mucus blockages) it is often a help to have a nice long hot shower before doing Jala
Neti. This helps to loosen, thin out and pre-remove stubborn mucus and bacteria in the head. Any infection in the head
- be it in the front of nose, back of nose, upper throat, middle ear or inner ear - can all benefit from Jala Neti, so long
as the only direction of flow of the water and mucus is outwards and downwards. The method to achieve this is care
and sensitivity to head angle and not rushing or blowing. With time and practice you will master the best way to use
the technique most effectively and without any danger. See Getting the Flow, and Drying the Nasal Passages.
The issue must be addressed here of how and why one gets inner ear infections. It is really quite simple. The bacteria
(or viruses) have migrated from the sinuses and/or the nose and/or the mouth, if you are a mouth breather. How can
all these outcomes be avoided? Simple.
Keep your mouth closed while breathing;

Regularly flush out the nose and sinuses with Jala Neti;
Keep away from fully sick and half-sick people;
Wear a protective mask when working in dirty environments;
Stop sniffing every little runny nose back into the head. Blow your nose or irrigate instead;
Stop using over-the-counter nasal suppressants. They just lock the bacteria in there by suppressing the runny
nose symptoms;
Reduce the time spent living and working in germ-breeding, sinus-chilling, air-conditioning;
Reduce consumption of known and suspected mucus-forming foods and all the preservative-laden junk foods;
Get out and about into good clean fresh air each day.
If all these guidelines were observed there would be a massive reduction in all chronic upper respiratory complaints,
which are presently running at over 33% of Americans.
Q. A friend has an ear blockage she got while Scuba diving. Would neti help for this?
A. Your friend should consult an ear specialist before trying any method of home remedy upon a ear problem
sustained whilst scuba diving. If the doctor should recommend that regular nasal irrigation would be a good thing for
her condition, then yes, Jala Neti will be an effective practice to adopt.
Q. The 3rd time I used my neti pot, I developed a sharp pain in my right ear.
A. Short term pain inside the ear following nasal irrigation is most likely caused by a pressure differential between the
outer air pressure and the inner ear pressure, which is caused by water and/or mucus partially or fully blocking one or
other of the eustachian tubes. Care must be taken not to get water in the ear canals when irrigating and when drying
the nose. See Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages. It may also be caused by an infection in there you
didn't know you had. You may also have large wax deposits in the (outer) ear which need professional removing.
Q. . I have a hearing problem because of sinusitis. I am so afraid that the water will go to my ear and reduce
my hearing ability. Would it be safe for me to use Neti?
A. Many people with sinusitis have partial hearing problems. Yet many dont realise it. It would be safe and beneficial
for you to use Jala Neti but my advice is, (i) since you are afraid, and (ii) since you have a difficult nasal pathology, that
you seek qualified Jala Neti instruction to avoid any chances of making your problem worse. We are constantly adding
more people to our Community Instructors List for Neti learners to track an experienced user in their area. Please
feel free to Scan this list and if you find someone in your city, then you can make a direct contact.
Eye Problems
Q. My eyes tear a bit when I do the irrigation.
Q. My eyes watered when I first did it. Why is that?
A. There several possible causes and remedies to this situation.
(i) The water temperature should not be too hot nor too cold. Make sure the water is close to body temperature (36.4
deg C or 94 deg F). Always taste test the water beforehand to make sure it is not too hot or cold.
(ii) The salinity of the water is crucial to a pleasant and easy experience. It is called normal body saline which,
incidentally is the same salinity as tears themselves. See Water and Salt Mixing.
(iii) The tear ducts are connected into the nasal cavity so there will naturally be a connection between the effects of
nasal irrigation fluids and the eyes. Some people have very sensitive eyes and tear ducts; some may have restricted
or blocked tear ducts; some may have a lot of grit in their eyes from dusty environments. By design, by the gravity and
venturi effect, Jala Neti will help flush the tear ducts. In those who have any of these conditions, they may feel
unusual, or temporary pain when the water first flows for the first few times. Others may find that the water and salt
makes their eyes run a little, but this is in fact a good thing as it is cleansing the ducts. Both of these symptoms will
reduce with time and practice as the eyes become healthier.
Q. I stopped doing it because I couldn't stand the water running up above my eyeballs.
A. This sounds like you had trouble with the water running out of the pot onto your face. This is sometimes the
problem when one overfills the pot, rushes the procedure, or has the angle of the pot and the head wrong to start with.
To avoid overflow out the top of a neti pot onto your face, please follow carefully the instructions Water and Salt Mixing
and Getting The Flow.
Q. Neti gives me the side effect that my eyes feel scratchy and prickly.
A. We have never heard of this complaint before as a side effect of Jala Neti. Possible explanations might be:
(i) That you used way too much salt or that there were additives in the salt, and that some salty water ran up your tear
ducts and has dried in and around the eyes. In which case, simply rinse your eyes with fresh water to remove the
residue;
(ii) Jala Neti may have sensitised you more to the dustiness and scratchiness which is always there in your eyes you
had not noticed before;
(iii) There may have been a lot of fine dust in your nose before the practice and incorrect technique with the irrigation
may have carried it up into the eyes. If you live or work in a dusty environment, rinse your face, eyes and nose well
before doing neti.
(iv) There may have been some small particles in the water you used, and you splashed some over your eyes which
dried out and then seem dusty. Next time use cleaner water or filter your water first.
(v) You may just not be used to salty water near the eyes. If you are used to only fresh water showers, or chlorinated
swimming pools, and never swim in the ocean, then the salty sensations of neti cleansing might well be unusual for
you.
Q. The first two times went fine, except for pain in my right eye area.
A. A pain in the area of the eye is unlikely to be in the eye itself. It is more likely to be in the nerves in the region of the
nearby sinus cavities. This symptom indicates that one or another of the sinus near to the eye may have been infected
at the time, or blocked with mucus, and that the neti water has temporarily increased the pressure to this area. As for
those with chronic sinus conditions, more neti cleansing will help fix it. Just be sure that you follow the correct
procedure for Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages to avoid this pain in the future.
Q. In what ways might Neti affect my eyes if I do it?
A. If the technique is followed correctly only benefits for the eyes will follow. The correct mixture of water and salt
(0.9%) is the same as tear salinity, so it cannot be harmful in any way, even if there are eye problems. Jala Neti has
the proven effect of flushing the tear ducts, removing dirt and mucus from them, thereby encouraging clearer eyes
through better self-moistening and draining. It brings back their sparkle. Salt is as great cleanser of all the body parts
and regularly rinsing the eyes with warm, body saline is a good thing to do, no what the condition of the eyes. Artists
and meditators often find Jala Neti improves their clarity of visualisation and concentration by improving their inner
eyes.
Fear and Reticence

Q. Isnt running water through your nose dangerous, after all, the nose wasnt designed to take in water?
A. Jala Neti is in no way a dangerous practice. When properly instructed and done according to tradition, it will bestow
only benefits. However, if misused or performed incorrectly, at best, it will not work in the reputed way, or at worst, it
can lead to minor side effects such as headaches, colds, nasal infections, earaches. Of all the people who have used
it properly, and from all the research we have conducted, there have been no harmful side effects. But proper
instruction is the key. All the reports about problems with Jala Neti have come from those who self-teach or those who
try to improvise beyond the traditional methods. This is why it is best to receive instructions personally from a qualified
teacher and to stick to the traditional methodology.
But water in the nose is not unusual. Remember the way you feel after a swim in the surf? A good flushing of the nose
with salt water is a good thing. Stage 1 of Jala Neti is no more than that a flush out of the frontal nose passages,
except that the water is warm, 4 times less salty than the ocean, and you are in control not like when you get
dumped in the surf and come up spluttering half-drowned! Thats what people are afraid of when they first hear about
saline nasal cleansing their memories of nearly drowning at the beach. But its nothing like that. Admittedly there are
certain internal nasal orifices in which the salty water should not go. It may take a few attempts to get the head angle
correct so that this does not happen, but the results of a few bad attempts are not serious.
Q. I am having trouble using the neti. I dont know if its fear or what, but any tips?
Q. I think I'm a little nervous, having never used one before. Do you have any tips for first time users?
Q. I'm afraid of the possible discomfort involved with pouring water directly into my nose.
Q. Nasal irrigation looks quite scary. The thought of having warm salty water up my nose doesn't really
appeal, and I'm not brave enough to give it a go for fear of choking.
Q. I was quite excited about it when I ordered it but have been too afraid to use it. How can I overcome this?
Q. I think that actually doing Neti sounds disgusting but I would like to do it for the benefits. How can I get
over my resistance?
A. Such fears and reticence are common and understandable. But they are irrational. That is not to say they are easily
overcome! Sometimes in life the intellect says - Yeah, thats a great idea but the feelings are disgusted or afraid of it.
Often people have a remnant memory of an unpleasant swimming event as a child; of being dumped by a wave; or of
being thrown in a swimming pool for fun and nearly drowning. A part of their mind has since created fear about water
in their nose or lungs. One way to get over fears is to read all the literature about it so as to strengthen your rational
argument for doing it. This way can work for some people. But for others, deeper fears surrounding the learning of Jala
Neti are best alleviated by hands-on tuition with an experienced and confident user who will take into account your
fears and nervousness and prove to you in about 3 minutes just how easy it really is. It also helps if you can actually
see someone doing it in front of you, then you will see just how effortless and un-scary it really is. Without tuition it is
risky that you will just have a go, then mess it up through nervousness, and then leave the technique alone and run
around telling everyone else that it is yucky or dangerous or hard. So please, find a confident instructor and then
all your worries will be overcome through practise and through the eventual beneficial experiences you will gain from
the technique.
Getting Outside Help With The Technique

Q. Do you know of any websites/other places where you can email or talk to someone to make sure you are
doing the procedure correctly?
Q. I couldnt find a local Neti user to train me, so I persevered alone. But I now see that your site might be able
to recommend someone in my area. Since I believe I have the technique working, is it safe for me to continue
alone?
Q. Who can I learn from in my area?
A. We are currently compiling a Community Instructors List. Neti learners can seek out an experienced user in their
area and they can make contact and make their own arrangements to meet and share the technique. Please feel free
to Scan this list and if you find someone in your city, then you can make a direct contact.
If you are an experienced user of Jala Neti and would like to share your experience with others, please Enter your
details here to be added to the Community Instructors List.
Elevated Blood Pressure

Q. Is neti dangerous for moderate or high blood pressure?
Q. I saw some place that there are precautions for people with high blood pressure.
Q. What possible danger does the salt have for those with high blood pressure?
A. Jala Neti is in no way dangerous for those with elevated blood pressure. These confusions arise in two areas.
(i) Some people think that running salty water through the nostrils might effect their blood pressure. This is completely
impossible. Firstly, the salt in the irrigation water is at a level equal to the bodys own blood salinity (0.9%) therefore,
according to the nature of osmotic pressure it cannot enter the bloodstream. Also, neti water is as salty as sea water
and even less salty than the food you would eat for dinner. The amount of salt in contact with the body linings during
Jala Neti would be less than going for a swim in the sea! Secondly, the water is only running around the insides of
your upper respiratory tract mucus linings for a few moments, and not being drunk so it is not going to be absorbed by
your stomach and ever get into the arteries. Thirdly, the miniscule amounts of salty residue which are left inside the
nasal passages after drying is too little to have any effect upon blood salt levels. In short, isotonic nasal irrigation
cannot cause the minimal amounts of salt in the irrigation water to be absorbed into the body and affect blood
pressure.
(ii) The other issue is that of dizziness. During the drying process, it is normally recommended that one should
completely bend forwards at the waist to let the head hang down towards the knees to drain the nose of water
droplets. However, the recommended precaution for those with elevated blood pressure or any tendency toward
dizziness is NOT to bend forwards with the head any lower than the heart. Such people will have to dry out their nose
by bending only partially forwards; by turning their head several times to each side whilst gently blowing out of the
nose; and they may need to do this a lot more than others who can fully bend over. If you discover that water is not
cleared and dried in this way, you will just have to blow and sniff lots more until the nose is fully dry. See Drying the
Nasal Passages.
Headaches and Pains

