Do You Neti?

It was almost 70 here in beautiful Chicago yesterday, oh it was glorious!  After a long, cold and rainy winter there is nothing better than a warm spring day.  With all that great sunshine comes, of course, allergies!  So besides hitting the lemon, lavender and peppermint a few extra times my other go to is the neti pot.  I have been using a neti pot for probably seven years or so now and Maddox uses it as well.  I started him on it when he was around two I believe, and it has been great, especially when he has a snotty nose from a cold.  It really cleans him out.  It is totally disgusting...the things that come out of a snot nose boy...but well worth it.  I would rather the snot come out in the shower than all day and it be crusted up on his face.  Eww, I just can't handle crusty faced kids.

Neti pots have been around for centuries and they are used for nasal irrigation which is a fancier term for rinsing out your sinuses. Why use a neti pot?  By rinsing the sinus cavity you can help with environmental allergies, sinus issues, alleviate congestion, facial pain and pressure.  It is a very simple, yet effective process.  

Here is what you need:

Neti pot - you can get at most pharmacies now a days.  Of course mine came from Amazon.

1/4 t salt

8 oz warm distilled, sterile or previously boiled water (I keep a tea pot on the stove that always has water in it)

Optional : essential oils - my favorites are frankincense and eucalyptus

Make sure the water is body temperature and the salt is dissolved.  I also like to add 1-2 drops of frankincense and eucalyptus when I need a little extra umph.  It really helps open you up and breathe

much clearer.  Even Maddox does it with the oils, at first he said he didn't like it but after he realized that it helped he would ask for it that way.  When you are ready just tip your head to the side and pour it in one nostril and let it drain out the other side.  Switch sides halfway through and use up all the water.  If you are congested then blow your nose first otherwise the water will not come out.  Also, after you are done make sure you blow out any excess water in your nose.  This is most effective by holding one nostril closed and blowing, then switch.  I personally think this whole process works better in the shower, especially if you are helping a kid.  Over the sink, at our house anyway, just turns into a mess.  In the shower it is no biggie!  Remember, as with most things, consistency is key.  This is safe to do everyday and there have been times I have done it 2 times a day when I was really battling the sinus demons.

Here are some more technical instructions on how to use the neti pot.

http://yoga108.org/pages/show/106-how-to-use-a-neti-pot-without-danger

Here are a few neti pot pictures.

I used to have this red one but it had an untimely death.  It was my favorite but I could not find it again.  Sniff, sniff.

This one I got free for liking their FB page.  I  works fine.  I like that you can  close the lid and not spill.

This is the one I use most although you have to be careful not to spill.  Somehow I feel a little fancier with this one.

So there you go, a simple yet very effective way to naturally combat sinus and allergy problems this spring.

Be healthy, 

Jen