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Fear of the Neti Pot

Christina Souza Ma

Neti PotYears ago, I was informed about the “Neti Pot – The Nasal Cleansing Pot”, by my yoga instructor Margaret. She explained the process to me and told me how it was practiced by Yoginis as a form of cleansing and balance. This conversation took place on many occasions over the years, well before I had my child.

“Yuck”, I would respond, “Pouring water up my nostrils?” Since I had a fear of water, this scared me and I used every excuse I could think of so that I wouldn’t need to learn this practice.

All my life I have had a fear of water. When I was 13, I forced myself to learn how to swim, but only because I was scared of drowning. I have also had sinus and bronchial issues most of my life, as well as Sleep Apnea, so the thought of something blocking any part of my airway does not sit well with me. I couldn’t bear the thought of purposely pouring water up my nose no matter how good it was supposed to be for my health and well-being.

Well, my sinus and bronchial issues have been so severe these past few months that it has pushed me right to the edge of attempting to try the practice of the Neti Pot to see if I can find some relief. Since I am still nursing my child, I have diligently avoided antihistamines, cough syrups, etc – except, of course, for the homeopathic formulas which I mentioned briefly in a previous blog.

So I have finally taken the plunge (if you’ll pardon the pun!) and bought the Neti Pot! I’ve been very good at staring at it as it sits on my bathroom counter, and I am focusing on the day when I will make my first attempt at what I will always refer to as “pouring water up my nostrils.”

I will keep you posted on my journey of the Neti Pot.

Part I: Fear of the Neti Pot 
Part II: Overcoming the Fear of the Neti Pot
Part III: Advice on the Neti Pot
[tags] neti pot, water up nostrils, airways, sinus, bronchial, cleansing [/tags]

Author: Christina Souza Ma

Christina has lived many lives – from professional Cosmetologist, L’Oreal’s Technical Commercial Director of South East Asia, Hair and Make-up designer behind the camera, to Actor and Body worker. Many years ago, Christina had a vision to create an entity that would

2 Responses to “Fear of the Neti Pot”

  1. marcus says:

    Recently my doctor recommended Nasopure, a nasal irrigation system referred to as the modern neti. I have tried both the neti and Nasopure and have found Nasopure far superior. I dont have to bend and twist like the neti and Nasopure seems to give a much more effective flush because it uses self controlled pressure instead of gravity. The angled Nasopure bottle allows for you to stand straight up while using it. Also, the salt packets that come with the product is much cheaper and seems more effective than that of the neti. I use one salt packet for about a week in the shower with Nasopure while the neti uses atleast one packet per use. Their website http://www.nasopure.com is very informative too and compares different nose washes on the market.

  2. Tadasimha says:

    I’ve been using a Sinucleanse neti pot with the pre-mixed solution packets and it’s been excellent. The sensation of the water entering and leaving is actually quite pleasant. I have to use lukewarm water as cold or hot is not pleasant. The other “trick” is to breath through your mouth. That prevents the water from getting into your throat and causing coughing.

    I think once you try it, you’ll find it very comforting and easy to do.

    Good luck!

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