Neti Pot Solution
Now that you've made the decision to try nasal irrigation with a neti pot, it is important that you ensure that you use the correct neti pot solution.
Traditionally in jala neti ("jala" meaning "water" and "neti" meaning "nasal cleaning"), a saline solution is used.
To begin, take some purified water and add salt.
Bottled water usually works, or if you don't want to use bottled water you can boil some water in order to purify it (but be sure to let the water cool before you attempt irrigation with it!).
Sea salt is generally thought to be the best, but regardless of what kind you use, the salt needs to be non-iodized salt.
A lot of common kitchen table salt is iodized (iodine helps thyroid function, so iodized salt is good, just not in your neti pot solution) so if you're going to use table salt, make sure it is not iodized.
Once you have the water, you want to add about 1/4 teaspoon per 8 ounces of water.
This is roughly about 2.
5g of salt per 250ml of water.
It is important to add the correct amount of salt, as using too little may burn, and using too much may cause irritation.
If you don't have the right kind of salt, or if you don't feel like messing around with measuring everything out, some companies sell individual pre-measured packets of salt that you can use so all you have to do is tear them open and mix them into your water.
There's no measuring, and no worrying about ingredients this way.
You want to mix the solution up to ensure that the salt has completely dissolved.
If you're using a neti pot you can either mix the salt in the pot with a clean spoon, or you can mix it in another contain and then pour it into the pot.
If you're using a squeeze bottle-type neti system, you can put the water and the salt in the bottle and then put the lid on and shake the bottle in order to mix everything up.
It's important that the salt is fully dissolved before you begin irrigation.
Neti pot saline solution is the most common and the safest to use.
There are some other solutions that are sometimes used by more advanced practitioners, including milk and ghee (a form of butter).
You may read about these in various yoga or neti texts, but it's best not to try them.
You will know that your neti pot solution has been prepared correctly when you can irrigate without discomfort.
The salt in the water is at just the right concentration so that it feels natural to the body and passes through without irritation.
Traditionally in jala neti ("jala" meaning "water" and "neti" meaning "nasal cleaning"), a saline solution is used.
To begin, take some purified water and add salt.
Bottled water usually works, or if you don't want to use bottled water you can boil some water in order to purify it (but be sure to let the water cool before you attempt irrigation with it!).
Sea salt is generally thought to be the best, but regardless of what kind you use, the salt needs to be non-iodized salt.
A lot of common kitchen table salt is iodized (iodine helps thyroid function, so iodized salt is good, just not in your neti pot solution) so if you're going to use table salt, make sure it is not iodized.
Once you have the water, you want to add about 1/4 teaspoon per 8 ounces of water.
This is roughly about 2.
5g of salt per 250ml of water.
It is important to add the correct amount of salt, as using too little may burn, and using too much may cause irritation.
If you don't have the right kind of salt, or if you don't feel like messing around with measuring everything out, some companies sell individual pre-measured packets of salt that you can use so all you have to do is tear them open and mix them into your water.
There's no measuring, and no worrying about ingredients this way.
You want to mix the solution up to ensure that the salt has completely dissolved.
If you're using a neti pot you can either mix the salt in the pot with a clean spoon, or you can mix it in another contain and then pour it into the pot.
If you're using a squeeze bottle-type neti system, you can put the water and the salt in the bottle and then put the lid on and shake the bottle in order to mix everything up.
It's important that the salt is fully dissolved before you begin irrigation.
Neti pot saline solution is the most common and the safest to use.
There are some other solutions that are sometimes used by more advanced practitioners, including milk and ghee (a form of butter).
You may read about these in various yoga or neti texts, but it's best not to try them.
You will know that your neti pot solution has been prepared correctly when you can irrigate without discomfort.
The salt in the water is at just the right concentration so that it feels natural to the body and passes through without irritation.