Q. Most of the times I do neti, I experience severe headaches in the area of my forehead above the sinus
cavities when the water solution enters my nasal passages. I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong as I am
sure I am doing everything according to the instructions.
Q. Afterwards, my head began to hurt so badly and it felt like I was having a migraine headache.
Q. I am wondering why do I suffer headaches for 30 minutes after each use ?
Q. I experience sharp pain going from the outside corner of my eye up into my forehead.
Q. After doing it for about a week I experienced a headache which I'm pretty sure was the result of nasal
irrigation.
Q. I really hate to quit using the Neti Pot but I may have to if headaches and sinus pain continues.
Q. I seem to experience headaches for a few days after using it, do you have any suggestions?
Q. Is it possible that it has irritated the membranes/sinuses? When I did it the second time, it was actually
uncomfortable on both sides. I felt discomfort/slight pain over my sinus on the left forehead while doing it on
the left side.
Q. One day at work my head hurt so much that I took a 12-hour Sudafed pill. Three to four hours later, when I
got home, I did stages 1 and 2 of neti. I then got a terrible sinus migraine. Could the combination of the
decongestant and using the neti pot cause this?
Q. Should I be using the neti pot regardless if I feel a sinus headache or not?
Q. The third time I used it on the right side, I had a sudden, severe pain in the top and back and of my head.
The pain subsided soon after I stopped the treatment.
Q. Will the Neti-pot help so I won't have to take medication with its side effects to prevent my headaches?
A. The number and severity of the above queries might lead a reader to conclude that Jala Neti is giving lots of people
lots of very nasty headaches lots of the time. But this is far from the case. Only in very, very few people does Jala Neti
create the side effect of a headache. The actual causes of headaches are many and varied and are little understood
by doctors, so it is difficult to diagnose why this is happening and how Jala Neti might help you. You may just have to
try it to find out. We cannot guarantee it will, but many users do report great lessening of headaches from the nasal
cleansing practice. The side effects of headaches during Neti or shortly after the practice are most often reported by:
(i) people who have a history of headaches;
(ii) people who presently have sinus headaches and for which they are using neti to manage their sinus symptoms;
(iii) people who have poor technique from self-teaching;
(iv) people who are using additives other than raw sea salt in their irrigation solution.
Each of these will be addressed as following:
(i) People with a history of headaches are often prone to anything out of the ordinary gives me a headache". It might
be the twisting of the neck getting into irrigation position. It might be the slight increase in sinus pressure. It night be a
rare reaction between the saline water and their usual headache medications. Many many headaches are caused by
misaligned cervical vertebrae. It might be "worry" that they carry in their heads all day. The possible reasons for their
contracting a headache during or after Jala Neti are too numerous to imagine and discuss here. If all the guidelines for
salt and water mixing (see Water and Salt Mixing) as well as for irrigation procedure (see Getting the Flow) are
followed to the letter and they still experience headaches, then they should leave off Jala Neti until such time as the
root causes of their chronic headaches have been properly diagnosed, explained and remedied. Such people should
seek professional medical consultation about their headaches. Then I am sure a little bit of salty water up the nose
won't bother their head at all. It is of no use to anyone for us to recommend Jala Neti as a therapeutic practice and
then have such people experience unreasonable discomfort, especially if the technique seems to make their
headaches worse.
(ii) General tension headaches, sinus headaches and migraines all have different causes and methods of treatment. It
is possible, in some people that Jala Neti might aggravate an already existing headache, and yet, most users report
greater relieve of headaches from Jala Neti. The most possible explanation for a headache during and soon after Jala
Neti is that the water has caused an increase in pressure in the sinus areas because the sinus cavities are blocked up
with mucus from sinusitis or a cold or the flu. This increase in pressure and the resulting headache can be classified
as a teething problem, something which can be remedied with perseverance and better technique. See Getting the
Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages. In this instance more irrigation is needed to help clear the mucus pressure.
Often one pot is not sufficient to dissolve and flush the nasal cavities. I often advise that a user with chronic and
persistent mucus blockages should keep irrigating until all the mucus seems to be out for that session. This may take
as many as 3 pots full and up to 20 minutes. Other than seeking professional medical sinus drainage, there is no other
way.
(iii) A headache may be experienced if, through poor technique and mucus damming up, water goes backwards and
upwards into the sinus cavities and/or ear canals which causes a build up of pressure and a resulting headache. It is
NOT the intention of Jala Neti to fill the actual sinus cavities with water, although many people envisage that this is
intended. Although it is not particularly bad if some water accidentally gets in there, in such cases, it can be
uncomfortable, as many beginners attest and can cause a temporary headache. Also, if water goes into the sinuses, it
then becomes difficult to dry it out. Failure to dry out the water can lead to lingering headaches for some time. See
Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages.
(iv) Firstly we do not recommend ANYTHING, repeat ANYTHING, other than raw sea salt to be used in nasal irrigation
unless personally and specifically prescribed by a qualified yoga therapist or an Ayurvedic or allopathic doctor. See
Water and Salt Mixing and Types of Salt Queries and Types of Salt Explanation. People who follow the advice of
others on the web and digress from the traditional yogic recipe of normal saline by either changing the salt
proportion, or adding bi-carb soda, herbs, lemon juice, Ringers solution, mineral water, colloidal silver, or anything else
are in my opinion, only asking for a headache and have no one else to blame than themselves. We usually
recommend that the water only needs to be clean enough to drink and, in a health person with sanitised town water,
this usually presents no problems. However, in some people, their upper respiratory faculties are so hypersensitive
either inherently or from years of nasal medications that even the slightest pollutants in the water or unnatural
additives in the salt can annoy the olfactory linings and nerves thereby creating the symptom of a headache. In some it
may be the citys chlorination levels. It others it may be their roof tank water, or bore water, or creek water, to which
they have a reaction. Such people are advised to use only the purest of salt and purest of water in addition to making
sure their pot is always cleaned and stored properly. Adhering to these guidelines will help rule out these factors as
possibilities in causing headaches during or after Jala Neti. See also Water Quality and Water Types.
Miscellaneous
Q. To me it seems so unnatural to put water up your nose. What's the point?
A. Unusual yes, unnatural no. From the yogis point of view, smoking cigarettes (actively or passively), eating junk
food, late nights of mind numbingly bad television, modern cities and their pollution, sleeping on thick spring
mattresses, sitting in chairs at computers all day, working in chemical factories, and getting stuck in traffic jams, are all
pretty unnatural activities for the human body. Whats natural and whats unnatural all depends on where you are at.
Yoga says, that like medicine which may be a bit distasteful or which may at first seem unnatural, when you are sick,
unusual methods may be necessary to heal oneself.
The Hatha Yoga cleansing techniques (of which Jala Neti is only one of about 30) are all just non-medicinal ways of
maintaining the body and overcoming illness. The ancient yogic methods are really the most natural ways to help the
bodily systems heal themselves. All you need is some water and some salt! They cleanse all the orifices and improve
the function of the 6 senses. Note that we include 6 senses. Yoga cleansing is not just for flesh and blood but also for
the mind, the sixth sense. These cleansing techniques really are very simple and commonsense ways of keeping
every organ and function of the body working to its best possible potential.
These yoga cleansing methods may seem weird or funny to many people, but this is only because in modern Western
culture, most people have been conditioned to think that anything inside the body is odd and distasteful. Most people
are fairly ignorant of their own bodys functions and many choose to remain so. These days, when it comes to medical
repairs after years of personal neglect, a lot of people prefer to just have an anaesthetic and get someone else to do
the dirty work.
The nasal hairs, the mucous lining and the sinuses, help to cleanse the air coming in, and to protect the lungs, the
blood and the brain from germs, cold air and dangerous (non-odorous) gases in the environment. Modern 21st century
living has all manner of germs and pollutants which we really shouldnt be breathing in in the first place. It is these
things which are unnatural. Some of the smog chemicals city people inhale all day are plainly cancerous in even tiny
quantities. Our environment nowadays is far from what the respiratory designer had in mind. It is certainly no crime
against nature to help the bodys cleansing processes along a bit.
Q. I have done a similar thing to this neti practice you advocate for many years. I take water from a bowl in my
hand and sniff it up my nose. Some times I use sea water. Is It like that?
A. No, not at all. We know that many people have tried this. Some say their grandmothers or grandfathers used to do
it. Some use cold water and some use warm. Some use salt and some do not. But those methods cant possibly work
as well as Jala Neti as the water and salt for neti match the human blood in both temperature and salinity. Any sniffing
method also runs the risk of leaving water up in the sinus cavities or ear canals which will irritate for some time
afterwards or of spreading an infection deeper into the system. Many people do say your method works in clearing the
nose, and it may somewhat, but after these people have tried Jala Neti, they are always impressed at how much
easier, more comfortable, safer and more effective it is.
Q. After each nasal irrigation there is still lingering discomfort. Sometimes I spit out from the post-nasal area
what looks like saliva but probably is clear mucous. Is all this normal in the beginning?
A. Lingering discomfort indicates that you have not cleansed fully or dried properly. This can be remedied by keeping
on going with a second or even third pot of water until you feel you have cleansed properly. This might need to be
done 2 - 3 times a day for a week or two, following which cutting back to once per day will suffice to keep mucus levels
around normal. The liquid you are expelling is most probably a runny mixture of mucus and water which has not been
properly dried out. See Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages and Frequency of Usage.
Q. I came down with a cold over the weekend and was hoping the extra cleansing would help clear the
blockages, but it didn't seem to this time.
A. This would depend on how strong the infection was and might depend on how often you were using the technique.
The principle of nasal irrigation during any nasal infection is that you are trying to assist, accelerate, the colds
pathogens (bad bacteria) to leave your body. Just one potful every now and then when you get a cold won't work
much. If you are very blocked up it might take several pots to get all the gunk out. In the case of severe colds, I
recommend neti 3 - 4 times per day, always before meals (well, you should be fasting anyway when you have a cold,
but that is another chapter in itself!). Take extra care to dry the nose properly when you do this much irrigation (see
Drying the Nasal Passages). Keep this up until you feel you have got all the cold's mucus out (which might take a few
more days even after the cold has "stopped"), and then cut back to 1 - 2 times per day for general health and future
cold prevention. If you had been doing neti daily, it is far less likely you would have got the cold in the first place or that
it would have lasted as long. See also Frequency of Usage.
Q. Isnt it more useful to blow out through both nostrils at once using a handkerchief when one has a runny
nose rather than using water to go in the nose?
A. No. Blowing the nose is a very primitive and only partially effective method of clearing out the junk in the upper
respiratory tract. Blowing is only going to remove the largest of particles at the front of the nose which may be caught
by the cilia (little hairs) and catch a bit of the runny fluids which the sinuses are expelling due to some invader in there.
Depending on where you live and work, and how you live and work, your nose and sinuses are bombarded daily with
masses of germs and particles. In olden times, when our ancestors just lived where life was clean air, clean water,
clean land, good food, hard outside work, with only native trees rather than lots of exotic pollens all around, nose
blowing (and a bit of swimming and face washing) might have been sufficient to clear out nasal congestion or the
occasional sinus allergy. But, lets face it, how many more things does the nose now have to filter out from modern life
these days? Do you realise that in air-conditioned buildings (for reasons of refrigeration economy) only about 10 - 15%
of the air is freshly changed each hour? This means that all the germs in that stagnant soup of air which others
breathe all day long (and blow out into their handkerchiefs every few minutes) are circulating for 6 - 9 times longer
than if you were outside in the breeze. As you cross the road, how much exhaust pollution is going up your nose? How
many times a day can you stand blowing your nose in this life to counteract modern pollution? And what of the causes
of a runny nose? Does not that indicate there is something amiss either within your body or around it? Nasal irrigation
once or twice daily should be a regime of dirt removal and nasal mucus replenishment for all people in dusty, dirty, airconditioned environments. There are all the comments of so many users saying that regular daily nose flushing has
become a boon to their everyday preventative health and, as well, there is now the clinical research to back this up.
Such people dont even carry a handkerchief. Now wouldn't THAT be nice?!
Q. If I'm not congested, should I skip the irrigation?
A. No. Jala Neti is not just a curative method for nasal blockages but also has fantastic preventative properties (See all
the Testimonials of people who do it every day and who "used to get colds all the time but have not had a cold all
year"). As well, it has mental benefits which only become evident once a practitioner has cured themself of the gross
physical symptoms of ill-health like sinusitis, colds, flu, headaches, etc. I advise that, for general health and ongoing
mental clarity, everyone should do Jala Neti once or twice every day for the rest of their life, once before breakfast and
once either before dinner or before bed every night. If you keep up a regime like this you will look back in 1 year and
say My God, my health has improved so much. Then you will know how well neti really works. Please dont just
keep it in the cupboard like a medicine to pull out only when your body has already given you the obvious message
that you are now sick from your predominant lifestyle or some "bug going around". Over time, regular neti will help
sensitise you to the things within you and around you which are contrary to good health. The more often you fine tune
your senses with neti, the clearer will be your bodys messages about healthy or unhealthy activities.
Q. My daughter says she likes it but only uses it when her head bothers her. She says it makes her worse if
she uses it regularly.
A. As discussed in the previous two queries, regular daily neti is a preventative method which will actually prevent her
head bothering her in the future much less! If she is finding it makes her worse, this is either a ruse for not really
wanting to do it, or she has been badly instructed and is therefore not performing the technique correctly, or else she
has a chronic nasal problem which should be more fully investigated. She should follow exactly all the instructions in
the sections below on Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages then, should that not solve the situation, she
should seek guidance from an experienced neti instructor, yoga therapist or medical practitioner.
Q. Why does neti sometimes make things better and sometimes not?
A. I would suggest that either (i) your technique is less than perfect, particularly the drying procedure, or (ii) that you
are not using enough water to actually clear out the mucus and leave you feeling clear and empty. One should
continue with the water, one, two or even three pots, until the congestion has been removed for that session and then
repeat several times a day until the cause and symptoms are reduced. Then cut back to once or twice each day with
just one pot per session. See also Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages and Frequency of Usage.
Q. Is the neti flushing process helpful in regard to cold prevention?
A. Yes. See the above questions and answers. But let me add, that there are many, many other things in life which are
equally effective at cold prevention, namely: good food and eating habits, keeping out of air-conditioned places,
keeping away from others with coughs and colds, not smoking or breathing passive smoke, increasing ones inner life
force (ie heat and strength) through exercise and discipline like yoga, not hiding inside all winter in artificially heated
stuffy environments but rather getting outside to make the body heat up in order to fight off winter colds and flu. Many
people who are exposed to bacteria daily in their lives don't get those "colds that are going around". That is because
their immune systems are stronger than those who do get the colds. Therefore, it is not the nasal irrigation which is the
best prevention, but rather it is your lifestyle and your inner body health which wards off colds, of which Jala Neti can
be made a small part of the larger package and the bigger picture.
Q. Will stopping for 10 days create a lot of problems?
A. That would depend mainly on your bodys residual level of health and what you do in those 10 days to relieve or
exacerbate your condition. It will depend on how often you were performing it and for what reason and how it was
helping your condition. If you have only just started neti, and you are a chronically blocked up person, then you will
probably not notice much degradation. However, if you have been a regular practitioner of Jala Neti for sometime, and
it has greatly help your condition, and for reasons of circumstance you must stop daily neti for some time, then I
assure you that you will notice during the break that your nose will snot up a bit more, that your sense of smell will not
be as sharp, that your head will feel a bit more cloudy than usual, and you will soon by dying to get back into it, and
will swear never to go so long without it again! In short you will miss it terribly. That is what everyone says who takes a
break from regular nasal cleansing.
Q. After neti my sinuses feel refreshed but the end of my nose feels as though it is swollen.
A. This an unusual and unique comment. Could you have pushed the nose cone too strongly into the nostril? Did you
blow your nose very strongly before or after the practice thus causing increased blood flow and swelling in the end of
your nose? Could there be a blind-headed pimple in there which is aggravated by the tip of the pot? Perhaps it was
previously infected and swollen and the increased sensitivity inside has merely made you more aware of this? Did you
walk into the doorway on your way out of the bathroom? But seriously, I have no idea what could have caused this
sensation.
Q. Nasal cleansing seems to make my nose uncomfortably dry.
A. Some people have more naturally dry noses, others more naturally wet ones. Your nose was most probably of the
drier variety, and the after effect of the salty water was to leave it feeling even drier. Firstly you must make sure that
you are using the correct amount of salt in your mixture. See Water and Salt Mixing. Secondly, make sure that the
temperature is not too hot. Thirdly, wiping a small amount of olive oil into the nasal passages after each irrigation will
help take away that dry feeling until the nasal membranes have restored the mucus linings to your normal range.
However, in the event that you still have uncomfortably dry nostrils all of the time, I would suggest your diet and/or the
environment in which you live and/or work needs to be addressed. Air-conditioning is renowned for drying out the
nose, as is active and passive smoking.
Q. Following the procedure and after drying out, an ounce or more of water stays in my sinus passages (I
guess), and comes running out only when I tip my head down below my knees. This does not happen to my
wife. I have nasal polyps and wonder if that is the reason?
A. Despite your present efforts, the polyps are obviously prohibiting normal draining and drying. If this water indeed
runs out later, then it should be able to run out earlier. I suggest you spend longer in the hang-forward-drainingposition, whilst tilting and shaking your head in all directions until the dripping stops. Then stand up and do all the
sniffing-drying steps thoroughly. Then repeat the whole drying process until no dripping occurs. See Getting the Flow
and Drying the Nasal Passages.
Nose Bleeds
Q. I have noticed that my nose sometimes bleeds after use. Should I stop irrigating for a while?
Q. My son has something like allergic rhinitis or hay fever. He also gets nose bleeds quite often since very
young. He got a nosebleed soon after doing the neti and the drying with breathing and blowing. Can you
please advice what to do?
Q. Soon after I started to use it, I started to have nose bleeds. That is something I have had trouble with all my
life.
A. Those with a long history of nasal medications are often those who report nose bleeds from doing Jala Neti. Such
people who are aware that they have a tendency towards nose bleeds should observe all the usual rules of neti
procedure. See Water and Salt Mixing and Drying the Nasal Passages plus they must pay special attention to the
following points to prevent nose bleeds during or after Jala Neti:
(i) Make sure that the water is never hotter than the blood temperature. Always taste and spit to be sure.
(ii) Make sure that the amount of salt is never more than normal saline (0.9%). Always taste and spit to be sure.
(iii) Make sure that the salt is only raw sea salt and has no additives.
(iv) Make sure that the water you use has no chemicals or stray mineral traces in it.
(v) Be careful not to push the end of the neti pot nose cone in too deeply which might inadvertently scratch or split the
inside of the nose linings.
(vi) When drying the nose do not bend forwards with the head lower than the heart. This can temporarily increase
blood pressure to the nose and burst the tiny sensitive capillaries in the nose, causing a nose bleed.
(vii) When drying the nose, do not blow or sniff strongly. This can temporarily increase blood pressure to the nose and
burst the tiny sensitive capillaries in the nose, causing a nose bleed.
(viii) Do not use saline nasal irrigation more often than once every 2 days. If nose bleeding events are still recurring,
cease the practice and search more deeply for the causes of your hypersensitive nasal linings through a medical
consultation.
Those with no history of nose bleeds, who unexpectedly experience bleeding during or soon after Jala Neti are
borderline dry nose/nose bleeding types, whose nasal linings are momentarily irritated by the salty water. They also
must pay attention to all the usual rules of procedure plus all the added precautions as listed above.
For both types, the best thing to do in the event of a nose bleed is to lie down, place a few tissue wedges in the
nostrils and rest for 10 - 15 minutes. When the blood flow has stopped, gently wipe a little olive oil into the nostrils and
be careful not to bend forward for an hour or so. To remedy chronic or intermittent nose bleeding, several lifestyle
factors need to be addressed, such as keeping out of dry and/or heating environments, like air-conditioning and
attending to dietary imbalances.
Nasal Polyps
Q. I have nasal polyps and wonder if I should be cleansing with this technique?
Q. My partner, who has nasal polyps and who suffers with sinus problems, had to stop using the neti pot as
her nose was so sore inside. Was stopping the right thing to do or should she persevere? What do you
suggest?
A. Nasal polyps are growths of fleshy tissue inside the nasal system which may be benign or may be malignant.
People who have been on medical treatment for polyps (usually corticosteroids, antihistamines, or surgery) usually
have very sensitive nasal linings which nasal irrigation may tend to irritate. However, some people with polyps report a
soothing affect from nasal irrigation. The resultant feeling and effects of Jala neti upon polyps will therefore depend
upon the number, severity, position, age of the growths and side effects of medication. You should follow the advice of
your physician as to whether saline nasal irrigation is appropriate for your condition.
Whilst some people have had their polyps diagnosed and are on treatments for them, many people may actually have
them but would not know it, and thus they experience discomfort in the nasal cavities and may report stinging when
doing Jala Neti from time to time. Therefore, should nasal discomfort persist, a medical practitioner should be
consulted to ascertain their presence and their condition.
Polyp development has been linked to long term inflammation, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and genetic
predisposition and from illnesses such as hayfever, allergies, rhinitis and sinusitis. Jala Neti per se, if performed
properly, does not worsen or aggravate nasal polyps, neither can it be guaranteed to cure them. The main advantage
of saline irrigation is to remove excessive mucus to help free up breathing. Over the long term, the salty wash-out can
help to restore membrane integrity, but only if the powerful medications are cut back and discontinued. If your medical
advisor permits irrigation, those who have a combination of known polyps and sinusitis should begin neti very gently at
first, perhaps several times a week, watching for discomfort. If all goes well that is, if there is no pain and a decrease
in the symptoms of sinusitis then it is OK to increase the frequency up to once daily. After some time increasing to
twice daily may be advised. If pain is experienced, the technique should be ceased and professional medical
assistance sought. But always the correct procedures for Jala Neti must be observed. See Water and Salt Mixing,
See Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages.
Other Forms of Neti Cleansing

Q. I would like to know about the other Neti techniques. Sutra Neti and Urine Neti are mentioned in the
pamphlet, but no mention of what method one uses to employ them.
Q. I have had no problem with Stages 1 and 2 but I am unable to find information or figure out how to do Stage
3.
Q. The booklet talks about 3 stages of technique but doesn't explain what the last one is?
Q. I have read that there are 7 stages of Neti. I am doing #2. Do you have information for the next 5 Stages?
A. There are many different types and stages of Neti which have been documented in the traditional yoga texts, and
expounded in a few modern books. Some are more simple, for general health; some are more advanced for deeper
therapy; some are wholly for spiritual benefits. Some involve the use of different fluids in a neti pot whilst some involve
different techniques of nasal management. But not all of them are suitable for, nor should be made available to,
novices or for self-teaching via the Internet. If you are seriously interested in learning these things then you should first
attain an intermediate level of general yoga expertise after which you should seek out a qualified Hatha Yoga
Shatkarma Kriya teacher.
Stages 1 and 2 only are now fully outlined in the "User's Instruction Booklet" which is included with each pot . They
may also be read in the sections Getting the Flow for Stage 1 and Rationale and Method for Stage 2. Stages 1 and 2
are also seen demonstrated on the Jala Neti CDROM or Video, which can be purchased from http://www.
healthandyoga.com/html/product/netivideo.html.
Neti Pot Issues
Q. What are the differences between the different types of Neti pots?
Q. Why is stainless steel the best choice?
A. There are many different arguments and preferences for the many different styles and materials of neti pots
available all over the world today. The advantages of the Health and Yoga Stainless Steel Jala Neti Pot over the
others are the following:
(i) unbreakable under normal conditions will not chip on the sink, will not break if dropped;
(ii) can be dishwasher cleaned and autoclaved in medical situations;
(iii) hygienic so germs cannot penetrate the surface or crevices;
(iv) no artificial smells or chemical plastics involved in manufacture;
(v) very light and strong for travelling;
(vi) lightweight when empty, therefore not too heavy when filled like clay pots;
(vii) economical, as they will last a lifetime;
(viii) our large size contains 400 - 500 mls capacity which is a good quantity for a normal washout, whereas so many
other pots around are 150 - 250 mls which we consider far too small for a good wash through, or else it necessitates
making 2 batches of water.
Q. I would prefer it if the capacity of your neti pot were just a little more.
Q. A slightly taller pot or a part-cover on the pot might help water spillage.
A. In designing and constructing the perfect neti pot (as we have been aspiring now for 10 years), increasing the size
beyond about 500 mls would only increase the weight when full of water as well as increasing the hand span
necessary to use it. A lid on the top is a good idea, but adds substantially to the costs. Only a little care is necessary to
avoid water spillage out the top, (i) by not filling it beyond the waistline, (ii) by turning the eyes to that side and
watching the water level when first learning. After a while you will know the correct angle of the head and pot to avoid
spilling. This is a cheaper alternative for both your purchase price and our manufacturing costs.
Q. I have a question about my newly arrived pot. It is so big. It looks twice as big as my ceramic pot. Is there a
smaller one? It is too big to take traveling.
A. Very few people comment that our pots are too big. Most people prefer this size over the smaller ones. To take it
traveling just seal it loosely in a plastic bag, then fill the inside of the pots body with some other small items (1-2 pairs
of socks) then it will not be taking up superfluous room in your luggage.
Q. I am currently using a ceramic pot but I am concerned it might break. I am considering purchasing a
stainless steel one. Is it difficult to keep the pot clean?
A. Stainless steel is obviously stronger than ceramic and will not break or chip if bumped. It is the easiest of materials
to keep clean as it can be boiled or baked until sterile, autoclaved, put in dishwasher, or scoured clean inside and out.
Q. I like the pot, although I find that when it is full at the start of doing Neti, sometimes I get water spilling over
the rim of the pot and down my body.
A. See Water and Salt Mixing and Getting the Flow.
Q. I wonder why I have to dry out the pot after use if it is stainless.
Q. Will the salt water affect my pot? Even with the tool provided, it not easy to dry out the spout.
A. Whilst this is not obligatory, rinsing and drying the inside is advised so that any remnant water does not harbour
and breed bacteria. Also left over salt particles may build up over time and spoil the experience.
Q. I worry that bacteria could grow inside scratches inside the pot.
A. It is highly unlikely that bacteria would grow in the scratches inside a stainless steel neti pot. However bacteria
can breed in any item which is not cleaned and dried properly or where the water you are using is from a source which
is not perfectly clean, such as roofing tank water, bore water, dam water, creek water, or suspect town water. If this
situation greatly worries you, the best method is to fully rinse your pot with hot water and a dash of ammonia and dry it
fully after each usage; seal it in a plastic bag for storage. Once a week scour out and then boil the whole pot for a
minimum of 15 mins with a dash of ammonia, and that will kill any remnant bacteria.
Q. Is it ok to wash your Neti Pot in the dishwasher?

