Shirari Industries :: Blog

Thank you thank you thank you to all of my friends and contacts who have praised the neti pot and led me to finally acquire one. It is AWESOME. Shira and I both caught this nasty cold/flu thing that's been stewing around in NYC, and mine turned into a two-week (and still going) battle with the asthmatic wheeze I picked up when I got really sick back in college. It only comes back when I'm really ill, so I headed over to the queer health center to get looked at. I think I lucked out - the doctor I saw is an aspiring vegan and not a fan of overmedication. She put me on a mild inhaler that's made it a lot easier to breathe, and suggested I drink a lot of hot tea and try netiing. I picked up a new Himalayan Institute neti pot over at Integral Yoga, and now I think you can call me an enthusiast. It really works.

For those who have not yet been introduced to the greatness of the neti pot, I offer the above ridiculous photo from Oprah, on which there was apparently a segment on nasal irrigation. Basically you lean way over and pour warm salt water in one nostril... which you can then feel going through all of your passages in there before it comes out your other nostril. It's strange at first but I can attest that once you get used to it it's easy and it actually feels pretty good - and in any case, the health benefits are well worth any weirdness. Apparently it's not just good for colds, but also for congestion, allergies, dryness, cough, sinus pain, and a host of other breathing and nose-related problems. Anyway, good stuff.