Overcoming Nasal Congestion And Allergies

[Xylitol]

taken from: http://khojee.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/defeating-nasal-congestion-and-allergies/

Without stability of the breath it’s nearly impossible to achieve stability of the mind. If you don’t believe me, try doing naam abhyaas while keeping your breathing shallow and uneven. Many are forced to deal with nasal congestion from myriad possible causes in this toxic world.

Along with the following suggestions, remember to keep up naam abhyaas. The increased energy that flows through the body will help open up clogged energy channels and also detoxify the body. As always, dass suggests to do nishkaam abhyaas (without worldly desires). All the above happens automatically. If you find it difficult to always jap naam, then jap naam internally, while having gareebi nitnem (track 34-36) constantly playing on your ipod. There is great khich from this uchaaran that I find helps alleviate my nasal congestion.

The following suggestions may help in decreasing or even curing your suffering:

1. Use pressure points to help flush the sinuses. Rub them in a circular motion 10 times, and then 10 times again after 10 minutes just to be sure the sinuses have flushed. Too much pressure is not needed, there should be no pain.

For more, see mind-energy.net

2. Exercise. It flushes lymph and gets the blood flowing.

3. Smile. Or envision an inner smile, as if your heart is smiling out. I find it helps energy flow.

4. Use the neti pot regularly, especially during allergy season or when you are exposed to irritants. I use it even on days when I feel that I don’t need it to keep the sinuses flushed out. . It really helps with congestion. If you make a habit of using this after being around people who are ill, you’ll get sick less often because you’ll flush out all the germs! I’ve heard using sea salt is better than table salts, we really don’t want extra chemicals up our nose. A more advanced method that you don’t need a neti pot for is to block one nostril, suck up the saline water with the other, and spit it out the mouth. It takes a few tries to get used to this, but it is the superior method. Otherwise, just tilt the head and pour the water down one nostril with the neti pot. Do some fast deep breathing to get rid of excess water from the nose afterwards. Use from 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per 8 oz. cup of warm water.

5. If it gets really bad, just sip a teaspoon or so of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar mixed in a glass of warm water.

6. Regular pranayam helps immensely. I don’t know which method is best, try different ones and feel free to let me know which worked best for you. There’s the breath of fire and kabalphati, and the 9 step bottled wind pranayam. Regular pranayam can actually cure the diseases and restore a person to full health, but it takes serious and regular practice. A work colleague of mothers was told she had only a few months to live. She began determined practice of pranayam and all of her illnesses reversed themselves. Now, at the age of 95, she moves with far greater energy than much younger women!

7. Homeopathic medicine also can cure it. Allergies can have different causes, some people get allergies due to an overload of toxins. It’s the liver’s job to detoxify the body, when it gets overloaded these toxins cause allergies. So naturopaths recommend a colon cleanse, followed by a liver cleanse may be able to reverse this. The colon cleanse needs to come first otherwise the liver will be continually detoxifying junk from the colon that should have been put out of the body! Triphala can be found in most Indian stores for the colon. Usana’s Hepa Plus is a great liver detoxifier. So are products containing milk thistle. I’ll leave it to you to research other ways to do this as I’m not aware of them all. Some do liver and gallbladder flushes, I haven’t tried that.

8. Some use over the counter allergy drugs during the allergy season to keep symptoms in check. They don’t solve the problem but at least they allow people to function. It’s important to cycle these every month or else they lose effectiveness.

9. There are vidhian (techniques) to resolve long term health ailments in Sharda Pooran Granth. You can download it from http://www.scribd.com/khojee-wordpress-com. Let me know if you need a translation.

10. There are all sorts of helpful supplements. Stinging Nettle helps some people, but only if you get a good name brand. Poor name brands are often worthless. Just keep researching as there will likely be new supplements popping up from time to time. Since no one is willing to pay for a scientific study on these, the best way to evaluate their effectiveness is to test them on someone you know or to look to a trusted source to see if they have tested them. Now brand and Jarrow Formulas are known to be generally decent quality brands. Pau d’Arco is also an effective supplement.

11. Eliminate or reduce all suger, milk, and grain products (more refined grains are worse). This will give huge relief and reduce resha (mucous).

12. Eat more fruits and veggies. I find bitter greens like bitter melon (karella) very helpful. When the body is in a more alkaline state, allergies have less of an effect on us, inflammation is reduced, and our overall health is much better. For sample diets see Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live.

13. Also, find out what you are allergic to. What time of day are those pollens most active? That’s the best time to stay inside.

14. For deeper information on this and other health issues, readBhagat ji’s Health pothi.

I have tried all of the above, and can affirm to you that they work. The only thing I haven’t done is use a viddhi from Sharda Pooran granth or from Mukt Marag granth as my allergies are not that bad anymore. However, from past experience, the viddhis do work and have cured dass’s severe insomnia.

Edited July 17, 2010 by Xylitol

[PAL 07]

thanks for your contribution and yes your right control of breath and control of mind are linked together...

i was once in the sangat of a great mahapursh and they said to me when both your nasals are open (breathing thru both nostrils)

that is when you can open the tenth door...

[Xylitol]

thanks for your contribution and yes your right control of breath and control of mind are linked together...

i was once in the sangat of a great mahapursh and they said to me when both your nasals are open (breathing thru both nostrils)

that is when you can open the tenth door...

HOW does one open both?

[chatanga1]

my one nostril always stays closed cos of inflammation. i use vicks inhaler every now and again, but is there something more long term that anyone can recommend?

Edited July 18, 2010 by chatanga1

[Drunken Master]

Im not sure but is it not normal to have one nostril blocked? Isn't that why yogis cover one nostril and breath in and out the other and then repeat the same for other nostril?

[dalsingh101]

my one nostril always stays closed cos of inflammation. i use vicks inhaler every now and again, but is there something more long term that anyone can recommend?

Are you sure you haven't got a deviant septum?

That is the little bone inbetween the nostrils. It can easily get knocked out of shape in a fight or accidental blow. Sometimes it is just bent naturally and needs straighting out.

Go to your GP and get referred to a ENT specialist at a hospital to get them to look at it. I had it before and had two ops over the years to straighten the bastaad out. It sorts it out - for a while at least.

[Mekhane'ch Jannat]

During the Junctions of the day i.e. sunrise and sunset the both nostrils are said to work equally, which is why these times are good for doing meditation. At other times one nostril is predominant over the other. Breathing is related to cycles of sun and moon breath is time.

[PAL 07]

BOTH MY NOSTRILLS ARE ALWAYS OPEN - DUNNO WHY BUT GOOD HEALTH AND A GOOD PULMONARY SYSTEM DOES HELP.

i find keeping warm and a good supply of fresh air does help also......in terms of spirituality if you wake up amritvela and after quite a while when you feel sleepy notice that both your nostrils will be open.