A. Yes. Stainless steel is fully dishwasher safe. Just be careful that the detergent and the after rinse solution you are
using in the dishwasher does not leave strange odours in the pot.
Q. There appears to be rust spots on the bottom of two of our pots.
Q. Is this brown rusting on the pots normal?
A. We did once have a batch of pots which had occasional problems with rusting but this problem has now been
resolved. Brown residue in/on stainless steel is often mistaken for rust. Brown marks are actually iron resides which
come from the water supply you are using like roofing water tanks, bore water, creek water, dam water or even
some town water has trace minerals in it. They are attracted, via the salt particles, to the surface of the steel and may
remain on the surface when dried out. Whilst these tiny amounts of trace minerals in water are not particularly
dangerous to your nasal health, they can induce strange smells in the pot during usage or in your nose afterwards, as
well as leaving unsightly marks in the pot. If any smells or marks bother you, you should use fully filtered water and
lightly scour and then rinse the pot after each usage.
Q. My wife prefers the porcelain pot even though it is breakable. It's just more 'natural' to her.
A. Choice and aesthetics thats what makes us all different! We are pleased she is happy with what she has. There
is certainly nothing wrong with pottery neti pots, in essence. The yogis have used them for thousand of years, but they
do have some functional disadvantages for modern people.
Q. The instructional information says to use 500ml of saline and yet the neti pot just barely accommodates
500ml. It takes a lot of practice not to spill saline out the top of the pot.
Q. The instructional information, the website, the printed material, and the CD say that it's important to use
500ml of saline and yet the neti pot just barely accommodates 500ml. It takes some practice to not spill saline
out the top of the pot.
A. You have slightly misunderstood the instructions but thank you for pointing out this ambiguity. We will upgrade the
instructions. The instructions state that the correct ratio of salt to water is a level teaspoon per half litre of water not
that you have to use 500mls of water in our 500ml pot! If 500mls is too much for you to avoid spilling, simply reduce
the quantity of water and the quantity of salt by a little. It is not so crucial. You can use about 400 - 500mls of water for
about a level teaspoon; whatever is a comfortable amount will be known after a few trials. See also Water and Salt
Mixing.
Q. There are other more expensive nasal irrigators that are marketed. What advantages does the Neti Pot have
over the other systems?
A. (i) Firstly, we believe that the traditional method of Jala Neti (originally using a handmade, unfired clay neti pot) is
the best system ever invented, purely for the fact that it is a technique which has been developed and handed down
over thousands of years by some very clever and highly evolved individuals, namely the masters of yoga who have
selflessly kept this system of yoga alive since man first swam in the sea and realised that salty water was a Very Good
Thing for the upper respiratory system and bodily health in general. No doubt, with lots of experimentation over
millennia; in lots of different situations; upon all sorts of illnesses; the yogis worked out that body temperature water
worked better than cold; and that of the seas salinity was the same as human blood salinity; and that all these
factors worked the best over the long term than all the other possibilities.
(ii) Whilst we yogis are not all luddites who think that anything modern is stupid (I am typing this on a computer), it is
beyond my comprehension why, when there is a perfectly good gravity irrigation system available and that body saline
is the most neutral solution one could use, anyone could think up a need to force water thought the nasal cavities with
a mains (or battery) powered machine carrying a concoction of pharmaceutically manufactured chemicals. All the time
and effort and cost and complexities of such a device all seems so unnecessary.
(iii) Although the benefits and results, side effects and after effects of the traditional Jala Neti system of nasal irrigation
are all well known and tested for many years, despite a bit of modern research on them, these expensive and
complicated systems have yet to prove themselves over the long run. Why not play it safe and easy and cheap?
(iv) And if you really want the advantages of the simple Jala Neti system spelled out, consider these practical points:
no batteries, no power points, no expensive motorised machinery to buy, no plastic tubes or adaptor fittings or little bits
and pieces to clean or lose, no noise, no chemistry, no scientific understanding required to buy and mix the
ingredients.
Sense of Smell
Q. Several times after neti I experienced a terrible smell in my nostrils which lasted most of the day.
A. Only occasionally is this phenomenon reported and we can only imagine it might be due to the following
possibilities: Pollutants in the water used; additives in the salt used; pollutants in the neti pot from not being stored in a
sealed state. We have heard of people who got an ant or small bug up their nose from such storage! In some cases it
may be caused by an increase in nasal sensitivity which makes a person more aware of bad smells in the environment
around them. There is a possibility that, after an effective nasal cleanse-out, long term users of nasal medicines are
smelling ingrained or remnant releases of those drugs from within pockets in the nasal mucus membranes. It may be
that a polyp or small pimple has burst and is leaking fluid. If a perfectly clean pot with the purest water and purest salt
does not solve the problem, and the smell is not caused by environmental factors, I would suggest an examination by
a physician to investigate what might be problematic nasal pathology.
Q. Would you expect the technique to improve a patchy sense of smell?
Q. The neti pot is working well at clearing my sinuses, but I am having trouble with my sense of smell which
has almost become non-existent. I have been on steroid drops to combat polyps in my nose. I am concerned
about the long term effect of the steroids. Are there any natural remedies which might help?
A. In general, nearly everybody people who takes up Jala Neti finds their sense of smell improves. To what degree
and in what time frame this occurs would depend on the extent to which the olfactory nerves are damaged and how
often one uses the technique. Salt is a great neutraliser. It is one of natures greatest remedies. But it may take a while
for it to do its thing and for your smelling nerves to recover from years of medicinal abuse. Neti is one possibility to
help restore balance to the membranes and nerves of the nose. I can only suggest you commence trying the practice
and, as your nasal symptoms improve, begin lessening the use of medications you are on. Over time you will be able
to assess if your sense of smell is returning. I do not know of any other reports of other natural remedies restoring a
lost sense of smell.
As for the polyps, there are many possible causes yet only one viable solution to their removal as far as I know surgery. See Nasal Polyps queries.
Sinuses and Sinusitis

Q. Although your website suggests using the procedure only several times a week, my sinuses feel better
when I irrigate one to two times daily.
A. I am sorry if there has been some confusion in this regard. The recommendation on the website for Jala Neti usage
of only several times per week was a cautious public approach based on the number of feedback reports of people
having teething difficulties and of getting colds which we later deduced was caused from not following the correct
procedure for drying their nose. In truth, the practice can be done up to a maximum of 4 times a day but only if
prescribed for specific situations and only for a limited period. As a general rule, 1 - 2 times per day can be maintained
indefinitely for general nasal health; or if you live or work in a dusty environment; or to keep chronic nasal symptoms at
bay. But some people report feeling waterlogged if they do it every day. Some say it dries their nose out if they do it
too much (but this is more that they have perpetually dry noses from life situations and poor diet). Some people
choose only to do nasal irrigation when they get problems. Others just use it intermittently as they feel a need. It all
depends on ones needs and temperament. Once you have mastered the technique, and have the pot, then you can
set your own usage rates accordingly, but a daily regime of once or twice a day is my recommendation - unless the
side effects of your life dictate otherwise. See also Frequency of Usage.
Q. I read that chronic sinusitis can be cause by a fungal infection caused by allergy to moulds. Does the Neti
work the same way if the infection is fungal instead of bacterial?
A. Yes. Jala Neti works on removing anything which is up your nose and in your sinus cavities which shouldnt be
there. Pathogens of many kinds enter the nose all day. It is the job of the cilia (little hairs) to filter out larger particles
for blowing out; it is the job of the sticky mucous linings to trap smaller particles for blowing out; and finally it is the job
of the sinuses runny fluids to flush out the tiniest germs which might get that far in. But where the nose is dry or extra
clogged up, nasal irrigation can help greatly in removing the accumulated dirt and mucus in the front of the nose plus
what is deeper inside, thereby causing fresh mucous linings to be produced thus preventing the germs from travelling
deeper into the nasal cavities. Fungi, bacteria, viruses, pollen, dirt, dust, anything: it's all just grist for the mill to nasal
cleansing. It works equally well on cleansing them all.
Q. For ages I had gotten a short, painful attack of infected sinuses on the right side of my face, accompanied
by headache, and pain in my teeth on the right side. I tried Jala Neti Stages 1 and 2, and then an electric nasal
irrigation device sold by an MD which pumps saline into one nostril. Nothing helped. My infection became
worse for a while, so I didn't try that again. The only thing that helped was splashing COLD water on my face.
After 2 weeks of pain, my sinuses are returning to normal. What could this mean?
A. This means that splashing cold water on your face was the second best thing you could have done. There is no
deeper explanation for your story except the obvious fact the inflammation was so bad that no amount of self
administered salty water through your nose could combat what was obviously a very, very serious nasal infection.
However, I would advise against such a gung-ho approach to your health in the future, since a painful attack of
infected sinuses, for ages, and 2 weeks of pain, is a foolish situation to endure. The very best thing you could have
done for such a serious condition was to seek professional medical advice earlier on. The on-line purchase and trial of
a manual or electric nasal irrigation device is no replacement for commonsense. See also Headaches and Pains.
Q. How does the water flow affect the mucus that's way back in the sinuses - it doesn't feel accessible to me?
Does flowing from one nostril to the other somehow affect this?
A. Contrary to many peoples imaginings, the water used in gravity assisted nasal irrigation (ie Jala Neti, as opposed
to forced irrigation by electric means or a syringe) does not, should not, go through the sinuses. The actual nasal
sinus cavities are dead end passages, cul-de-sacs, caves with only one entrance, not be confused with the turbinates
and other mucus-lined airways within the skull. To get water in the actual sinus cavities (ie the dead end caves) is very
uncomfortable (not to mention unnecessary). They were not designed to have water in them, so obviously that is not
what we are trying to achieve. They were designed to allow air to pass by their entrances and for it to waft in and out
of them according to the pressure differential between the atmosphere, the sinuses, the nose, the ears and the lungs all of which is created by breathing. The sinus cavities are also there to sense subtle smells, gasses and ions in the air
we breathe. Germs, excessive mucus, or stray water in the actual sinus cavities increases pressure on the nerves,
puffs up the face, irritates the membranes, causes headaches, take ages to dry out, makes you feel even more
blocked up than before, and inevitably makes the nose drip afterwards.
The way in which normal nasal irrigation (Jala Neti Stages 1 and 2) works is that the water runs past the sinus cave
entrances, drawing out by a venturi effect the mucus and germs which may be in there. The effects of the warm salty
water passing by are: to thin out any thick germ-laden mucus so as to leave the cave in a runny stream, and to attract
the runny allergy-type mucus to follow the flow. This can be described as having flushed the sinuses, but it is not as
if the water has rinsed through them like tunnel. Of course, in the nose itself, and in the frontal nasal passages, the
water does enter and swirl around the membranes, directly washing the hairs and membranes, dissolving the mucus
as it goes, loosening heavier gunk, helping it to all flow out into the sink.
Many people use the term I got water in my sinuses, and this may or may be true, depending on their understanding
and usage of the term "sinus". Inadvertently they may well have gotten water in their sinuses. 100% of the time this is
from bad technique, usually caused by a combination of rushing, wrong head angle, wrong pot angle, sniffing, or
damming up effect caused by a blocked nose. But water in the sinuses is to be avoided in Jala Neti. It is not the way
the practice is designed to work. For the correct procedures and to avoid water entering the sinus cavities and creating
the myriad problems that people keep getting with nasal irrigation, please refer to the sections below on Getting the
Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages.
Q. I am a sufferer of many years of sinus congestion, not infections, just clogging. I also have sinus
headaches from time to time. Should I keep the practice going until everything is cleared out?
A. Firstly, what you call "sinus clogging", whilst maybe not always being caused by bacterial infections, none-the-less
indicates a chronic (ie long term) sinus condition most probably caused by poor diet. Excessive mucus secretion by
the body is in fact something needs to be addressed by means other than salty water up your nose. See the article
"Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health and Mucus in the Body", Secondly, yes you should adopt a daily
regime of nasal irrigation to assist clearing out these blockages. For the right amount of cleansing irrigation, see
Frequency of Usage. See also Headaches and Pains, which contain hints as to how to best manage sinus headaches.
Q. I got a severe sinus infection right after I started using my neti pot and had to discontinue my use.
A. If you mean that you contracted an infection from outside sources and believed you should not have continued
using the technique, I would suggest you should have continued using the technique to help clear out the infection.
But if you mean that you acquired the infection whilst using the technique, then it is probable it was spread or caused
by improper procedure or pollutants/impurities in the pot, the water or the salt used. Improper head angle and/or drying
the nose must be avoided in stopping the spread of nasal infections when irrigating. See Getting the Flow and Drying
the Nasal Passages.
Q. I got a sinus infection and did neti 3 x a day and got great relief, and could breathe easier. After three
weeks though I was still coming up with yellow/green stuff. I felt completely defeated, and went on antibiotics.
I feel betrayed by holistic medicine and it's promises of natural healing. It didn't work for me.
A. It is your expectations and your impatience which have betrayed you, not the technique itself nor the whole gamut
of holistic medicine and natural therapies. The situation you describe (and the mindset you exhibit) is very common.
What you came up against was a combination of a very virulent infection plus a case of historical cleansing, a situation
where your internal mucus linings have years of build up, and where it is possible that your nasal pathology has not
yet switched off the long time habits of mucus over-secretion. You obviously had a very severe and chronic condition,
one which required more patience and perseverance. And the fact that you experienced initial benefits only proves
this.
The mindset you exhibit is part and parcel of not yet understanding that holistic medicine and natural therapies, do not
work as miracle cures. Unlike many allopathic or pharmaceutical medicines, they do not just suppress the symptoms
of ill health whilst "waiting for nature to take its course, thereby giving the impression "that they have worked". Natural
therapies of any kind do not just knock germs on the head in 24 hours. They work in harmony with the bodys own
self defence systems to; (i) slightly reduce symptoms to a manageable level whilst the immune system fights off the
invader; (ii) assist the body to strengthen itself to expel the invader; (iii) re-educate the body over time to a more
balanced state of health management thus causing better prevention of the same condition in the future. All this will
take time. And, as well, any good natural therapist will counsel the patient to address the many other possible factors
in their life which may be exacerbating the condition such as poor diet, polluted living/working environments, drugs and
alcohol usage, stress, lack of sleep, etc, etc.
Those who jump onto the Internet in search of instant, "natural" cures do not get this holistic kind of health advice, so
how can they expect successful holistic results?
In addition, when learning a new way of health management, it helps to have a teacher, a guide, a source of advice for
when things dont go according to plan or expectations. In this regard you should have communicated with your Jala
Neti instructor (or us as the provider of the pot and the instructions) to help alleviate your concerns far earlier. We
would have told you just to keep on going - the same thing I am telling you now.
Q. I had a nose operation and I have had a sinusitis ever since and there is nothing I tried that can get rid of it.
Would this technique of Jala Neti help?
A. Without knowing more about the history of your condition, no-one can say for sure whether it will help or not. The
experience of many users and the research of many studies indicates that saline nasal irrigation does in fact help to
relieve the symptoms of chronic sinusitis. Under what conditions, over what time frame and in what lifestyle situations
this is true, is all highly variable. My advice is to try it, according to the recommended procedures and frequency, and if
you are not happy, then Health & Yoga will gladly refund your money as per our guarantee. To increase the chances
of it working, and to avoid uncomfortable teething problems, I would suggest you find a qualified Yoga Therapist or
teacher of the technique and follow their counsel towards a balanced and successful trial of Jala Neti.
Q. I have been using the Neti pot for at least six months at least twice a day. I love it and it works great to
relieve my symptoms. I was wondering if there is anything more I can do to help prevent these sinus
infections from reoccurring.
A. Ah yes, now you are thinking! Six months of symptomatic therapy and finally the concept of prevention has
awakened. Go to the top of the class! This is too big a topic to address here and, yes, there are numerous possible
causes which may be underlying your ill-health and numerous possible ways to prevent sinusitis. However all of them
involve lifestyle modifications. If you are you seriously ready for such changes, please see the longer article I have
written on this topic entitled - "Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health and Mucus in the Body".
Q. I am having some relief with the front area of my sinuses but still feel congestion far back. Does this
improve with time? I have only been doing neti for the past 4 days.
Q. I have sinus drip and can't sleep because I am not breathing correctly. I tried neti for three days and
although my sinuses were cleaned out I still had the same issues as before. I don't know if my sinuses are
triggering these symptoms or my allergies.
A. Three or four days only is not much of a time frame to expect any kind of technique to affect long term changes. It
would also depend on how many times a day you are irrigating. It can take some time for Jala Neti to re-educate the
body into what is a more normal state of mucus management. The fact that neti has helped clear out the nasal
passages to some extent gives hope that with time and perseverance you will gain even greater benefits. I would
suggest you continue the technique up to 3 times a day (always before meals) for 2 weeks, after which time cut back
to once or twice a day. See Frequency of Usage. As well, always be sure to dry the nose completely. See Getting the
Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages . In 3 months re-assess the situation. If no real change has occurred I would
suggest a professional medical consultation. In the meantime, there are many options to try for getting better sleep,
such as the Yoga Nidra technique of deep relaxation which can be done at any time in the day to help relieve
tiredness from poor sleep at night. This is part of the Beginners Integral Yoga Course.
Q. My wife has suffered with a severe sinus infection for the past 6 months and nothing we have tried has
helped. She has been using a Water Pic and adding peroxide with the water. How does the neti pot differ
from other nasal irrigation methods and what type of solution do you add to it to cure sinus infections?
A. Firstly, Jala Neti does not claim to be a cure for anything, and I am not just saying that from any legal liability point
of view or as any kind of marketing weasel words. All yoga methods (of which Jala Neti is but one of many for
maintenance of upper respiratory health) aim to help the body recover its faculty of homeostasis, a state of balanced
physiology where the body is able to effectively fight off endogenous (arising from inside itself) and exogenous (arising
from outside itself) ailments. Such an aim can only ever be fully effective where the person takes into account the
conditions of their supporting lifestyle which may also include the causes of the illness. However, experience and
research shows that Jala Neti (that is gravity-fed, normal body saline from a hand held pot) can help to lesson
symptoms of many upper respiratory illnesses and, over time, help to restore normal nasal functioning.
As for comparisons to other devices and nasal irrigation systems, most of the other systems are only variations upon
the same basic system as Jala Neti. Some use different solutions, some use a more forceful approach, but we only
recommend the time-honoured method of Jala Neti. If the Water Pic system has not helped (notice I use the relative
term "helped" rather than the absolutist term of "worked") then it is unlikely that Jala Neti will assist any better. I
suggest that your wife have a full medical assessment of her nasal pathology and if the doctor recommends that
regular saline nasal irrigation would be beneficial for her specific condition, then Jala Neti with normal saline might be
the one to use rather than a forced system with hydrogen peroxide. As well, a consultation with someone who will help
her address any suspected lifestyle issues underlying her sinusitis would be most beneficial to the long term "cure" of
her condition.
Q. I like the pot, but I don't think it gets up into my sinus and flushes them. It feels like it just goes up one
nostril and immediately comes out the other side, so I'm unhappy with that and considering getting the nasal
irrigator so that I can get some pressure involved to push the water up into my sinuses.
A. You may not have given the practice enough time to work more deeply into your system. I would suggest that 3
times a day for 2 weeks would show definite results. You may not be aware that there is also a stronger second stage
of neti for the posterior nasal sinuses. See Rationale and Method of Stage 2.
Whilst many people have gained benefits from both of the irrigation systems you mention, I must caution you against
the concept of more pressure = more better. A more gentle, more timely approach (like Jala Neti) may work better in
the long run. Your attitude regarding this is common and understandable but unwise, despite the opinions of the
learned ENT specialists who advocate such things. The principle of gravity fed Jala Neti is to draw out, not push out or
force out. The force-out concept is typical of modern medicine with its sledgehammer approach to illness. It is also
typical of people who see nasal symptoms as something to be got rid of as soon as possible, by whatever means,
without consideration of the surrounding lifestyle factors connected with its causes and exacerbation. This is not the
way of yoga and its adherents. So now you may make your choice slow and gentle and cheap and timely and
holistic and causal, or quick and powerful and expensive and risky and impermanent and symptomatic.
Q. I recently developed a sinus infection following a bout of flu. My doctor was not in favour of using any nonsterile solution for sinus irrigation and recommended that I stop using it while I recovered. What
recommendations do you have?
Q. I presently have a sinus infection & wonder if the use of the net pot should be suspended until I am better,
or will it help me recover faster.
A. Your doctor was advising on the side of caution. Doctor, doctor. My back hurts when I bend over. Well then, dont
bend over, is a common approach. A more helpful suggestion would have been to use sterile water (mainly in
consideration of his opinion, not because it is intrinsically necessary) by boiling the water and letting it cool prior to
using the irrigation. See Water and Salt Mixing. In this case you would be able to better alleviate the symptoms of the
flu without any fear of worsening the condition.
In times of know sinus infection, Jala Neti can be of great help in reducing the runny nose syndrome and of clearing
out the infection, but extra care must be taken in technique (see Getting the Flow) and when Drying the Nasal
Passages.
Q. Is it true that the solution doesn't enter the sinus cavities? It just flows past them? Is it possible for some
to get in the cavities and not come out?
A. When performed properly, the aim of Jala Neti is not to get water in the sinuses. Although many people do
inadvertently cause this to happen by not having the correct angle of the head and pot or by not drying their nose
properly. Many people misuse the word sinuses. They think that all the passages up in the nose are the sinuses, but
this is not anatomically correct. People think that water up their nose is filling the sinuses but in fact the sinuses are
specific dead end cavities, caves, cul-de-sacs, with very small entrance holes which are neither designed to have
water in them and are uncomfortable should it get in there. If water should inadvertently go in them, it is no great
disaster. It just takes a bit more effort in drying the nose and putting up with a bit of water run down until they are
empty. The danger of water in the sinuses is of spreading an infection from one part of the system to another. Hence
the importance of following exactly the proper procedure all the way through. See Getting the Flow and Drying the
Nasal Passages.
Q. My sinuses seemed to get even more congested after use. The first times I used bottled water. Could I be
allergic to the plastic of the bottle? I gave up on the whole thing for a while, but I will try distilled water.
A. This very common report of sinuses being more congested after irrigation is either a case of (i) poor drying of the
nose; (ii) water having got into the actual sinus cavities by poor technique; or (iii) of requiring more pots to effect a
thorough clean out. See Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages. It is highly unlikely that an allergy to the
plastic bottle could have caused this. And even distilled water will not save you from such discomforts if your technique
is the cause of the problem. as well as Water Quality Queries and Water Types.
Q. I've actually been using it more frequently because I just started working at a hospital and I'm trying to
avoid picking up colds and viruses. Hopefully, I'm correct in thinking that my neti pot use will keep me safe,
although someone said I may be actually putting the bacteria deeper into my nose/sinuses rather than
washing it out. What do you think?
A. It is you who is correct in your thinking. For those who work in germ-laden institutions like hospitals, schools,
childcare centres, rehab centres, aged care centres, it is immensely important to protect against picking up illnesses
from others (staff and/or patients). Twice daily would be my recommended frequency with special attention to Drying
the Nasal Passages. The worries about pushing bacteria deeper is often made by those who do not understand the
technique. Jala Neti works by drawing out bacteria and dirt from the frontal passages before it can lodge deeper
causing sinus infections. For a deeper cleanse, and for the added protection against throat ailments, Stage 2 of Jala
Neti can be employed, but only after Stage 1 has been mastered.
Q. Your training material says that Jala Neti does not result in water entering the sinuses. My sinus surgery,
like most, enlarged the openings of the sinuses, particularly the maxillary sinuses. When I practice Jala Neti I
do notice water entering my maxillary and sometimes frontal and other sinuses.
A. Whilst it is not actually the aim of Jala Neti that water should enter the actual sinuses, sometimes, through either
poor irrigation or drying procedure, or as in your case, where surgery has wilfully enlarged the sinus ostia (entrance
holes), water may go in that way. In this event, other than mild discomfort, the greatest danger is of spreading an
already established infection deeper into the nasal passages. In all such cases, all aspects of Getting the Flow and
Drying the Nasal Passages must be carefully attend to try to prevent that happening.
Sneezing (Due to Jala Neti)

