This is one of the difficulties sometimes experienced by the beginners. Need not worry.
I assume that the temperature of water and quantity of salt is as per the neti protocol. If water does not flow out of the outgoing nostril (after giving it about 10 seconds to do so), before concluding there is a nasal blockage, check the following:
- Check that the end of the nose cone of neti pot is not pushed against the inside of the nose thereby blocking water coming out of the pot. Align the spout in a straight line with the nostril passage, and don’t push it in too hard.
- Check that the neti pot is tilted enough for the water to flow down towards the nose
- Check that you are not sniffing the water backwards towards the throat
- Check that the water is not leaking out of the ingoing nostril
- Check that the water is not too cold as cold water contracts the nasal passages.
For some people, the water does not flow equally in both directions. This is not a problem so long as there is some water coming out. Most people have some minor nasal passage imbalance and it may take weeks for the two sides to flow equally. There is no need to try hard. In any case, never do an uneven quantity of water in just one direction. Do half a neti pot right to left, then half a pot left to right. Repeating this sequence is better than doing one whole in one direction, then taking a break to refill, and then changing sides to do a whole pot to other direction.
There may be a temporary mucus blockage which can be cleared after several attempts of neti. You can simply blow out mucus from both the nostrils and then try jala neti again. If still you are not able to successfully perform the jala neti from left nostril, then try next day but with the following instructions:
Before attempting neti, lie on your right side for 5 - 10 minutes. You will find that the left nostril becomes free flowing, enough to do neti from the left nostril. Attempt jala neti first from left nostril and then from right nostril. You should be feeling some difference now. If this works, that means that there is temporary obstruction which can go away after weeks of practice of neti subject to your proper diet. Alternatively, you can also do kapalbhati before attempting neti. See if this works.
If the above does not work, under qualified yoga therapist, you can attempt sutra-neti from both nostrils and then follow up with jalaneti. If this fails to clear blockages, a proper medical examination should be made of the nose, and the cause of structural blockage ascertained.
There may be a permanent blockage, may be due to nasal polyps, etc. Then you may need to consult a medical practitioner/ENT (ear, nose & throat) specialist for an examination to investigate the cause of the obstruction.
Note: You should take guidance from your physician if you suffer from high blood pressure, migraines, hayfever, allergies or asthma.
Feel free to write here for further clarification, if any required.
Please go through following You Tube Video on Jal Neti: https://youtu.be/bE10gI5vDrc
RELATED:
- Checklist for Beginners to Jala Neti
- Dos & Donts during Jala Neti
- Unlock the Secrets of Jala Neti - The Headache Free Technique
Recommendations:
Neti Pot - Generally, Copper Neti Pots are recommended. But now-a-days, good quality copper pots for neti are not available in the market, even at Amazon online market place - we could not find in the Amazon search for Copper Neti Pot. We tried with steel made neti pot too, and got disappointed with feedbacks thereof. The neti pots are better available at any of your local Yoga Institute like Morarji Desai Institution of Yoga at New Delhi, etc. The one we found that at amazon is cheap , can be easy to keep during travelling is small plastic neti pot at amazon. That works fine.
If you want to use to quality ceramic neti pot, that is available by Himalayan Institute at amazon, but yes it is expensive, even beyond the copper neti pot, but it is very customized to the nostrils and handling while doing neti. We have good experience of it as we have been using it for a long time. But again do not forget that it is ceramic one, it has to be handled with care and can be broken.
