I’ve been reading a lot lately about how to get rid of a cold. Typical medical curiosity, I guess — the kind that starts as a random thought and suddenly you’re drowning in articles, papers, and old traditions.
In the middle of that search, something my grandmother once told me floated back into my mind. She was a woman who devoured books — truly thousands of them — and she had this treasure chest of medical wisdom stored in her memory. Among all the things she shared with me, the one that surfaced now was Jala Neti from Ayurveda
At that time, I didn’t think much about it. But now, as someone who wants to become an allopathic doctor, I became curious again .So I dug into books, articles, research papers — trying to see if this practice was just a charming traditional remedy or if it actually had some real physiological grounding. And the more I read, the more fascinating it became.
Jala Neti, for those who haven’t grown up hearing about it, is a simple practice: lukewarm sterile water mixed with non-iodized salt, poured through one nostril so it flows out from the other while you breathe through your mouth with your head tilted at an angle. People use a small pot called a Jala neti pot, and after the water does its work, they finish off with a bit of breathing exercises like pranayama and kapalbhati. My grandmother always described it as “cleaning the motor pipes of your engine.”
When I looked deeper, I realized something surprising: modern allopathy actually uses the exact same technique, only under the name nasal saline irrigation. Same saltwater solution, same lukewarm temperature, same pathway from upper to lower nostril. We recommend it for sinusitis, allergies, post-cold congestion… and yes, it really does help clear thick mucus, improve airflow, and reduce irritation.
People who practice Jala Neti regularly often describe feeling lighter, clearer, sometimes even calmer. Ayurveda interprets this as calming the nervous system. Modern physiology might explain it as improved breathing shifting the body into a more relaxed which is parasympathetic state. different words, same reality.
Of course, even simple practices need common sense. Kids shouldn’t be doing this alone. Anyone with recent facial trauma(injuries, surgeries) shouldn’t try it at all. And if it causes a fever, pain, or nosebleed, that’s your signal to stop and talk to a doctor. Clean water, clean pot, clean hands — these things matter more than people realize. It’s easy to forget that something as gentle as saline irrigation can also go wrong if done carelessly.
But when done properly, safely, and with intention, it’s one of those practices that forms a beautiful bridge between traditional wisdom and modern medicine. That’s what drew me in — the idea that something ancient could survive all the way into 21st-century hospital guidelines almost unchanged.Funny how that happens — medicine evolving, language changing, research advancing — but the body still responding to the simplest, most elemental things: lukewarm water, salt, and a little bit of consistency.
“Neti purifies the region of the skull and gives keenness to the sight. It also destroys diseases above the shoulders”
“Neti is the cleansing of the nasal passage with a thread or water.”
“The body often heals when we give it a chance to do what it already knows.” – these are few lines from some of Ayurveda books
As this practice can be done everyday I would suggest my fellow beings to follow it and improve your immunity