Q. I had two serious sneezing fits after doing the neti. I suffer from asthma and sinusitis. My boyfriend has
cats and I have allergies to them, so I need help somehow.
Q. This morning I had a fit of sneezing for over an hour, after doing both Stage 1 and 2.
A. Jala Neti (of either Stage) can sometimes induce intermittent or extended sneezing. The reasons for this may be
one of the following:
(i) there was a small dust particle in the pot or in the water or in the salt which got carried into the nasal passages;
(ii) a bacteria in the front of the nose was carried further back to irritate the nerves;
(iii) that you have a mild allergy to something in the salt or water you used;
(iv) that the newly sensitised nose has picked up a scent or a particle to which you are allergic.
Suggestions to rule out each of those possibilities are: make sure you have a perfectly clean neti pot prior to starting;
make sure that your procedure is correct so that water does not move the dirt in your nose deeper back into the nasal
cavities, (see Getting the Flow); make sure the salt used is nothing but raw sea salt with no additives and has not
picked up any other particles from your kitchen or bathroom (see Water and Salt Mixing); make sure the water is well
filtered. Beyond these suggestions, you may just have to bear with it for a short while until this hypersensitivity passes
and your nasal functions returns more to the normal range. As for the asthma, the allergies, the cats and the boyfriend,
sooner or later one or the other or all of them may have to go!
Stage 2 Queries
Q. Is there more to Neti than just the usually pour in and out one nostril? Is there a deeper cleanse for the
more experienced?
Q. Previously, I would put warm salty water in the palm of my hand and gently snort. I liked the feeling of the
water flowing down the back of my throat, which I would then spit out. Is there a similar technique I could use
with your Neti Pot?
A. The method known as Stage 1 Jala Neti simply involves the warm saline water passing from one nostril through to
the other. This water flow effectively cleans the frontal nasal passages and helps drain the frontal sinuses. Stage 1
technique is explained at Getting the Flow. A stronger cleanse can be attained through what is called Jala Neti Stage
2where the water is drawn backwards from the nose, down past the post-nasal passages and is then spat out the
mouth (See Rationale and Method for Stage 2). But before using Stage 2 you should be fully proficient in Stage 1 and
the severity of the nasal secretions should have been well minimised by regular practice of Stage 1. Do not think that
the sooner you get on to doing Stage 2 the better it will be for your condition. This is not the case. Stage 1 Jala Neti is
a very effective technique for all upper respiratory conditions. In some people it may take weeks or even months for
just the frontal nasal passages to become clearer, especially if the root causes of their illness are not being addressed
and if very slow progress is being made towards health.
Q. What are the added benefits of Jala Neti Stage 2?
Q. I was very pleased with the product and especially the CD/DVD that explained how to do it. One point it
missed was the benefits of Stage 2?
A. The benefits of Stage 2 are documented in other places, such as in Rationale and Method for Stage 2.
Q. I've had acute/chronic sinusitis for almost 18 months with no relief. I have mastered neti Stage 1, my nose
seems to be more moist (the problem I had was my nose being overly dry) but, I had a cold today (out of the
blue) and decided that perhaps moving to Stage 2 might be advantageous.
A. There is no reason in moving onto Stage 2 simply because you have a cold. Stage 1 is usually highly effective for
the common cold if, during the infection, it is done 3- 4 times daily (always before meals) and making sure the nose is
well dried each time. If this frequency of Stage 1 feels like it is not getting to the back of the cold, then by all means
use Stage 2 (but always after a pot of Stage 1 so as not to take the frontal mucus deeper into the post nasal
passages) and always with extra attention to proper drying. See the full instructions for practising Stage 2 (Rationale
and Method for Stage 2) and Drying the Nasal Passages.
Q. Do have any suggestions for me with Stage 2? I have the CD but still I cant get it to work as demonstrated.
Q. I find I cough a bit when I am doing Stage 2 neti. Is this normal? Is there a danger of water going into the
lungs. Is this why I am coughing?
Q. I seem to choke and cough a lot when I try Stage 2.
Q. During Stage 2, some water always goes down my throat and I swallow it. How can I stop this?
Q. I would like to know how I can bring the water through to my mouth without choking as described for neti
Stage 2.
A. See Rationale and Method for Stage 2.
Q. I am continuing my practice with Stage 2 Neti. I still cough each time, but the water is running from my
mouth as it is supposed to. I am finding a large amount of matter being coughed out of my mouth during
Stage 2. Is this normal? Is this matter from the sinuses?
A. Is this normal? Yes and no. Is this matter from the sinuses? It depends. As stated in Rationale and Method for
Stage 2, one should not do Stage 2 before Stage 1 has effectively cleared out most of the junk from the frontal nasal
passages. This may task several pots per session and several weeks or months of usage. If that is the stage you have
reached, then the large amount of material you are moving out now with Stage 2 is either what can be called historical
accumulations or your upper respiratory system is still very sick and is making a lot of mucus every day which seems
not be responding to Jala Neti. In the first case of historical matter, you must just keep going until the technique has
really cleared up your system. This may take a pot of Stage 1 and Stage 2 per session, and 2 - 3 times daily would not
be excessive in this case, cutting back as the cleansing takes hold. In the second case, you really need to address
what are the root causes of your condition and stop expecting a bit of warm salty water to cure what is basically a
lifestyle issue or some deep pathological illness which requires proper assessment by a health professional
(alternative or otherwise).
Q. I'm currently attempting Stage 2 which seems to have the side effect of giving me a runny nose later on
when I'm in certain positions (ie. upside-down); this never happened with Stage 1.
Q. I am finding that I have more post-nasal drip since starting to do Stage 2 neti, not less as expected and
advised. Is this normal?
A. The most likely cause of this is not drying the nose properly. Stage 2 tends to leave a lot more water throughout the
nasal passages and therefore greater time and care must be spent in drying the nose. It may initially take 2 or 3 times
the effort to effectively dry all the nasal passages properly. See the full instructions for practising Rationale and
Method for Stage 2 and Drying the Nasal Passages.
Substances Other Than Salt in the Neti Water

