This Could be a Great Party Trick! Ok, Maybe Not

I have had this annoying cold for about 5 days now. It's one of those nagging ones - it never peaked and then receded, it has just existed, hovering, in this state that is just enough to slow me down some and require NyQuil for decent sleep (but not bad enough to stay home). To top it off, it appears to be mingling with my allergies because the inside of my nose itches like all get-up.

So, in search of potential relief, before I went to teach last night's class, I stopped at the nearby health-food store in search of a neti pot. Now, I am the last person you would probably expect to be using a neti pot because I can't handle water up my nose. If I'm going to be swimming laps, I need a nose plug - even the smallest bit of water up my nose hurts. I can't stand it - it's one of the reasons I fear/dread vomiting - that it might project out my nose. The Agony!

Notwithstanding, I crossed the neti-pot line. Teaching yoga with a head full of stuff is not ideal (And tonight I am up for a challenge: teaching two classes back to back, taking over for a very popular teacher, and I am a new teacher to the studio). So, I grew a "sac" and went for it.

Eight ounces warm water and a quarter teaspoon non-iodized salt went into this pot:
I tilted my head, put the pointy-end into my right nostril and began pouring. Now, getting the flow correct is pretty key to this whole process - especially when you have a slighly blocked nasal passage because I initially poured too fast and some came out my mouth. The tilt is also important - incorrect tilting also leads to water out the mouth and down the pipe. I think when my nasal passages are clearer, it'll flow easier. But overall, it wasn't horrible. It was actually ok. And I think I feel an improvement - now, sure, it could be that it's just time passing and I am recovering on my own, but I woke up feeling better this morning and today I've been much clearer in my head. So I am going to conclude with a moderate degree of certainty that this nasal irrigation stuff has merit. I'm going to continue trying this out a couple times a week because if it can improve my ongoing allergy situation and I can take less Claritin, I'm all for it.


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