I remember it was in Nov/2014 when we were in the Sadhana Sintesis class, the "master" of kriya-yoga by Danilo Hernández (Bindu yoga school, Charmartín, Madrid).
All sitting in silence, waiting for him to tell us how to perform the first practice, the sadhana of Ajñá chakra, and then he said to us:
- "Before starting the sadhana you must do Jala Neti".
Although I knew the Jala Neti* technique (yogic nasal cleansing), I had not considered incorporating it into my daily practice (before the session, in the morning or afternoon), and since then I have not stopped doing it. Why do Jala Neti?
- Sharpens the senses, especially stimulates Ajña chakra and helps simultaneous breathing through both nostrils
- Cleans mucus, nose, eyes, and ears area and improves breathing, also prana intake
- Greater resistance to colds
- Has been practiced by generations of yogis
The procedure is very simple, it consists of pouring salted water through one nostril and expelling it through the other; for this, we will need a lota** (it is a kind of teapot, I recommend the plastic one although they are also sold in copper (it oxidizes) and ceramic (it breaks)).
1) Take the lota, fill it with warm water (approx. 250 ml) and add half a teaspoon of salt (or a little less if you notice it stings**).
2) Stand in front of the sink, hold the lota with your right hand and place it at the right nostril (no need to press). Tilt your head (not excessively) to the left (chin will go to the right) until the salted water starts to flow.
The salted water will start to flow towards the other nostril; we don’t have to do anything. During the exercise, breathe slowly through your mouth; just let the salted water come out.
3) When the water is finished, remove the lota and blow strongly through the nose 3-4 times to expel the remaining water and mucus (which is good because we are cleaning the area).
4) Repeat the procedure and go for the left nostril.
Keep in mind that to better dry the nose on the return through the left nostril, you can slightly tilt your hips forward and exhale keeping your hands behind your back.
It is also possible that some days there is so much mucus that it is not possible, or that you have to hold the posture waiting for the salted water to take effect.
At the end, dry the lota inside.
I hope this has been clear; I find it super interesting that you try it sometime, at least to test it, and hey, if it works for you, maybe not every day but a couple of times a week could be worth it.
Feel free to contact me to resolve your doubt.
Good luck and have a great week!
*It is one of the shatkarmas (body purifications) that appears in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (although it uses a different technique, sutra neti), which contains the main elements of the Hatha-Yoga system: asanas, pranayamas, bandhas, mudras, purifications...
**The typical ones from India are not Aladdin models ;-)
***Or on the first occasions we do it