Q. Do you think it would be OK to put some drops of colloidal silver in the neti pot to clear up a sinus
infection? If so, how many drops do you think?
A. No, or more accurately, I dont know if it would be OK for you to do that. Nor does anyone else on the Internet. We
here at Health and Yoga, based on the traditional methods of yoga, do not recommend over the Internet that people
put anything other raw sea salt in their nasal cleansing solution. For specific people, with specific conditions, and in
specific circumstances, additives other than salt may be advantageous, but only a qualified health practitioner
experienced in such areas should prescribe such things and only arising from a personal consultation. And besides, I
ask you this: Was the nose designed to have colloidal silver put in it? If you want to go putting rare and valuable
soluble metals up your nose, you should ask a chemist or a specialist ENT doctor, and not a simple yogi, an Internet
seller of Neti Pots, or even a seller of colloidal silver.
Q. I was wondering if there was anything else I could put in the water to prolong the "unclogged" feeling? I
sometimes use a nasal spray (non-medicated) that has menthol and eucalyptus in it.
Q. What additives should be used in the Neti pot? I have instructions from another site to use salt and baking
soda.
Q. Some sources recommend using a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide as well as the salt and a pinch of soda.
Q. Is a product from another website, called Neti Wash Plus of any better experience than just plain salt?
Q. Someone suggested putting lemon juice in the pot to help cut the mucus? Would this be done with or
without the salt?
Q. Other neti pot providers sell a product called Neti Wash Plus, which is supposed to enhance the
effectiveness of using the pot. Why do you not sell this?
A. Because we are traditionalist yogis and because we don't believe it is necessary to "enhance the effectiveness" of
Jala Neti if done in the proper way. For thousands of years people have been washing out their noses very effectively
by using the worlds cheapest, most effective, and most easily obtainable cleansing substance sea salt. It is
renowned in all cultures as the primary medicine of prevention and cure. That is all that is needed for effective saline
nasal irrigation. Salt is the great leveler. In different ways, and when properly used, it helps bring the body back to a
more neutral state. We do not see the need for complex new fandangled compounds made by people in laboratories
with white coats with degrees in pharmaceutical science to improve upon the ancient solution of normal body saline for
nasal irrigation. ENT specialists and medical scientists may well have discovered some minor variation to normal
saline which they conclude works better in nasal irrigation for patients with chronic rhino-sinusitis or in post-ENTsurgical situations. But this might not be the best solution for all people. It may only be the best for a selected few who
are prescribed that by their doctor. So who are we to say Yes, go ahead and use this or that. And this is often the
medical way, the way of medical history to take an old-fashioned, well-proven, laymans recipe, modify it with bits
and pieces of modern pharmacopoeia; sell it off as a new miracle substance at exorbitant costs; when the results over
time have not been proven. Some years later, most people will have reverted to the traditional recipe because it simply
works better (and always has). But we at Health & Yoga choose not to promote that way of Jala Neti. If you wish to try
other substances in your pot go right ahead, but dont call us when you have side effects or lesser effects from that
solution. You can go through your pantry, your medicine cabinet, even your garden shed, trying one item at a time
mixing a bit into your neti pot, experiencing all the horrid side effects along the way. Then when you are done, you will
discover there is no other better solution than warm (body temperature), isotonic (same as body blood) saline solution
for Jala Neti.
Whilst there are other solutions that yogis have been using over the years, we do not reveal these to the uninitiated via
the Internet. If you really want a stronger therapeutic and time-honoured nasal irrigation solution, then find yourself a
traditional yoga teacher to instruct you in Amaroli Neti (neti using ones own urine) but thats a whole another story!
(PS. Do not just try weeing in your pot and pouring it through your nose. It isnt that simple). And once again, no lab
rats in white coats could invent such a good solution for therapeutic purposes as one's own urine. It was already there,
in nature, right up close, for us to use for effective healing.
Technique Problems
Q. After the first usage, my breathing felt freer. On the 2nd day, I felt congested. On the 3rd day, even worse. I
followed the instructions as indicated in the booklet & made sure to do the proper drying technique
afterwards each time.
Q. Also, when we do the drying process, can we also blow in a tissue at the end?
A. Blowing into a tissue whether is be before the cleaning, during the cleansing or during the drying process is
never very helpful to Jala Neti as most people tend to partially block the nose when blowing which (i) increases blood
pressure to the nose and hence blocks free airflow, and (ii) can force water droplets and un-expelled mucus further
back into the nasal passages. If you are doing the practice in the shower or over sink, a tissue should not be
necessary for hygiene or civility. But if you do use a tissue to catch water droplets, always blow onto it, not into it, and
never squeeze the nose in an attempt to force the air out faster.
Q. Although your website suggests using the procedure only several times a week, my sinuses feel better
when I irrigate one to two times daily.
A. I am sorry if there has been some confusion in this regard. The original recommendation on the website for Jala
Neti usage of only several times per week was a cautious public approach based on the number of feedback reports of
people having teething difficulties and of getting colds which we later deduced was caused from not following the
correct procedure for drying their nose. In truth, the practice can be done up to a maximum of 4 times a day but only if
prescribed for specific situations and only for a limited period. As a general rule, 1 - 2 times per day can be maintained
indefinitely for general nasal health; or if you live or work in a dusty environment; or to keep chronic nasal symptoms at
bay. But some people report feeling waterlogged if they do it every day. Some say it dries their nose out if they do it
too much (but this is more that they have perpetually dry noses from life situations and poor diet). Some people
choose only to do nasal irrigation when they get problems. Others just use it intermittently as they feel a need. It all
depends on ones needs and temperament. Once you have mastered the technique, and have the pot, then you can
set your own usage rates accordingly, but a daily regime of once or twice a day is my recommendation - unless the
side effects of your life dictate otherwise. See also Frequency of Usage.
Q. Can I practice this technique without any yoga teachers guidance.
A. Although we recommend on the Health and Yoga website and in our documentation that people should find a
suitable instructor from whom to learn Jala Neti, at this point in time there are not that many Jala Neti instructors nor
even enough yoga teachers experienced in the technique to reach everybody. So lots of people do self-teach. Of
these, around 50% have teething problems with the technique not because the technique is difficult but because
some people have difficult noses and chronic nasal pathology, and because many people fail to follow the
instructions properly. In our Users Instruction Booklet and in this FAQ, we try to provide all possible advice to cover the
usual difficulties and issues people have when self teaching. Yet, for many, problems still arise. ....So if you have fears
about self-learning, or a long history of nasal problems, please feel free to scan our Community Instructors List to
track an experienced user in your area. Failing that, you can attempt to teach yourself in the hope that all goes well.
But we hold no responsibility for those who self teach and then have problems with the practice or with their nasal
health.
Q. Can we do yoga immediately after doing Neti?
A. Sure. Yoga practise, be it postures, breathing and/or meditation, is most beneficial and can be greatly enhanced
following Jala Neti. Just make sure the nose is properly dried or you may get droplets of water running out in your
inverted poses. See Drying the Nasal Passages.
Q. I cant seem to get the right angle and it gets frustrating. It seems like it should have a cover. I use plastic
wrap on the top so it doesn't wet me all up.
A. I think you may be overfilling the pot and/or possibly rushing the first few movements. It does not need to be right
up to the top. 400mls, which is up to the waistline is usually sufficient in our pots for a general cleansing session. Our
recommended ratio of a teaspoon of salt for a litre of water does not insist that there has to be 500 mls put in the
pot. Just cut back to 400-450mls of water with a little less than the level teaspoon of salt. And just take it real slowly
when getting the flow and you should be fine. Also, when tilting the head and pot, glance over to the rim of the pot and
you will soon see what is tipping too far. For further details, see Getting the Flow.
Q. Could it cause any harm, were I to use a full pot of solution on each nostril?
A. Certainly not. In fact it will help cleanse a bit more. How much water one uses in each irrigation session would be
dependent on how much mucus needs to be removed. You should keep using the water until both sides of the nose
feel as clear and as unobstructed as they can be. We find it is better to use half a pot in one direction, then half a pot
in the other direction, then, if needed, remix another pot of water and do half a pot in each direction. This is better than
doing one whole pot in one direction - then re-mixing - then doing another whole pot in the other direction. Be sure of
Drying the Nasal Passages properly after a thorough cleansing session.
Q. Doing it has worked well but, when I do the left side, the water comes out of my mouth too.
A. This could indicate either (i) the angle of your head is wrong; (ii) you are accidentally breathing through the nose
whilst the water is flowing; (iii) a temporary mucus blockage on one side of the nose; (iv) or else an internal blockage
(like cartilage, polyps or bent nose bone) is diverting the water. You should endeavour to prevent this by paying
special attention to Getting the Flow and Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
Q. Could you tell me how you can get the water to go down your throat? It seems that it would be a good idea
for some of the water to do that.
A. I am not sure that you really mean down your throat which actually means to swallow water into the food pipe
and into the stomach or it you mean down the back of the nose and into the mouth (which does not go anywhere
near the throat, let alone end up being swallowed). In Jala Neti Stage 1, the water should not go down the back on the
nose into the mouth. However, in Stage 2, the water is drawn down the back of the nasal passages, momentarily held
in the side of the mouth and then spat out the mouth. At no time should water ever go down your throat and be
swallowed. See Rationale and Method for Stage 2.
Q. With Stage 1, I am getting water in the back of my throat. And it takes quite a while before my nose seems
dry. What can be done to prevent this?
A. Water going down the back of the nose, (it is not the back of the throat by the way; the back of the throat is near the
bump on the back of your neck - see previous question), is caused by incorrect angle of head, incorrect angle of the
pot, or by blocked passages diverting the water. This can usually be remedied by following more closely the
instructions. See Getting the Flow. In such cases where water does inadvertently go down the back of the nose a lot
more drying is needed. See Drying the Nasal Passages. The other possibility is that you have more serious nasal
problems which should be checked out by a doctor. See also Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
Q. I am having difficulty in the nose drying process. It feels that nose is dried but often water trickles down 5 10 minutes after drying. Q. Even after following the instructions for drying the nose after neti, I am finding
water running out of the nose, sometimes ten or fifteen minutes later.
A. This indicates that you got water up inside the actual sinus cavities, which should not happen. See Getting the
Flow. Therefore, in that situation, the drying needs to be more complete. See Drying the Nasal Passages.
Q. How do you breathe while pouring the water in your nose?
A. Through the mouth.
Q. You have said that Neti should be done before and not after meals. Why is this?
Q. How long should we wait after meals to do it?
A. It is not so much a matter of how long after a meal one should do Jala Neti, it is more a matter that one should do it
before meals rather than after. The reason for this rule is that, straight after eating, the patterns of nostril breathing will
switch to a predominantly left nostril flow, which is switching onto the para-sympathetic nervous system which aids
better digestion in the stomach. Jala Neti, when performed by normally healthy people, will tend to switch the nostril
flow to a balanced predisposition, such that this will tend to slow down digestion if you cleanse the nose within about 3
- 4 hours of eating. Also, after eating, mucus production increases in all the mucus membranes of the body: the nose,
sinuses, throat, oesophagus, trachea, lungs, chest, and bowels, so therefore trying to cleanse the nasal system of
mucus after a meal is unwise. During and directly after a meal is an excellent time to observe which kinds of food
which make you snot up a lot. Such symptoms are telling you that your body is not tolerating them well. The bodys
mucus is a protection mechanism against outside attack, therefore high mucus secretion = high resistance to the
substances ingested or inhaled. This applies equally to the sinuses, the stomach, the lungs, and the bowels. See also
the article - Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health and Mucus in the Body.
Q. I am a wheelchair user and have trouble turning my head. Any suggestions? Should I do anything different
because I am sitting at all times?
A. Can you bend forward with assistance from the sitting position to use a large bowl on your lap or a very low sink
and turn your upper body at the waist so as to get the water flowing downwards? If so, then getting your head into the
ideal position where the outgoing nostril is lower than the chin will work for you. If not, I would suggest that Jala Neti is
not a suitable technique for you. You might be better off using one of the syringing irrigation systems or the Grossan
powered nasal cleansing device which will allow you sit up and cleanse the nose.
Q. I am confused about the measurements. Could you please tell me what a litre would be in terms of cups?
A. See all the different measuring conversions and methods in Water and Salt Mixing.
Q. I have one problem and it is while I am using it the water comes out in a straight stream but them it starts
to go down my chin and really makes a mess.
A. This indicates that the angle of your head and the pot is incorrect. See Getting the Flow.
Q. I end up with the water pouring out the top of the pot.
A. This indicates that either you are filling the pot too full, rushing in the first few moments, or have the angle of the
head and pot wrong. See Getting the Flow.
Q. I feel congested after neti for about an hour. I've caught about 5 colds within the past two months!
A. This indicates that either: (i) your irrigation technique is incorrect and that you are getting water inside the sinus
cavities (See Getting the Flow); or (ii) you are not drying the nose properly (See Drying the Nasal Passages); or (iii)
you are incredibly prone to catching other peoples germs, that is you have an incredibly poor immune system; or (iv)
you have a lifestyle which is very unhealthy (See the article - Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health and
Mucus in the Body .
Q. I find that the flow of water is slower from the left nostril. Would it therefore be acceptable if I started with
the left nostril?
A. You can start with whichever nostril you like. But be assured that this will not change the rate at which water flows
from either side. An unchanging imbalance of water flow in either direction indicates that you may have a fleshy
obstruction in the nasal passages (ie cartilage or polyps) or maybe even a deviated septum (bent nose bone). If
several weeks of Jala Neti at the frequency of 2 -3 times a day does not help to clear the imbalanced flow, then you
should seek medical advice and have the more serious aspects of your nose attended to. See Analysing More Serious
Nasal Conditions.
Q. I gave myself a cold the first week because I didn't follow the instructions carefully about drying the nose
afterwards. Do you have any more detailed instructions?
A. Not really, because the standard instructions for drying the nose in the Users Instruction Booklet which came with
your Health and Yoga Stainless Steel Neti Pot - if followed correctly - are comprehensive enough to avoid getting a
cold in the first place. But the issue is: would you follow more detailed ones any better? See Getting the Flow and
Drying the Nasal Passages?
Q. I got a cold after first doing neti? What might be wrong? I followed the directions and am very careful to dry
completely.
A. If you are sure you dried your nose properly as you stated, then your cold may not have been connected with doing
Jala Neti at all and may have been solely a co-incidence. Please note that Jala Neti is not an instant cure for colds nor
can it guarantee it will prevent every cold. So much depends on the lifestyle and environment surrounding the
practitioner. Neti takes time to help the body re-adjust more towards normal functioning. It takes time to help boost the
immune system. A lifestyle which works against these things will be no match for a bit of salty water up your nose
every now and then. Awareness towards those situations which might be causing ill health and actions towards
avoiding, them are the greatest cures available. Read Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health and Mucus
in the Body for many tips on how to avoid colds and strengthen your immune system.
Q. I have only used it four or five times in 2 years, as I was never sure of my technique and worried about
water remaining in my sinuses.
A. Your fears and reticence would be greatly reduced if you read up about the effectiveness and harmlessness of the
technique. See Fear and Reticence above in this FAQ. I would also suggest you need to get together with an
instructor for some hands-on tuition. We are constantly adding more people to our Community Instructors List for
Neti learners to track an experienced user in their area. Please feel free to Scan this list and if you find someone in
your city, then you can make a direct contact
Q. I have to get the spout in just the right position before the water flows. I think I have a blockage in one
nostril. I wonder if Neti will help this feeling of my nose being stuffed up.
A. The success of the technique will depend on the cause of your blockage. See Analysing More Serious Nasal
Conditions.
Q. I have used neti about 10 times but have had no success with it. The first time a little water trickled out of
one of my nostrils for a short time. However, all of the other times no water has flowed. Air can flow through
them but the water doesn't.
A. This could be due to several factors: (i) the water temperature being too cold which will contract the nasal passages
(See Water and Salt Mixing). (ii) you may be tensing up in the face, which can also restrict water flow. (iii) you may be
pushing the tip of the spout too hard against the inside of the nose. (iv) you may have an internal blockage such as
cartilage or polyps or deviated nose bone (see Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions).Try to resolve the problem
with the first three possibilities and then, if not successful, you should consult a medical practitioner for a proper
assessment.
Q. I have trouble getting the water to flow thru my nose properly. It is not a natural action for me.
A. If it is just uncertainty of technique, then please read carefully the sections Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal
Passages. If it is nerves, fear, tension and worry that is preventing you from succeeding, read Fear and Reticence. If
these sections don't help, then you should meet with someone of greater experience who can guide you through the
technique until you are confident and successful with it. We are constantly adding more people to our Community
Instructors List for Neti learners to track an experienced user in their area. Please feel free to Scan this list and if you
find someone in your city, then you can make a direct contact
Q. I must have bent too far forward and got water into my sinuses and developed a worse sinus infection than
I already had. I have now been through THREE rounds of antibiotics since first using the neti. Maybe I should
try it with a instructor next time.
A. Yes, definitely you should, and maybe you should have had an instructor for the first time. This is a common case in
point of the troubles that some novices can have with this technique when they try to self teach: and (i) if they don't
read and follow the instructions carefully; (ii) if they are too nervous and frightened on their first attempts; (iii) if they
have a particularly severe infection and problematic nasal pathology which they do not appreciate before adopting the
technique. We always advise people to learn from an instructor (as the yogis have done for thousands of years). But
the presumptuous arrogance of many people today drives them to ignore advice of such importance.
The point must be made again and again, that the technique of Jala Neti is not dangerous or risky in itself. It is some
people's severely abnormal nasal pathology which is the problem, and which causes initial "teething" difficulties about
30% of the time. Without knowing a Neti Pot buyer's medical history or current health condition, and other than
providing detailed instructions and advising such people to find an instructor, we cannot feel responsible for any side
effects or learning difficulties which may occur from Internet sales of Jala neti pots. That said, 70% of people who buy
neti pots on line have little or no problems achieving great benefits from day one. As they say: "Caveat Emptor - Buyer
Beware". But not of the product, not of the technique, but of the buyer's own self ignorance. Also, requiring "three
rounds of antibiotics" to annul the infection indicates that you have some serious immune system issues to address
which Jala Neti is probably powerless to address at this stage.
Q. I must not be mastering the drying process very well, because I keep getting a sore throat when I use it.
Q. It has given me what seem like a sore throat a couple of times.
A. Getting a sore throat from Jala Neti is usually brought about by water carrying bacteria entering the post-nasal
passages, upper throat area and mouth from incorrect procedure of Stage 1 and/or by performing Stage 2 without
having properly cleaned out the frontal nasal passages first with a potful of Stage 1. See Getting the Flow - Stage 1
and Rationale and Method for Stage 2. It may sometimes be caused by poor drying, in which case see Drying the
Nasal Passages.
Q. I still have some problems with the drying of the nose. I find that I have the symptoms of a mild cold for a
few hours afterward.
A. We do advise in the Users Instruction Booklet: "Drying the nose properly is a very important part of the practice.
Never neglect to do this part properly. Failure to dry the nose properly may manifest the symptoms of a cold for
several hours, or leaving dirty water in the sinus passages or eustachian tubes may result in infection". For complete
instructions on drying, see Drying the Nasal Passages.
Q. I think I'm still having trouble with my technique. Water seems to go high up in my sinuses even though I
try to have the right position. Might I may have a deviated nasal septum.
A. Water being diverted into the actual sinus cavities is not intended in Jala Neti and this is usually caused by incorrect
positioning of the head and/or pot. It may also be caused by a damming up effect of mucus. See Getting the Flow and
Drying the Nasal Passages. In a few instances it is caused by more serious nasal conditions like cartilage, polyps or
deviated septum. If re-reading and following the correct methodology does not solve your problem, you should visit a
physician for a medical assessment of your nasal structure. See also Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
Q. I tried the Neti Pot. It made kind of a mess all over my shirt. Is it better for me to do it in the shower?
A. You must have the angle of the body, the angle of the head, and the angle of the pot all wrong. See Getting the
Flow. Neti in the shower is a good thing to do as it saves the effort of making up special warm water at the sink - (just
use the shower water if youre not worried about sterility aspects) - and also theres no clean up afterwards. It can also
help those who are very clogged up, by loosening the mucus in their head before irrigation by soaking the head in the
hot shower water and blowing out the nose a few times. Do neti at the very end of the shower then dry your nose
whilst drying your body. But be sure to remove your shirt before the shower or it will get even wetter.
Q. Ive been able to get flow on both sides, although after irrigating both sides the nostrils are not completely
clear (but definitely better). Should I blow my nose before I do the irrigation?
A. Firstly, blowing your nose before performing neti can be counter-productive. Strong or frequent blowing increases
blood to the nose and can swell the linings and passages, thereby blocking water flow to some extent. If your nose
does not feel fully cleaned out by one potful, then you should do more pots until it does as well as doing the technique
more frequently (see Frequency of Usage). You may have a long term build up in there which needs lots of clearing
out over time. Secondly, you may not be drying the nose properly which leaves you feeling more blocked up. See
Drying the Nasal Passages. Thirdly, if correct methodology with more frequent irrigation (say 3 times a day for 2
weeks) does not solve this problem, then you should have a doctor check out your nose for unusual problems. See
Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
Q. I'm having trouble getting my nasal passages dry after use. I went through the drying routine several times.
I think I may be getting water in my sinuses, because I feel some cold-like symptoms and some sinus
pressure after using the pot.
A. What you suspect is no doubt true. This arises from wrong procedure during the irrigation or by blowing too hard
when drying. See Getting the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages. Also, you may need to do more than just one
potful to clear out properly.
Q. It feels as though the water is not traveling the correct route, although it does eventually come out the way
it should. One time some water got in my ear which bothered me for several days.
A. The water will find its own, correct way according to gravity if your set-up angles are correct. Please re-read the
procedure for Getting the Flow. Water in the ear canals is also caused by wrong angles and by blowing too hard when
drying. See Drying the Nasal Passages. See also the queries above for Ear Problems.
Q. It took me a few days to get the solution to flow correctly (or at all) and not down the throat. Why is this?
A. Well, after you didnt get water down the throat through trial and error, you already had your answer. It was to do
with the angles of the head and pot - that's all. Without an instructor present to initially set your head and pot at the
correct angle (as the technique has traditionally always been taught), some of those who self-teach require trial and
error to achieve this. Also, you may have been particularly blocked up and needed some days/weeks of cleansing to
get clear of blockages. To check that your technique is now fully correct, see Getting the Flow.
Q. I've found that if I don't spend the time to dry the sinuses completely (sometimes it takes more than just 1010-10 breaths) I end up with dripping throughout the day and strange sinus resonance when I speak.
A. Those who accidentally get water in the sinus cavities or in the ear canals through incorrect procedure, will
definitely require extra drying effort - as will those who have restricted passages due to polyps and cartilage. It says
this in the User's Instructions Booklet. The best solution is prevention of the water getting in there in the first place (see
Getting the Flow). Also re-check the full Drying the Nasal Passages instructions.
Q. Initially I was able to irrigate both nostrils fairly well, but over the last two days when I have poured through
one nostril it doesnt come out the other side. Then I would alternate to see if it would work with the other
nostril, but no such luck. The salt water would come out through my mouth or tip out of the pot (since I would
keep raising it). Can you help here?
A. This indicates an intermittently blocked up system or a recurring infection. Hints to get through this are Getting the
Flow. In such instances it would help if you have a long hot shower every morning to loosen mucus in the head before
concluding with neti in the shower. Several pots may be required to fully clear the blockage. I would suggest neti 3
times daily for 2 weeks to knock it on the head, then cutting back to once or twice daily for general nasal clearance.
See also Frequency of Usage.
Q. Sometimes neti seems to have an adverse effect - making me more blocked up.
A. This can be due to incorrect procedure, not enough pots to get fully clear, or poor drying of the nose. See Getting
the Flow and Drying the Nasal Passages and Frequency of Usage.
Q. The little neti instruction booklet shows the pot being inserted with the head tilted back. This seems odd. I
tried to do it over the sink. It didn't come out the other side.
Q. Sometimes water goes down the back and trickles out my mouth. I read that this can be remedied by
altering the angle and position of the head and pot. The instructions in the guidebook that came with the
product say to lean over a lot but the picture of the person doesnt seem to be bent over much at all. Which is
more correct to get the right angle.
A. Yes, sorry about that. The picture in the earlier versions of the instruction book was wrong and has since been
changed. The correct position is described and correctly shown in Getting the Flow.
Q. The nose drying process leaves me a bit light-headed which is probably why I don't use this as regularly as
I should. I am an asthmatic.
A. Unless you have elevated blood pressure, it is more likely not the drying process which is actually making you lightheaded but your habitual chest-breathing. Asthmatics are invariably chest-breathers which, if you take too many
chest breaths too fast, you will begin to hyperventilate. To remedy this you need to learn how to breath abdominally.
This is a completely different way of breathing which will definitely help improve your asthma, as well as taking away
the discomfort involved in drying your nose after Jala Neti. Other than going to a local yoga class to learn this way of
breathing (which I highly recommend) you might like to try the 8 Week Beginners Yoga Course Book and CD Set.
Q. Will doing the neti get easier as I do more? I currently do it twice a day.
A. That depends on what you consider to be its difficulties! As with all things, practise and perseverance eventually
leads to greater ease and greater success. If you keep following the correct procedures for the technique, and if you
dont have any major structural nose problems then, yes, the practice will get easier. If you are still having difficulties
after the initial few weeks, then you should seek the guidance of a more experienced user to help fine-tune your
technique or else have your nose checked out by a physician for more serious nasal pathology. If you are implying that
you are always snotty and blocked up, then the technique will only be having limited benefits due to a lifestyle which is
causing more problems quicker than neti can relieve them. Please read Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory
Health and Mucus in the Body for many tips on how to avoid a blocked-up nose and strengthen your immune system.
Types of Salt Queries

