Ayurvedic Healing Techniques

I'm risking seeming a bit "far-out" with the following suggestions. I learned about the neti pot and abdominal exercises for elimination and abdominal health at a series of conferences I attended on the traditional medicine of India or Ayurveda. The neti pot cured my tendency to develop nasty coughs and abdominal lifts and contractions healed my tendency toward constipation. I find both extremely helpful for maintaining excellent health.

Neti Pot or Nasal Cleansing

A neti pot or a nasal cleansing pot seems a foreign, even creepy, until you've tried it. Neti pots are available on-line and at health food stores. I can't imagine going through a cold, flu, allergies, asthma, or any other nasal congestion without this gentle salt water wash that cleanses the nasal passages and back of the throat. Until I used a neti pot, even the slightest cold would result in a nasty cough because of post natal drip. No more. Once you get the hang of it, it's as comfortable as gargling with salt water. Be adventurous! Try a neti pot. It might become your best friend. Directions for use will come with the neti pot you purchase. Make sure to use kosher un-iodized salt and measure salt according to directions. Too much or too little can cause stinging. When the salinity is just right, the same as our tears, it's completely comfortable. Also take care to make the temperature luke-warm and comfortable.

Abdominal Lift

These abdominal exercises massage the intestines and stimulate a sluggish colon. Learn the first exercise if you're having trouble with constipation or irregular bowels or intestinal pain. When you've mastered this, move on to abdominal contractions.

1. Stand with feet 1 1/2 - 2 feet apart. Keeping the spine straight, bend the knees slightly and lean forward from the waist far enough to place the palms of the hands just above the knees.

2. Exhale completely and drop the chin toward the chest.

3. Without inhaling, suck the abdominal muscles in and up, pulling the navel toward the spine. This motion pulls the diaphragm up and creates a cavity on the front side of the abdomen under the rib cage.

4. Hold this position without inhaling for a few seconds. Then slowly release the abdominal muscles while inhaling. Don’t force the abdominal muscles out. Just release and relax them.

5. Continuing with complete exhalations and inhalations, practice until you can repeat steps 3 and 4 about 10 times.

Advanced Abdominal Contractions

When you can do 10 abdominal lifts comfortably, follow the 10 abdominal lifts with 3-5 advanced abdominal contractions.

1. Exhale completely and drop the chin toward the chest.

2. Without inhaling, suck the abdominal muscles in and up in quick repeated motions, pulling the navel toward the spine and then releasing the muscles. Begin with just 4 or 5 repetitions, but work up to 10 or 15 quick repetitions.

3. After the final quick repetition, slowly release the abdominal muscles while inhaling. Don’t force the abdominal muscles out. Just release and relax them.

4. Repeat twice more.