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| SCThornley: I think of the neti pot, some of the bhandas (locks), and some of the breathing, and gazing and all of the hatha that I do as a sort of cleaning or maintanance that needs to be done to cleanse myself of daily 'pollution' in all it's forms.
Does that sound too 'weird'? I think of the Neti Pot, rinsing with water, as a cleaning.
===> Yes, actually it is almost weird. No, that is not exactly the purpose of it. If you observe your nose with whatever instrument you have: if it is clogged, it will probably due to cold or inflammation. In this condition, the Neti MUST NOT be done. At other times, your nose will be relatively clean. And, that is how it should be in general, when you are not sick. In this case, NO cleaning is needed using Neti. Neti has some other purpose related to nervous system. And, it does not have to be done so regularly.
No pinching, etc should be necessary. Whether the water comes out of mouth or another nostril, does NOT make much difference, except in the skill level achieved.
Lastly, but MOST importantly, if you are NOT taking enough rest, then all these practices are totally useless, not only useless, but harmful.
Peace
Neel |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | I suppose I should re-phrase the "pinching" aspect of my nostril cleansing technique. I use the word pinch, but really it is more of a holding the nostril at the top with my forefinger and thumb. I personally like this method and it seems to work best for me. My husband taught it to me and it was taught to him by his parents. Personally I feel that the water draining down the throat is a skill that has to be mastered, sometimes never for some if not most people, as it takes lots of practice using pure elements such as water and sea salt if needed. My technique is definitely basic and good for a beginner to get acquainted with the practice of neti or not using neti, but by using your hands, which to me is more important than having a "tool" if you will. Also, by doing it this way and becoming familiar with it, I feel there is less chances of harming and upsetting the balance of your respiratory system. |
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| Now I feel good that my Cyndiben's nose is totally safe! |
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| I only rinse my nose out when it's dirty, or clogged--I mis-stated the daily part.
I'm completely unaware of any nervous system benefit of the cleansing duties (kriyas) or acts (shatkarmas) that I've learned over the years
I still don't do dhauti, I do an "air basti" (something I'm sure a lot of folks have learned you can do), neti, trataka, nauli, lauliki, and kapalabhati when needed
and nauli, lauliki, and kapalabhati daily
but please let me know about these nervous system benefits that I've missed
thank you |
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| I've never tried to use the bundhas while cleaning out my nose. But when cleaning your eyes try flexing your anus muscle in relation to the position of your eyes. So, if your eyes are pointed up contract the front anus muscles, and when the eyes are to the left contract the left anus muscle, and when the eyes are looking down contract the back a. muscle, and the same with the right side. Try this in a circle motion with the eyes and the anus muscle revolving simultaneously and then up, down, and side to side(like neck stretches.
You may feel your nervous system and your eyes have a very close link. Sometimes you can feel energy rise up your spine just by doing that. As you focus on the front anus muscle bring the energy up the front of your body. And do the same for the left, and right and rear.
To bring the energy down when you're finished rub your hands together until their hot and wash your face with the heat on down to the stomach, rest there with your hands around navel level. |
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