Q. I use iodised salt which is easily available. Is that OK?
Q. I was wondering if the salt you sent was sea salt.
Q. I would like to buy your single packets of salt, so I dissolve one in the pot, stir and wash. But do I use half
of the pot for one nostril and the other half for the second nostril or should I use one single packet of salt per
sinus?
Q. Im having a little trouble getting the right degree of salinity in my neti solution. Can you please tell me the
right amount of salt to add to the neti pot you recommend on your web site?
A. See Types of Salt Explained and How to Make Normal Saline.
Q. Is kosher salt ok to us in the pot, or does it have to be a specific type of salt?
A. Kosher, schmosher. You can use salt from the Sea of Israel blessed by your most beloved Rabbi or salt from The
Gulf of Carpentaria Australia made by pigmy slaves, so long as it is just raw sea salt and does not have any
commercial additives in it like iodine which is used as an anti-caking or free-flowing agent. See also Types of Salt
Explained.
Q. The salt I am using is sea salt as you recommended, but it is iodised. Is this recommended, or what kind do
I get when you say "raw sea salt"?
A. The small amount of iodine in Table Salt or Common Salt is there to stop it caking-up in your salt shaker and is
of no use to your nose. In some people it could cause discomfort, a foul smell, or maybe even an allergic reaction.
Raw sea salt just means sea water without the water - no additives! This kind of salt is usually sold as Cooking Salt
or Pickling Salt or Canning Salt. Just double-check on the label that they havent put in any additives. See also
Types of Salt Explained
Q. The salt to water ratio needed to be figured out since the jar said a 1/2 teaspoon. That was for a littler pot.
This one needs to be filled up to before the top flares out as far as I can figure, using one teaspoon of salt it
seems like.
A. We dont sell jars or smaller pots so I dont know where you are getting this information from. Our pots are all
dispatched with specific salt mixing instructions in the Users Booklet so I dont know why you had to figure it out. The
correct proportion for normal saline or isotonic saline is covered in Water and Salt Mixing. See also Types of Salt
Explained.
Q. Is regular store bought non-iodised salt ok to use?
A. Generally, yes, but see further details in Types of Salt Explained
Water Quality
Q. Does the water need to be boiled or can I use hot water from the tap?
A. The vast majority of people who have used the Jala Neti practice over the thousands of years it has been around
have used non-boiled water. Since this technique migrated to the West from India in the 1960's, many many people
have simply used warm water mixed from their hot and cold taps at home, and this has not given them any problems
at all. However; (i) with the growing incidence and severity of nasal infections, acute (short term) and chronic (long
term); and (ii) the declining hygiene of many city water supplies; and (iii) the cautious recommendations of medical
physicians; many neti users are now opting to use boiled water (then letting it cool no pointing mixing it with unboiled cold); or warmed up bottled water. If you personally are afraid of contracting infections from bacteria in your
local water supply or from your kitchen or bathroom environment then by all means boil it for confidence's sake. But if
you are of average health, with no known nasal or sinus infections, and live in a clean home environment where you
confidently drink your tap water, then it is not essential to boil it. See also Water Types.
Q. I recently developed a sinus infection following a bout of flu. My doctor was not in favour of using any non Copyright 2006, HealthAndYoga.com
sterile solution for sinus irrigation and recommended that I stop using it while I recovered. What
recommendations do you have?
A. Your doctor was advising on the side of caution. Doctor, doctor. My back hurts when I bend over. Well then, dont
bend over, is a common approach. A more helpful suggestion would have been to use sterile water (mainly in
consideration of his opinion, not because it is intrinsically necessary) by boiling the water and letting it cool prior to
using the irrigation. See Water and Salt Mixing. In this case you would be able to better alleviate the symptoms of the
flu without any fear of worsening the condition.
Q. My sinuses seemed to get even more congested after use. The first times I used bottled water. Could I be
allergic to the plastic of the bottle? I gave up on the whole thing for a while, but I will try distilled water.
A. This very common report of sinuses being more congested after irrigation is either a case of: (i) poor drying of the
nose; (ii) water having got into the actual sinus cavities by poor technique; (iii) or of requiring more pots to effect a
thorough clean-out. It is highly unlikely that an allergy to the plastic bottle could have caused this. And even distilled
water will not save you from such discomforts if poor technique is the cause of the problem. See Getting the Flow and
Drying the Nasal Passages and Frequency of Usage.
Q. I will be traveling soon to where the water can makes travelers sick. What do you suggest I do?
A. When in doubt about the water in foreign countries, play safe. If you do not trust the water to drink in such places,
then definitely dont put it up your nose! If you are able to boil your water (and then let it cool, covered of course) then
you should not have any troubles with any bacteria. It may also help to cleanse your neti pot daily, by boiling it with a
dash of antiseptic, and then rinsing it well with boiled water.
Troubleshooting
What to Do If . . . . . .?
The water stings when it first flows through - but then becomes OK.
See Burning and Stinging queries.
Also see Water and Salt Mixing,
especially the section on How to Make Normal Saline.
The water stings when it first flows through - but stays painful.
See Burning and Stinging queries.
See Water and Salt Mixing, especially the section on How to Make Normal Saline.
If exact mixing does not solve the problem see also Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions.
The water will not flow through initially.
See Blockages of Water Flow queries.
Also see Getting the Flow, especially Step 7b.
The water flows unevenly from different sides.
See Blockages of Water Flow and Blockages of Nasal Structure queries.
See also Analysing More Serious Nasal Problems.
The water will not flow through no matter what you try.
See Blockages of Nasal Structure queries.
One nostril just will not clear out.
See Blockages of Nasal Structure queries.

After many sessions of Jala Neti, nothing seems to be getting any better.
See Analysing More Serious Nasal Problems. and then consult a medical practitioner
Also see the article "Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health".
Water runs out of your nose sometime after irrigating.
See Getting the Flow, with particular attention to Correct Angle of Head and Body.
See alsoDrying the Nasal Passages.
You get a nose bleed when doing neti.
See Nose Bleed queries.
See also Water and Salt Mixing, with particular attention to water temperature and salt ratio.
You get a headache or pain during or soon after neti.
See Headaches and Pains queries.
Your eyes sting or run during irrigation.
See Eye Problems queries.
Your ears pop or crackle when irrigating.
See Ear Problems queries.
Your ears pop or crackle when drying.
See Ear Problems queries and also Drying the Nasal Passages.
You get water down the back on the nasal passages into the mouth or throat.
See Getting the Flow with particular attention to Correct Angle of Head and Body.
You smell funny things after irrigating.
See Sense of Smell queries.
You sneeze during or soon after Jala Neti.
See Sneezing queries.
You do not feel cleaned out after one pot of water.
Do more pots until you do.
See Technique Problems queries and Frequency of Jala Neti Usage.
You do not feel cleaned out after several pots of water.
See Frequency of Jala Neti Usage and Analysing More Serious Nasal Problems.
See also the article on "Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health"
You feel more blocked up afterwards than before.
See Technique Problems queries, Drying the Nasal Passages.
Also see Analysing More Serious Nasal Problems.
Water runs over your face or body when first getting the flow.
See Getting the Flow, and also Correct Angle of Head and Body.
You are afraid to try it alone, or you mess up the first few times and feel like giving up completely.
See Fear and Reticence queries and also Getting Outside Help.
You get a cold or nasal infection soon after Jala Neti which you think it may have caused.
See Technique Problems, and also Drying the Nasal Passages.
You get water in the actual sinus cavities which irritates or causes increased sinus pressure.
See Technique Problems queries.
See Getting the Flow, with particular attention to Correct Angle of Head and Body.
See also Drying the Nasal Passages.
You get lightheaded, dizzy or a headache when drying the nose.
See Drying the Nasal Passages. with special attention to the sections EBP+D+A.
Your nose feels very dry afterwards.
Wipe a small amount of olive oil into the nostrils, but also address the larger issues of why you have a dry nose.
See also Miscellaneous and Nose Bleed queries.
See also the article "Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health".
Water and Salt Mixing

How to Make Normal Saline
First, lets get the science out of the way. The best (and we believe the only) solution to use for normal nasal irrigation
is what is called normal body saline or isotonic saline. In mathematical terms this is 0.8% - 0.9%. This is the same
salinity (saltiness) as normal human blood. This solution is experienced as neutral by the body and, in a normal
healthy person, it will pass through the nasal linings without any stinging at all. Those who experience stinging during
nasal irrigation (with properly made normal saline) have sick noses inside. It is not the salines fault but raw, exposed,
inflamed, infected, damaged or over-medicated, internal nasal linings which are hypersensitive to anything/everything
which goes in there. The stinging is indicative that your nose is far from normal. The are many different measurement
methods of mixing normal saline as shown in the table following. Pick the one which best fits the utensils you have in
your house. Please be aware that the finer the grains of the salt, obviously, the more that will fit into the teaspoon or
the measuring device you are using, therefore the saltier the mix will be. It is simply a matter of taste experimentation
to get your right mix according to the salt you have on hand. Once you know the "right" mix, according to smell and
comfort as it passes through your nose, you can forget about exact measuring each time and can just throw in the
right amount each time intuitively. ALWAYS TASTE AND SPIT FIRST to ensure you have mixed it right - before you
get an unpleasant surprise up your nose.
WATER QUANTITY
SALT QUANTITY
500 mls (half a litre)
1 x level teaspoon
500 mls (half a litre)
4.5g salt
2 cups (averaged size coffee cups)
1 x level teaspoon
17 fluid oz (USA)
0.2 oz salt
1 pint (600mls)
1 x heaped teaspoon
In the Health & Yoga Stainless Steel pot,

filled up to the waistline,
there is 450 mls of water.
Into this add:

One level (normal sized) teaspoon
Water Temperature
The best temperature water to run through the nose is obviously body temperature. That is (on average) 36.4 degrees
Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This can roughly be tested by initially using your finger or, more accurately, by
tasting and spitting the water you have mixed into your pot to check it is right by the tongue. Some people pour a bit
onto the back of the hand, like when making up a babys bottle.
However, experience has shown that water slightly hotter than blood temperature is just a little bit more effective in
dissolving thick stubborn mucus from within the nose. But, be careful you do not make it too hot or it will burn your
sensitive nasal linings. On the other hand water which is too cold will tend to close up the nasal passages and not
dissolve the mucus as well, thereby working against the idea of cleaning out and opening up. For those who have the
habit of doing Jala Neti in the shower, if you are happy about using shower water, this is a convenient way to just use
the water coming out of the spray which you would comfortably shower in.
Water Types
The issue of which type of water to use for nasal irrigation has been partly dealt with above in the section Water
Quality Queries. But I will elaborate here more fully. All the options one can use are listed in the following table. The
gradings of purity given therein can not be truly confirmed as all water supplies vary greatly. But, as rule of thumb, if
you are reasonably healthy, and if you can safely drink the water you have on hand, then you can safely do neti with it.
But, those with upper respiratory infections should be more careful than this general rule of thumb. A nasal infection
could be made worse through irrigation with impure water if the proper technique is not followed or water inadvertently
gets up into the sinus cavities or into the ear canals. So for people who know they are nursing a nasal infection, when
in doubt, err on the side of caution and use the purest water you can find.
SOURCE
Household Tap Water
(un-boiled)
Household Tap water

(boiled)
Bottled Water
VARIATIONS
From city mains supply
(usually chlorinated)
Tank - from roof rain water
Tank - from bore water
Tank - from well water
2-4
1-4
1-3
1-3
All of the above
4-5
Pharmaceutical Grade
Distilled
5 (Factory Sterile)
5 (Factory Sterile)
3-4
(Pure from the ground but not made sterile)
unknown
Shop-bought Spring Water

Overseas Countries
PROBABLE LEVEL OF PURITY,

STERILITY ON A SCALE OF 1 - 5
Urban or rural
Types of Salt
Pure salt is 100% Sodium Chloride (NaCl) but this is rarely the substance we call "salt" in real life. Salt can be made
from seawater or from underground rock salt. In addition to the pure NaCl, both sources have other trace minerals in
them in varying proportions and both sources may well have certain pollutants as well.
Raw salt from evaporated seawater is considered the best to use for nasal irrigation. That is all that is needed.
Whatever extra trace minerals may be in it, they are naturally occurring and are very unlikely to be harmful to the body
through irrigation. Of course the argument can be made that the oceans today are pretty polluted with things which
might affect the insides of our noses. If such an argument concerns you, you might like to seek out organically
harvested salt from the far perimeters of Antarctica or else buy pharmaceutical grade, laboratory certified, pure sodium
chloride from the chemist shop. Normally, sea salt will absorb moisture from the air around it so it will lump-up, even
when stored in a jar and, because its crystals are a bit bigger, it will take a bit more effort to dissolve.
Table salts are made from either sea water or rock salt and are then refined, taking out all of the other trace minerals.
But, then they have other things added back in. The addition of iodine to common table salt was commenced in the
USA in the 1920s as a reaction to a recorded rise in hyperthyroidism (goitre), caused by (suspected) low iodine levels.
Other anti-caking and free flowing agents are also added in to stop it lumping up in your salt shaker. On the packet,
these things are called "a free flowing agents", or "anti-caking agents", or may just be noted as "iodised salt". They can
be any number and mixture of the following: potassium ferro-cyanide, potassium iodide, potassium iodate, sodium
ferro-cyanide, sodium silicate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, calcium silicate, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, silicon dioxide, aluminium silicate, salts of myristic, palmitic or stearic acids. (USA, FDA, Codex
Standards 150-1985. Source: University of Virginia. http://indorgs.virginia.edu/iccidd/iodman/iodman6.htm)
But who needs these sorts of things their nose? These substances can have a metallic taste and smell and most
people do no enjoy it. So we say, just look for raw sea salt without any refining or any additives. Outside of good old
raw sea salt there are many trendy salts available today, so if you like paying 10 times the price for something more
ideologically sound, then go right ahead.
Type Term of Description
OK or NOT
Comment
Usually just raw sea salt, but
check for additives.
Available in course or fine.
Fine dissolves quicker.
Raw Sea Salt
yes
Cooking Salt }
Canning Salt }
Pickling Salt }
yes
Kosher Salt
yes
Celtic Salt
yes
Macrobiotic Salt
yes
Pharmaceutical Grade Salt
yes
Table Salt
maybe
Raw Rock Salt
no
May have varying quantities

of unknown trace minerals.
no
These all have additives,

colourings and flavourings
and are NOT to be used for
Jala Neti.
no
See Substances Other than

Salt
Vegetable Salt
Chicken Salt
Seasoned Salt
Citric Salt
Popcorn Salt
There are other products available for adding into a nasal cleansing
solution which claim certain improvements and enhancements over the
usage of plain salt, none of which have been scientifically evaluated or
stood the test of time. We do not recommend these nor sell them.

check for additives
100% certified NaCl (and
sterile)
Has many additives in it.
Avoid if possible.
Mixing the Solution

This procedure below is for novices to learn step by step. Once you have got into a regular habit of Jala Neti you will
just know how to do these steps and can modify things to suit yourself without any problems. This method below is
for those mixing straight into the pot, whereas big users might prefer to make up extra solution in a jug or bowl for
several wash-outs per session. The problem with the latter system is that the water will go colder over time. We
recommend just making one pot at a time and then repeating if needed.
1. Always mix the water first to the right temperature in the pot, then add the salt. This is for several reasons. All types
of pots will suck out a bit of the heat of the water as you irrigate, so mixing the water a bit hotter than you eventually
want it, and pouring it into the pot first, will allow the temperature to stabilise before you start, so that the last a pot
does not become too cold. It also means that you wont need to put in more hot or cold water to adjust it after putting in
the salt, thereby messing up the salt proportion.
2. Taste test the water temperature before proceeding. Adjust if too hot or cold. Remember, body temperature is best
but a little bit hotter is better if it can be tolerated.
3. Next, put in the required amount of salt. Mix it very well. Remember, larger salt crystals require slightly more in
volume than finer crystals and they need a very good stir to dissolve fully.
4. Always taste test and spit the mixture before using it, checking for correct saltiness and temperature. You will get to
remember what is correct after a few days. Adjust the saltiness if needed but be careful not to over-heat or cool down
the water if you do have to water it down. Taste test again to confirm the correct temperature and salinity.
5. Before proceeding, tip a little bit of the mixed water out of the spout. This is because the water in the spout may not
be fully salted, even after a good stirring, and it will sting your nose for the first few seconds if it is too fresh.
6. You are now ready to irrigate. Go on to Getting the Flow - Stage 1 as below.
Getting the Flow Stage 1

This procedure below is for novices to learn step by step. Once you have got into a regular habit of Jala Neti you will
just know how to do these steps and can modify things to suit yourself without any problems. This method below is
for those who have never done it before; or those having problems getting the angles right to prevent water getting into
the wrong places; or for those with known internal blockages who find the water flows badly. If you cant read and
perform Jala Neti at the same time (and nobody can); or if you cant read the whole lot and remember every instruction
whilst you do it (and very few could); then have someone read these instructions to you while you do it the first few
times. Important general points to remember are the following:
* Do each step, one at a time, and pause between each step to consider what you will be doing next.
* Dont panic Dont rush it. Panic and rushing are the major causes of first time disasters.
Correct Angle of Head and Body
This is the most important aspect of Jala Neti. It is the thing which gives most of the people, most of their problems,
most of the time. There is one simple reason for all the troubles people have getting the angle right and of getting an
effortless flow through, and that is because they do not go to a teacher who is able to guide them on their very first
attempt and who would show them - hands on - how to get into the correct position straight away and to subsequently
find the correct position at home each time they do it unassisted. Most people have learned Jala Neti self taught,
which means they figured it out by trial and error. We get innumerable troubleshooting emails about correct head
position - not because we send bad instructions with our H&Y pots but because (a) people don't always follow
instructions and (b) because there are a lot of very wrong instructions and demonstration pictures on the web at
present. So here we go, trying to correct these bad methodologies.
The photos below were all found on the internet promoting "How to do Jala Neti, or Saline Nasal Irrigation". I have
divided these 38 pictures into 3 categories: Wrong, Half Right, and Right. This correlates with the 3 types of people out
there promoting and performing neti in various ways.
Wrong: Some of these pictures are simply nice looking publicity promotions for the pot. Some are designed to show
"how easy and pleasant" it can (might) be. There is no water in the pots, the body and head angles are too impossible
to work and the model and photographer have no idea that they are even misleading people with their picture. All such
photos are to be ignored completely. If you see them around, please help stamp them out (as I do) by writing to the
hosting company and informing them of the disservice they are doing to new neti users.
Half Wrong: These are photos by well meaning people who may well have achieved successful irrigation in such
positions straight off or after many teething problems. However, they do not realise that not everyone will have such an
easy time as they might have had or that there is actually an easier way to "get it". We have found, for many beginners
and those who have serious nasal problems, that these "stand-and-tilt-the-head" angles do not achieve an easy flow
through. They often cause water to run into the sinus cavities, and/or into the ear canals, and/or down the back of the
nasal passages, and/or give many people massive drying problems and after-headaches from water blockages. For
some users, such positions may be useful once you have two fully clear nostrils and have figured out the subtle
internal angles of water flow after much practice, but for beginners they are not recommended.
Right: These photos show the most preferred method for all beginners to get the easiest flow through, particularly
those with blocked noses and structural problems.
It must be mentioned again and again that the idea of Stage 1 Jala Neti is not to get water down the back of the nasal
passages and into the mouth or throat. Besides being considered very yucky by most people (initially), it is potentially
dangerous in so far as it can easily spread a nasal or ear infection into the throat. Whereas some people in the Wrong
or Half Wrong categories say - "Oh it doesn't matter", we say that it does matter, and both commonsense and
professional medical opinion indicates this to be so. See Rationale for Stage 2 Jala Neti.
WRONG
Do NOT imitate any picture in this
column for nasal irrigation
technique.
The world's worst staged photo of

someone NOT DOING Jala Neti,
and with the worst possible head
angle. Note the pointed little finger.
Pretty well equal first for worst Jala

Neti picture in the world. Is he trying
to drink it or what? Never have your
head placed like this.
A staged shot, where the pot is

higher than the throat and there's
not any body bend forwards. This
would be a good way to get water
down the throat, even if it could flow
out of the pot at that angle - which it
can't.
A great way to get water and snot all

over your face, shirt and down your
throat, all of which Les says "can
happen". Yes, like this it certainly
will! (Notice, he has no shirt on).
HALF RIGHT
Clear-nosed, accomplished users may find
they get no problems from similar positions as
shown below. But, beginners should not try
these angles. TO avoid water flowing
backwards, follow the pictures in the RIGHT
column.
RIGHT
These are the very best, and easiest
ways for beginners to get an effortless
flow with least chance of water going
down the throat.
The author demonstrating the ideal

position for any beginner and blocked
person alike. Note that the body is bent
The first ever picture I've seen of "sitting Jala
forwards to about 90 degrees with
Neti". The head is rolled to good position but
a bit more forward bend would be achieved if forehead about level with the throat. The
not sitting. That's a big bucket. Is she going to torso is twisted half around. The ears are
about level, . Water can only flow
fill it from doing neti?
downwards and outwards in this position.
A reasonable position for an accomplished

user, but the forehead should be down a bit
more, closer to level with the chin, with the
torso and head rolled a bit more around.
A good position for an accomplished user but

the forehead should be down a bit more,
closer to level with the chin, and the head
rolled a bit more around.

user but the forehead should be down more,
This shows the ideal body and head

position.
A bit hard to see clearly but the body is

bent well forwards. The forehead should
be a bit lower because he is looking up
at the camera for effect, rather than for
best flow through.
A good body bend forwards, but the

forehead is slightly higher than the chin.
A staged shot in a position likely to

flood any blocked up beginner's
throat.
This "standing-and-head-tilt" method

is hopeless for most people. The pot
is higher than the throat, the
forehead is higher than the chin, all
inviting water to go anywhere inside
the head and throat.
No water could possibly run UP and

out of this pot into the model's nose.
This is possibly a shot BEFORE she
bends over, but, unfortunately such
pictures give people roaming the
internet an incorrect impression that
this is the correct angle for nasal
irrigation. It is far from it.
This guy's wet shirt says it all (no

doubt from a previous effort before
he got it right for the camera). Did it
come out his ear? No. It ran down
the side of his face and down his
neck, as such a body position will
inevitably do.

Pretty close to ideal body angles. But

gee, the pot is so tiny.

user but the forehead should be down a bit
more, closer to level with the chin, and the
body bent forwards a bit more.
A good position for easy, safe

performance.

Perfect position, perfect flow through,

concentrating on what he is doing rather
than trying to be photogenic. A real yogi.

could be rolled a bit more around.
A good position for easy flow through,

although the forehead could be a little bit
lower.
A nice rubbery neck bend, but no

good for Jala Neti flow through if
done standing up - as probably
shown. But why did they draw the
pot and face, but not the snotty
water?
A barely workable position for an

accomplished user since there should be
much more body bend and head roll. Also,
the forehead should be much lower down,
closer to level with the chin. She looks pretty
worried. I would be too with that head position.
A slightly ambiguous picture but the

angles are generally OK.
A generally good body and head position

although the chin could be a bit closer to
the chest and the head rolled a little
more around, plus the crouching would
be hard for many people.
Nice smile for the camera but not

doing neti nicely at all. Another
staged shot trying to show how nice
and easy it can be. This is a great
position to wash your face with
warm salty water and for pouring
400 mls of it straight down your
throat and into your stomach or
lungs. Not a position to try.
These positions are frequently used by
accomplished users, and water will flow if
there are no internal blockages. But for
beginners or those with a very blocked up
nose, these "standing and head tilt" angles
are inviting water to flow into the sinuses and
down the throat.
One of the funniest shots I've seen.

A really bad head angle (not to
mention the shirt). The (glass!) pot is
way too high above the throat. And
what is he using in the pot? Pink
champagne? No wonder he's
smiling!

user although the forehead should be much
lower down, closer to level with the chin.
More forward bend and head roll would
achieve this.
A good body angle and head angle. No

chance of water going down the throat.
Not a good position as the forehead

is too high and head is not rolled
round enough. Crouching would be
hard for many people too. Bending
and twisting the body is better.
This could be a "stand and tilt method", or

there could be some forward body bend. Hard
to tell. Either way the forehead should be
much lower down, closer to level with the
chin. The pot is obviously higher than the
Reasonable body angle but the head
throat, inviting water to travel backwards.This
could be rolled a bit more around. It must
might be a barely workable position for an
be tiring holding the bucket and in
accomplished user.
kneeling with tight jeans on though!
Instructions
1. Bend forwards to about 90 degrees at the waist, pointing the tip of your nose and the forehead at the floor (or into
the basin). The forehead should be about level with the chin. Note: This may seem an extreme bending position to
some people who have achieved a flow through without bending so far, and in the future is not necessary to bend this
far forwards for experienced users. But, we have found it is the very best methodology for teaching rank beginners and
to avoid all the usual problems in those who dont bend forward enough.
2. From this point onwards until the very end breathe only through the mouth. It is a soft, slow, gentle, mouth breath.
Dont panic and dont worry that you will drown!
3. Bring the nose cone of the pot up to one nostril (lets say the right one for this explanation). Give the pot a little twist
and push to gently seat the nose cone into the nostril and to seal it well, so that the water cannot leak out of the
ingoing nostril during irrigation. Leaking is a very common problem for beginners such that most of the water does not
actually go through the nose, and they then get a less efficient cleanse. The whole pot should be level at this point, so
nothing can flow out of it either from the spout or over the rim. From this point onwards do not talk, laugh, cough, sniff,
or clown around in any way.
4. Align the spout of the pot along the line of the nose passage, not pointing inwards towards the opposite side of the
nose and not pointing downwards at the floor. Imagine that the spout is a continuation of your nostril channel. This will
prevent the outlet hole of the nose cone being blocked against the flesh on the inside of the nose or of scratching the
flesh inside. The water in the pot should be level at this time. Remember to keep gently breathing through your mouth
all the while.
5. Next, slowly roll your head to the right, degree by degree, at the same time gradually lifting your right elbow
upwards so that the body of the pot becomes slightly higher than your nose; and so that the body of the pot becomes
slightly higher than the tip of the pot; and so that the outgoing nostril becomes the lowest point of the head. Do not tilt
the pot so much that the pot leaks water over the rim. You can look with your eyes right to see the water just at the rim
of the pot. In this position the pot and the head should all be positioned to allow gravity to send the water into your
frontal nasal passages. It is at this point that some people tense up in the face and this can tend to block the flow. So
keep reminding yourself to relax in the mind and in the facial muscles. Note: During this stage of the technique, if the
angle of the head is wrong; or if one side of the nasal passages is more blocked than the other; or if the sinuses are
particularly blocked; or if one ear canal is very blocked through say a cold; or if one accidentally breathes through the
nose (or talks) whilst water is flowing; then the water flow can be diverted upwards and backwards into the ear canals
and/or the actual sinus cavities. Like a mini dam effect, if the gravity flowing water cant go down and get out, then it
will backup and go upwards! This is not desired and is to be avoided however possible. So having the outgoing nostril
lower than all other parts of nasal system is imperative.
6. After a few seconds (if you have the angles of head and pot correct) you should feel the water running around inside
the nasal passages. If your inner passages are blocked, you might feel it stop flowing inside but, if not, it should start
to trickle out of the other nostril. At this point: Keep mouth breathing; dont sniff or talk; and resist any tendency to back
out at this point, because you have just succeeded in the first, most important step of Jala Neti.
7a - IF THE WATER STARTS TO FLOW ..........
.......... carefully try to fine tune and adjust the angle of the pot and your head to increase the rate of the flow. Try
slightly changing the alignment of the spout along the nostril passage. Try pulling upwards on the nose cone a little to
broaden the nostril entrance. Slowly try tilting your head up a little, down a little, round a little. After about 15 - 20
seconds of water flow (about half a potful of water), turn your head back to the centre position, remove the nossle from
your nose, and gently blow out of both nostrils into the sink to clear the mucus and water from the nose. Do not blow
hard or you can send water up into the sinuses and the ear canals. Next, you will repeat the same process on the left
side, but do not stand up yet. Go on to Step 8.
7b - IF THE WATER DOESNT START TO FLOW ..........
.......... try slightly changing the alignment of the spout along the nostril passage. Try pulling upwards on the nose cone
a little to broaden the nostril entrance. Try tilting your head up a little, down a little, round a little. If the water only drips
out the other side, thats OK, just stay there, dont move, keep breathing through the mouth, waiting for the warm water
to help dissolve the blocking mucus. Even if it only starts with a drip, the water flow should gradually increase. Even if
there is no drip at all, just stay there. After about 15 - 20 seconds, turn your head back to the centre position, remove
the pot and gently blow out of both nostrils into the sink to clear the mucus and water from the nose. Do not blow hard
or you can send water up into the sinuses and the ear canals. Next, you will repeat the same process on the left side,
but do not stand up yet. Go on to Step 8.
8. Change hands with the pot. For either a good flow, weak flow or no flow, repeat the method you just did from Step 3
onwards, but now from the left side.
(a) If the flow is good, stay irrigating on that side until the pot runs to empty, then go on to Step 9.
(b) If the water flow is only a drip, or not flowing at all as in Step 7b, just spend 15 - 20 seconds on that side waiting,
waiting, waiting, until a drip-through slowly happens, or else just hang there with no flow for 15 - 20 seconds. Then
come back to the centre and then gently blow outwards from both nostrils. To help clear the blocked mucus, you use
this method of alternating sides, filling-waiting-centering-gently blowing out-changing sides; filling-waiting-centeringgently blowing out-changing sides; as many times as it takes, until there is the start of a flow through and you can use
half of the water left in the pot each way. Gradually the mucus will dissolve and allow the water to flow. Do not at any
stage blow the nose to help clear the blockage. All you will achieve is to blow water deeper into the passages and
make things worse. When the pot is empty, proceed to Step 9. If absolutely no water will flow at all in several minutes
of the fill-wait-and-blow-method, then you have big problems! Proceed to Step 12.
9. When the pot is empty, bring your head back to the centre position, remove the nossle from your nose, and gently
blow out of both nostrils into the sink to clear the mucus and water from the nose. Do not blow hard or you can send
water up into the sinuses and the ear canals. Now you are ready to check the efficiency of the cleansing by checking
the clarity of the nasal passages. Go on to Step 10.
10. Once the first pot has been emptied, this does not necessarily mean your nasal passages will be clear. You must
now assess just how clear. Stand up and take a few gentle breaths in the mouth and out the nose. Some water
droplets may be blown out, so you can use a tissue in front of the nose to catch moisture but do not blow your nose
into the tissue with any force. If you sense that the nose is pretty clear of mucus and that there is only water left in
there, then proceed to "Drying The Nasal Passages", as below. If you sense there is still a lot of mucus left in there, a
second or even third pot should be done to continue the cleansing. You will be amazed at how subsequent pots will
clean out even deeper than the first one, especially if you are in the midst of a cold or an infection. So, at this point,
mix up another batch of water and salt in the pot and repeat Steps 3 - 9 again, all the while being careful not to sniff
backwards between pots or this can put water up into the back of the nose, which will complicate the drying procedure
later on.
11. After repeating more pots, and when you are satisfied with your nostril clarity, proceed on to Drying the Nasal
Passages as below.
12. For those who have no luck getting any flow at all, in either direction, no matter what they try, no matter how long
they fill-wait and blow, there is either so much stubborn mucus in there that they should forget about it for this session
and try again another time, or else they have a major internal blockage. If, after several sessions with no luck, they
should definitely seek professional medical assessment of their nasal functions. See Analysing More Serious Nasal
Difficulties.
Drying the Nasal Passages

Drying the nasal passages is a very important part of nasal cleansing and, from the number of troubleshooting queries
we get, many people either completely skip this procedure or do it only partially. Not drying the nasal passages
properly can give you the symptoms of a runny nose for a few hours, or even the symptoms of a cold for a day or two.
It may also spread an already present nasal infection deeper into the sinuses and/or throat. So the importance of
drying properly cannot be understated.
When drying the nasal passages, many people believe that lots of hard blowing into a tissue will better dry their
system, but it won't. If you blow too hard, or even if you blow gently with a tissue over the nose and the air flow of the
nostrils becomes restricted, small droplets of water which are still in the nose or around the nasal cavities may be
blown backwards and up into the eustachian tubes (ear canals) or into the sinus cavities themselves - which is not
desired.
"Blowing" the nose is actually the wrong term and wrong methodology to use for drying the nasal passages. Note that
we say "Drying The Nasal Passages", and not "Drying the Nose". This is because it is not just the nose you are trying
to dry, but all the internal nasal passages. Drying the nasal passages after either Stage 1 or Stage 2 of Jala Neti
simply requires this gentle procedure as described following. There is only one exception to the drying rules, and that
is for those with elevated blood pressure, a tendency towards dizziness, or asthma - as noted EBP+D+A.
1. Hang the whole body forwards from the waist as far as possible with the head down, nose pointing at the floor. For
EBP+D+A, do not bend any further forward than head level with the heart, or as much as is comfortable.
2. Wait in that position for 20 - 30 seconds, gently breathing in the mouth and out the nose at least 10 times. Then
turn, twist, and tilt your head all ways left and right, up and down, point your nose towards your knees, all to help drain
the nasal passages whilst at the same time doing another 10 gentle breaths in the mouth and out the nose. This is to
assist the initial draining of the nose and sinuses. A few drops of water may run down. You can use a tissue to catch
them but do not blow the nose with any back-pressure at this point.
3. Then stand up and gently breathe in and out of both nostrils about 10 times, with a bit more emphasis on the
exhalation. Then, close off one nostril, and gently breathe in and out the open side about 10 times, again with a bit
more emphasis on the exhalation. Change nostrils and do 10 breaths on the other side. Finally, do 10 more breaths
through both open nostrils - always with more emphasis on the out-breath than the in-breath. For EBP+D+A, these
people should be careful that the required 60 breaths in a row are not too strong or fast. If you sense any
dizziness cease the breathing and rest. When recovered, return to breathing at a slower, more gentle rate.
4. If you performed all the irrigation steps carefully and got no water up into the sinus cavities or the ear canals, going
through this drying procedure once should have effectively removed any residual moisture in the nasal passages. Any
minor moisture deeper in the nose should dry out in the next few minutes because the body will evaporate it by its own
temperature.
5. However, if you got water into the deeper recesses of the nasal passages then the draining and breathing will need
to be done several times until it is fully clear and dried out of water. Even so, you may still find water will run down out
of the nose unexpectedly later on. This should be avoided by careful angling and positioning whilst irrigating and by
never blowing backwards or sniffing backwards during the water flow or during the drying procedure. If necessary,
repeat the whole drying process once or twice more gently.
Stage 2
Rationale
Ideally, Stage 2 of Jala Neti should be supervised and assisted by a teacher on your first few attempts, however many
people do manage to succeed unaided, so we have decided to assist them with Internet tuition and advice rather than
keeping the technique secret. But, before progressing on to Stage 2 of Jala Neti, two very important points must be
considered but the user.
(i) Firstly, the practitioner must be fully competent and comfortable with Stage 1. If you are still having troubles
learning Stage 1; or if your nasal passages are giving you trouble with getting a good flow and clearing out with Stage
1; then you are not ready or healthy enough to do Stage 2. You need to get Stage 1 working properly before you even
think of doing Stage 2.
(ii) The second pre-requisite before going on to Stage 2 is to be sure of the reason and the need for Stage 2. Stage 2
is not just something to do because Stage 1 does not seem to be working or because you expect extra miracle
benefits from some method reputed to be more powerful. It is more powerful but, like many things, high power can be
misused and get you into trouble. Also, the purposes and outcomes of Stage 2 must be considered against the risks of
spreading any existent nasal infection deeper into the upper respiratory tract.
Whereas the purpose of Stage 1 Jala Neti is to clear out the frontal nasal passages that is to flush the nasal cilia
(hairs); flush and drain the turbinates; and assist the draining of 8 sinus cavities accessible from the front of the skull;
the benefits of Stage 2 are to help flush and drain the post-nasal passages (which are at the back of the airways) and
to flush the adenoids, eustachian tube orifices, and the upper throat. What point is there in drawing dirt and mucus and
possible infections from the front through to the back? So the practitioner of Stage 2 must already have cleansed
properly from the front entrances, before cleansing via the back passages. Although Stage 2 is reputed as more
powerful, more effective than Stage 1, these terms, these benefits were not written for those with chronic nasal
complaints. Stage 2 is a more powerful, more effective way of physical and psychic airway purification for the more
advanced yogic practitioner. It does, however, have great benefits for those who seek purely physical remedies for
upper respiratory ailments such as post nasal drip, post-nasal drip, para-sinusitis, snoring, chronic catarrh, thyroid
imbalances, coughs and throat problems.
So the rules are these:
1. If you cant keep the water out of your throat and mouth with Stage 1, then you are not ready to do Stage 2.
2. If you have known or suspected structural nasal problems (cartilage, polyps or deviated septum) forget about
hoping Stage 2 will fix anything that Stage 1 cant because it wont. Go and get your nose properly diagnosed and
fixed, then return to Stage 1 only for some months post-surgery, and then you may be ready to proceed onto Stage 2.
See Analysing More Serious Nasal Difficulties.
3. Always do a potful (or two, if it takes that much to get the front clear) before doing your potful of Stage 2.
Method
1. First, at least one potful of water is done as per Stage 1 to clear out the frontal nasal passages, and then a second
potful is done in this more advanced way. It is not necessary to dry the nose fully between Stages 1 and 2. A few
gentle blows outwards into the sink is satisfactory before refilling the neti pot. Check to see if the nasal airflow is fully
clear before doing Stage 2, otherwise do another potful of Stage 1 before proceeding.
2. For Stage 2, insert the nose cone of the pot as for Stage 1, and assume the same body angle, head angle and pot
angle as for Stage 1. Turn your head and lift the pot exactly as for Stage 1, until water begins to flow out the opposite
nostril. Allow the water to flow through from nostril to nostril for a few seconds. Normal breathing is through the mouth.
3. Then, slowly and gently, sniff a long in-breath through your nose whilst the water is running through. It is best not to
sniff hard and fast as this might cause coughing or choking from too much water going into the mouth at once. Do not
do quick sharp snorts or you may send water up the ear tubes and sinuses. As you sniff, you will hear and feel a
bubbling sensation up inside your nasal passages and in the pot. Avoid coughing or stopping at this point as this will
interrupt the flow at the nostrils and will probably just make it harder to get the correct angle restored again. It will also
force water up into the sinuses and maybe down the throat. Although not dangerous, one should try not to swallow any
water when sniffing backwards. The sucked-through water should run into the cheek on the lower side of the mouth,
not anywhere near the throat where it might be swallowed. On the out-breath, gently spit out the water and mucus
from the lower side of the mouth.
4. You can continue sniffing and spitting on consecutive breaths, or have a break for a few breaths via the mouth whist
the water runs as for Stage 1. One or two slow sniffs will make half a pot disappear quite quickly!
5. After you think half a pot has gone, change sides and repeat the previous step until the water is all drained. Another
potful may be done to repeat Stage 2 if desired.
6. Extra care must be taken to dry the nose properly after Stage 2, as more water floods the nasal passages and may
cause irritation for some time if not completely dried out. Repeat the full drying process as many times as it takes. See
Drying the Nasal Passages.
Note 1: Some people find Stage 2 just works easily for them whilst others have varying amounts of trouble getting it.
Sniffing and spitting the water from nose to mouth is not a hard thing to do, it is just a little bit of nasal and tongue and
throat control. If your frontal nasal passages are open all the way, then there is no reason it cant be done. So long as
the position of the head and pot is correct for the nostril to nostril flow, as per Stage 1, then Stage 2 must work. Many
people are afraid to sniff water through their nose, as they either have a fear of swallowing mucus or water; of
couching or gagging; or of getting water in their lungs. This fear can only be overcome with practise, through trial and
error. Not even an instructor in the room beside you can work this out for you.
Note 2: Some people suggest closing off the passive nostril (the open one, the one without the nose cone) whilst
sniffing the water backwards. Whilst this may seem like a good way to get more water through more quickly, rather
than letting it bubble backwards, our belief is that the bubbling will give a better scrub out and loosen more mucus.
Also, it produces less water to spit out each time, thus reducing the gag reflex.
Frequency of Jala Neti Usage

There is some variance of opinion about the best frequency for Jala Neti in the yoga community as well as about
Saline Nasal Irrigation frequency (as they call it) in the medical fraternity. Of course there is not any perfect or "right"
answer, because each persons ailments and needs are unique and cannot be blanket prescribed. The very best
frequency would be one which is personally prescribed by either your an ENT physician or a yoga therapist who
knows your medical history; who knows your current health condition;and with whom you are in touch on a regular
basis. But for most people, particularly those who browse the Internet trying "this and that" health remedy, such clarity
is not feasible. I have therefore outlined a broad path of self-prescription for the most common situations which will
give you a basic yardstick to go by. Note: If you find the recommendations below do not fit your situation, or if you find
negative side effects, then you should consult a health practitioner who is fully knowledgeable about the technique.
The worst thing you can do is to ask someone who does not really understand it (or who has never practised it) for
advice.
* For basic general health maintenance:
in a fully healthy person, with no nasal pathology (that means diagnosed ailments or medical conditions).
ONCE PER DAY.
This is preventative cleansing. This is best done either first thing in the morning before eating, (in the shower is good if
you are a morning snotty person), or else in the evening (before dinner) when the nose will be the most dirty (if you are
an end-of-day snotty person).
* For even better general health maintenance:
in a fully healthy person, with no nasal pathology (that means diagnosed ailments or medical conditions).
TWICE PER DAY.
This is preventative cleansing and good for subtle body purification for yogis and meditators prior to daily sadhana
sessions. This is best done first thing in the morning (before eating), to clear out any night grogginess, and in the
evening (before dinner) when the nose will be the most dirty.
* For those who work and/or live in dirty, dusty or germ-laden environments:
TWICE PER DAY.
This is preventative cleansing. This is best done first thing in the morning (before eating), to clear out any night mucus
from allergy or stored dirt, and in the evening (before dinner) when the nose will be the most dirty.
* For those vulnerable to, yet not actually in the grip of, acute upper respiratory conditions:
such as hayfever, allergies, colds, flu, sinusitis.
ONCE or TWICE PER DAY.
This is preventative cleansing. This is best done first thing in the morning (before eating), to clear out any night mucus
from allergy or stored dirt, and in the evening (before dinner) when the nose will be the most dirty.
* For those with a history of nose bleeding:
or those who find Jala Neti gives them occasional or rare nose bleeds:
NO MORE THAN ONCE EVERY 2 DAYS.
If nose bleeding events are still recurring, cease the practice and search more deeply for the causes of your
hypersensitive nasal linings. See also Nose Bleeding Queries.
* In times of intermittent, acute upper respiratory conditions:
such as hayfever, allergies, colds, flu, sinusitis.
ONCE OR TWICE A DAY, as desired for general health maintenance and prevention of such conditions,
THEN 3 4 TIMES A DAY, during the period of infection and symptoms,
UNTIL SYMPTOMS SUBSIDE BUT ONLY UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 2 WEEKS RUNNING,
THEN CUT BACK TO ONCE OR TWICE DAILY.
This is acute symptom management. This may seem like a lot of nasal irrigation but it is quite safe and can be very
effective at "knocking the respiratory condition on the head" and shortening the lifespan of the invader within your
system. However, when doing this much irrigation extreme care must be taken; (i) not to spread the infection through
poor procedure (ie getting water up the back of the nose when not intended, see Getting the Flow); and (ii) to dry your
nose very well after every session or else the infection can be spread and runny nose symptoms and a feeling of being
permanently waterlogged can prolong the discomfort (see Drying the Nasal Passages). The 4 best times for irrigation
in any day are: (i) first thing in the morning (before eating), (ii) mid morning (before lunch), (iii) evening (before dinner),
(iv) late evening (before bed).
* For those with diagnosed chronic upper respiratory conditions:
such as hayfever, allergies, blocked nostrils, headaches, sore throats, snoring, tonsillitis, sleep apnoea, colds, flu,
rhinitis, sinusitis:
3 4 TIMES A DAY EVERY DAY during times of intense infection,
BUT ONLY UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 2 WEEKS,
THEN CUT BACK TO ONCE OR TWICE DAILY FOR A WEEK. Then see "Note" below.
This is acute symptom management AND preventative cleansing. However, when doing this much irrigation extreme
care must be taken; (i) not to spread the infection through poor procedure (ie getting water up the back of the nose
when not intended, see Getting the Flow); and (ii) to dry your nose very well after every session or else the infection
can be spread and runny nose symptoms and a feeling of being permanently waterlogged can prolong the discomfort
(see Drying the Nasal Passages). The 4 best times for irrigation in any day are: (i) first thing in the morning (before
eating), (ii) mid morning (before lunch), (iii) evening (before dinner), (iv) late evening (before bed). Note: If all this nasal
irrigation fails to lessen the symptoms of such conditions within a month, then you have such serious nasal disease
that no amount of saline nasal irrigation is ever going to help and there are causes within your body and/or your life
which are far more important issues to address in managing your condition which have not been looked into. One
should not just continue through life habitually flushing the nose 3 - 4 days every day to stop nasal discomfort. A
proper solution must be found. At this point you should cease all practise of Jala Neti to begin a voyage of looking at
the patterns of health in the whole of your body and lifestyle, beginning with a major assessment of your whole nasal
pathology by any number of ENT experts and trying other health practitioners such as a dietician, an allergy tester, a
yoga therapist, an exercise and breathing advisor, a life coach, a stress management consultant, a marriage guidance
counselor, a hypnotist, a past life regression therapist, an astrologer, an exorcist, witch doctor, try trepanning,
anyone ..... anything . who can help you get to the bottom of your ills and ailments! Good luck!
Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions

It has been mentioned in many places in this FAQ how the blockage of water flow that many people report when first
leaning Jala Neti might be due to: incorrect technique; a temporary mucus blockage; a chronic mucus blockage; nasal
cartilage; polyps; or a deviated septum. Whilst some people may already know or have suspected the cause of their
blockages based on a doctors previous examination, many others probably dont know why such blockages to the
water flow might be happening. But all are hoping that some saline nasal irrigation water will fix their nasal problems.
For some it will, for some it might, but for some it wont, it just cant. For those who seem to get no water, or very little
water, or a very imbalanced flow of water through the nostrils, the way to diagnose just how serious your condition are
the following trials.
1. Have a long hot shower to help loosen the mucus in your head and nose at a time of the day when your nostrils are
at what you might call their best time of the day. Blow the nose vigorously in the shower, getting it as clear as you
possibly can. Then dry your nose as much as possible. Wait 10 15 minutes in a warm dry place doing gentle but
deep nostril breathing to help fully dry any remnant shower water from the nose and to let the nose's blood pressure
stabilise after all that blowing.
2. Attempt Jala Neti Stage 1, with full attention to all the details of the procedure. See Water and Salt Mixing and
Getting the Flow.
3. Carefully follow the methodology for blocked nostrils in Step 7b as above: fill-wait-blow out-change sides: the fillwait-blow out-change sides; until flow-through can be induced. Try 1, 2 or even 3 pots before giving up.
4. When successful, either partially, completely or not at all, finish with Drying the Nasal Passages very well.
5. Note down on paper the relative openness of water flow you encountered during the technique as well as the
relative openness of air flow after you had dried the nostrils and waited 10 - 15 minutes for the nose to have
completely dried out. Use a system like:
Saturday 15th: Water: Left 60%, Right 10% Air: Left 70%, Right 20%.
6. Repeat the practice and the notations in this way 3 - 4 times a day for 2 weeks maximum (a shower prior to all
irrigations is unnecessary but one neti time each day should be after a good hot shower), all the while noting the
patterns (if any) of water flow, water imbalance, air flow and air imbalance. Always note down any colds, flu, allergies,
you get along the way. This is called science!
7. After about 2 weeks, but no longer, cease the experiment. You can then look back and make an accurate judgment
of your nasal situation. From your notes you will be able to see if there is a permanent, unchanging, structural nasal
blockage or imbalance, in which case it is off to the doctors for a proper examination and some surgery. But if the
pattern alternates, (such that each nostril does have 100% capacity from time to time), or they both seem to be getting
better over time, then you only have a condition which is mucus-fuelled and a longer application of Jala Neti will
continue to be helpful. As well, the root causes of your recurrent mucus condition will need to be addressed for a long
term solution. See Lifestyle Issues Affecting Upper Respiratory Health and Mucus in the Body.
8. The reason I say Go to the doctor for some surgery if there are permanent structural blockages", is that medical
ENT expertise really is the only way you will ever get the nasal passages back to proper functioning. I know, I know, it
might seem like an expense, with maybe some pain and inconvenience afterwards. But many people can vouch that
the results of competent nasal surgery will greatly enhance your breathing capacity and, I predict, many other areas of
your life will improve as well.
Along these lines I would like to share with you a true story.
A new student in one of my yoga classes had been working away at the back of the room for several weeks. During
the pranayamas (the breathing techniques), she had obviously been battling with a blocked nose. I left her unattended
for a few weeks to see if it would pass, but it didnt. So, after class one week, I inquired what the problem was. She
told me that she had one permanently blocked nostril due to an injury during childhood. Her nose was noticeably bent
from what appeared to be a deviated septum (nose bone). She then went on to tell me of her many ailments and why
she had taken up yoga. She listed asthma, hayfever and sinusitis as the main discomforts she wanted to overcome,
and also said that she also wanted to give up her 3 addictions to smoking, coffee and chocolate. She knew very well
that she had to relax more because she had trouble sleeping without pills. Finally she confided that her biggest worry
was that she and her husband really wanted to have a baby but that they had been unable to conceive due to her
own, unexplainable, infertility. They were so desperate that they were considering going on the IVF programme. (This
was way back in 1983 when IVF was a real hit and miss affair.)
This woman was very skinny, very nervous, very talkative before and after class, and often rushed in late and hassled.
She was what some people would call a nervous wreck, but what I call a classic left nostril case. By her own
admission, her life was propped up by the whole range of artificial stimulants and sedatives coffee, chocolate,
cigarettes, and stress. It is a well known syndrome amongst yogis that the predominantly left nostril personality runs
on nervous energy, on the mental or lunar force, without there being any real gutsy solar life force. They are often in
their heads, and not very grounded. I asked her which nostril was blocked. Sure enough, it was the right one. I
explained to her, from yogas point of view, the importance of balanced nose breathing, and how many of her
problems could be symptomatic of an imbalance in her breathing and pranic systems. I suggested she have her nose
checked out by a specialist and that it could be very beneficial to actually have it straightened to allow full nose
breathing. She made a few whimpering comments about the cost, the possible pain, the time off work, etc, etc, so I
really didnt think she would go and do it, as I had advised many a student over the years to do this and none (to my
knowledge) had ever done so.
Well, she didnt return to yoga class the next week and I thought Oh well. I just scared off another student by telling
them to go and get their nose broken, and rejoined!
But some months later, she did return, with a tiny piece of sticking plaster over the bridge of her nose. I thought that
maybe she had fallen over or scratched her nose. I asked her what had happened, and she told me that her doctor
had also advised her to have an operation to properly restore her nasal function. She then went on to tell me that since
the operation, her whole life had turned around. She had put on substantial weight and was obviously more relaxed.
She had given up both cigarettes and coffee and greatly cut down on chocolate all acts she considered impossible
before. She was sleeping happily without pills, her appetite had increased, had not had any asthma attacks, hayfever
or sinusitis since. She said she felt happier, stronger and healthier than ever before, AND .... she had become
pregnant!!!
Now, Im not suggesting that nose straightening is a definite cure for female infertility !!!!! but all those problems (both
physical and psychological) could possibly have been factors in the inability of her reproductive system to create a less
stressful, more fertile environment in which to conceive. No doubt there was also an element of her mind that was
blocking many things changing in her life, and that the new balance of breathing and relaxation had helped her to see
things anew. So, from many perspectives, that small act of courage and wisdom to undergo surgery had changed her
life in so many ways.
So nowadays I urge anyone without 2 fully functioning nostrils to go and have the causes checked out and to seriously
consider having medical surgery to correct structural problems. It may only be a little thing, requiring minimal
cauterisation, or it may be something bigger. Either way, it has the potential to change your life. Of course some other
lifestyle modifications may need to be implemented post-surgery as well, but those too will be well worth the eventual
outcomes.
Nasal Anatomy
Nasal Passages Side View
Nasal Passages Front View
There are four sets of sinuses: maxillary, ethmoid, frontal and sphenoid sinuses.
M - Maxillary sinuses, O - Maxillary sinus ostium, E - Ethmoid sinuses, F - Frontal sinuses, SS - Sphenoid sinus, STSuperior turbinate, T - Middle turbinate, IT- Inferior turbinate, SM- Superior meatus, MM- Middle meatus, SR Sphenoethmoidal recess, S- Septum, ET - Eustachian tube orifice, A - Adenoids.
In the above side view graphics, the three

overlapping flaps of tissue, called turbinates
(inferior - IT, middle - T, and superior - ST) protect
the openings of the sinuses, and allow
humidification, filtration and warming of air. The
frontal (F) sinus is seen in this view, which is not
usually involved to any great extent in sinusitis.
The sphenoid sinus (SS) is also seen in this view,
and is sometimes involved in sinusitis. The
sphenoid sinus drains into the sphenoethmoidal
recess (SR).
In the above frontal view graphic, the maxillary

sinuses (M) drain through the maxillary sinus ostia
(O) into the middle meatus (MM). It should be
noted that in this graphic diagram, the opening at
O appears to be extremely large but is actually the
size of a pin head. The ethmoid sinuses (E) drain
into both the middle meatus as well as into the
superior meatus (SM). The middle meatus (MM) is
bounded by the middle turbinate (T) and the
inferior turbinate (IT). There is also a superior
turbinate (ST), but that is relatively unimportant.
The frontal sinuses (F) are occasionally important.
The septum (S) creates a barrier between the two
sides of the nose. If it is deviated to a great
enough extent, an obstruction can occur.
Nasal Passages CT Scan - Healthy
Nasal Passages CT Scan - Unhealthy
On both the CT scans above, bone appears white, air appears black, and soft tissue, fluid, or muscle are
varying shades of grey. When CT scans are evaluated for abnormalities, thickening of the lining of the
sinus cavities is noted. As you can see on the left, in a healthy sinus there is a very sharp distinct border
between the black air and the white bone. As you can see on the right, sinusitis and polyps are
manifested by greyish thickening of the lining of the sinus and large lumpy growths.
HEALTHY SCAN - LEFT SIDE
Legend: M - maxillary sinuses, O - maxillary sinus
ostium, E - ethmoid sinuses, IT- inferior turbinate,
MT- middle turbinate, S - septum,
F - Frontal Sinuses
As you can see above in the healthy scan, there
are numerous small passages interconnecting all
the sinuses and turbinates. The ethmoid sinuses,
are much smaller than the maxillary sinuses.The
mucus linings are clear and uninfected. The points
of drainage from the maxillary sinus into the nose
through part of the ostiomeatal unit (O) are clear.
There are no deformities except for a slight
deviation of the septum (S) to the left side, but in
this case it is unlikely that it is causing any
obstruction.
UHEALTHY SCAN - RIGHT SIDE

Legend: MT- middle turbinate, IT- inferior turbinate,
P - polyp or cyst, E - ethmoid sinuses,
O - maxillary sinus ostium, F - frontal sinus.
As compared to the healthy scan, this patient has
large polyps or cysts (P) on both sides, with
significant obstruction of the ostium. On the right
side, the ostium (O) cannot be clearly seen, but
you get the idea of where it's supposed to be. The
ethmoid sinuses (E) on the left side are completely
obstructed, being filled with either polyps, cysts or
thickening of the sinuses. Note the difference in
size between the middle turbinate (MT) on the right
and left side, and also the inferior turbinates (IT) on
each side.
Anatomy drawings courtesy of: W.S Tichenor. www.sinuses.com

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Jala Neti

Frequently Asked Questions

Copyright 2006, HealthAndYoga.com

Substances Other Than Salt........................

Burning and Stinging...................................

Blockages of Water Flow.............................

Blockages of Nasal Structure....................... 5

Fear and Reticence.....................................

How to Make Normal Saline..................................... 37

Getting Outside Help...................................

Elevated Blood Pressure.............................

Headaches and Pains.................................

Mixing the Solution................................................... 39

Getting the Flow.........................................

Drying the Nasal Passages..........................

Other Forms of Neti....................................

Stage 2 - Rationale & Metod........................

Neti Pot Issues..........................................

Frequency of Jala Neti Usage.......................

Analysing More Serious Nasal Conditions..... 49

Sinuses and Sinusitis..................................

Copyright 2006, HealthAndYoga.com

Burning and Stinging

Blockages of Water Flow

steadily out of my right nostril. Why might this be?

Blockages of Nasal Structure

Keep your mouth closed while breathing;

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Fear and Reticence

Getting Outside Help With The Technique

Elevated Blood Pressure

Headaches and Pains

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Other Forms of Neti Cleansing

Neti Pot Issues

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Q. Is it ok to wash your Neti Pot in the dishwasher?

Sinuses and Sinusitis

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Sneezing (Due to Jala Neti)

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Substances Other Than Salt in the Neti Water

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Types of Salt Queries

See also Analysing More Serious Nasal Problems.

Water and Salt Mixing

500 mls (half a litre)

500 mls (half a litre)

2 cups (averaged size coffee cups)

In the Health & Yoga Stainless Steel pot,

Into this add:

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Household Tap water

All of the above

Shop-bought Spring Water

PROBABLE LEVEL OF PURITY,