Can I clear sinuses using yoga?

Best yoga for sinusitis

1. Sutraneti (Nasal Cleansing with Thread)

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To cure sinus through natural means, Sutraneti is one of the effective measures. Sutraneti is a one hand soft cotton thread, which is soaked in bee-wax for nasal cleansing exercise.

How to perform

• First sit in Kagasana
• Now insert the thread through one of the nostrils, which seems to be more active.
• Try to get it to the back of the throat, catch the sutra and bring it out from the mouth.
• Slowly and gently make movement of thread forward and backward.
• Continue it for 10 rounds.
• Take the thread out and repeat the same with other nostril.

Benefits

• It helps to cure sinus.
• It’s a Yogic exercise to cleanse brain cells.
• It’s effective for head region related disease.
• It improves the functions of the eyes and nasal regions.
• It helps to clear the nasal passage that ensures smooth flow of air.

Precautions

• Sutraneti should be performed once in a week.
• The thread should be clean
• Perform it slowly and gently.
• It should be practiced before Pranayama.
• Having nasal problems i.e. nose bleeding, should consult the expert before practicing it.

2. Jalaneti (Nasal Cleansing with Water)

Jalaneti is quite effective Yogic practice to cure headache, insomnia, cough & cold and drowsiness. Basically, it’s the nasal cleansing exercise with lukewarm salted water.

How to perform

• Take a Neti pot
• Salted lukewarm water (1 tsp salt in ½ litre water)
• Sit in Kagasana with a gap of 2 feet between the feet.
• Tilt the head and insert the neti pot nozzle into the active nostril. Let water flow through this nostril and ensures to release through other nostril.
• While performing the exercise, your mouth should be opened and body be relaxed.
• After completing through one of the nostrils, continue the same with other one.

Benefits

• It is good in prevention of hair fall.
• Jalaneti is extremely beneficial in case of chronic headache, insomnia and drowsiness.
• It helps to enhance memory.
• Good against cough and cold.
• It is beneficial for eyes related problems.

Precautions

• To dry your nose, the better way is to perform Bhastrika Pranayama.
• Appropriate quantity of salt should be added as too much or too little of salt may lead to burning sensation.
• Continued mouth breathing throughout the exercise.

 3. Kapalabhati  (Frontal Brain Cleansing Exercise)
Kapalabhati is consisted of two words: Kapala means skull while Bhati means to shine. Thus, it’s a yogic exercise to shine skull. It helps to improve mental functions; refresh and rejuvenates the head region. One should practice Kapalabhati before Pranayama as it ensures smooth flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In Kapalabhati, inhalation is passive and spontaneous while exhalation is forceful.

How to perform

• Sit in any meditative posture.
• Inhale deeply and exhale forcefully with the contraction of abdominal muscles.
• Now inhale is passive & spontaneous while exhaling is forceful.
• Continue it for 10 minutes. (Initially 2 to 3 minutes.)
• While performing Kapalabhati, there shouldn’t be movement of your shoulders.
• Your face should be cool, calm and relaxed.

Benefits

• It is wonderful yoga to relieve from sinus problems.
• Kapalabhati is one of the finest exercises for clearing respiratory blockages.
• If it continues for 10 minutes for a longer period of time, it helps in weight loss.
• It is helpful in treating of cold, cough, rhinitis, sinusitis and respiratory related problems.
• It gives smooth massage to the abdominal organs thus helpful in curing of digestion related disorders.
• It is useful to enhance memory.
• It increases the lungs capacity.
• It is the panacea to contend mucous disorders.

Precautions

• One shouldn’t practice Kapalabhati of having hyperacidity.
• High blood pressure patient should avoid it.
• It should be avoided if the practitioners have cardiac conditions, giddiness, vertigo, epilepsy, stroke and hernia.

 4. Bhastrika Pranayama

The word Bhastrika is derived from Bhastra means bellows where inhalation and exhalation is happened with rapid force. Bhastrika Pranayama is good to relieve cold and congestion in the nasal area.

How to perform

• Sit in any meditative posture, preferably in Padmasana.
• Initially inhale and exhale slowly.
• After then start forceful inhalation and exhalation just like as blacksmith’s bellows. At the end of rounds, take a deep inhalation followed by Kumbhaka (retention of breath), exhale slowly.
• Relax and do normal breathing, again start the above process for 10 times.
• Total three rounds may be formed initially.
• While performing this Pranayama, hissing sound is also comes out because of its powerful intensity.

Benefits

• Bhastrika Pranayama provides sinus relief.
• It is the single Pranayama which is quite effective in reducing of weight and belly fat.
• It overcomes throat inflammation.
• It is helpful in cleansing of nasal sinuses, phlegm and prevents asthma.
• It increases gastric fire.
• It is also good to increase appetite.

Precautions

• Those suffered from high blood pressure, heart disease and stomach ulcer shouldn’t practice it.
• It should be performed either in the morning or evening.
• After performing the Pranayama, one must practice either Sitkari or Sitali Pranayama as Bhastrika overheat the body.

5. Anulom Vilom Pranayama
Anulom Vilom is also known as Nadisodhana Pranayama. This practice purifies the nadis by removing the congestion thus ensures free flow of prana in the nadis.

How to perform

• Sit in any comfortable position
• Make sure that your back and neck is straight.
• Placed your right thumb on your right nostril and slowly inhale through the left nostril. Closed your left nostril and  exhale very slowly through the right nostril
• Now inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril slowly.
• This complete one cycle.
• Perform 10 such cycles initially; it may be increased with time.
• While performing, one should close one’s eyes.

How to perform

• It removes congestion from the nadis (energy channel) thus ensures free flow of energy throughout the body.
• It is helpful in curing of nasal congestion.
• It facilitates blood flow to the brain.
• It is the stress buster and makes one cool and calm.
• It is immunity booster.
• It directly affects the calming centre of the brain.
• It channelizes smooth flow of oxygen to the entire body.
• It is one of the few Pranayamas that prevents many diseases and disorders.

 Precautions

• One shouldn’t practice Kumbhaka in the preparatory stage of this pranayama.

 6. Suryabhedi Pranayama

The meaning of Surya is Sun and Bhedand means to pierce. Suryabhedi Pranayama cures rhinitis and kills the germs and worms that is found in the sinus region.

How to perform

• Sit in any comfortable position.
• Closed your left nostril with your ring and little fingers.
• Slowly inhale through the right nostril with making any sound.
• Hold the breath (Kumbhaka) as long as you can do.
• Exhale slowly through the left nostril.
• This is one round. Perform it many rounds.

Benefits

• It is helpful in giving instant relief to sinusitis.
• It cures rhinitis and useful in smooth functioning of sinuses.
• It kills the intestinal germs.
• It helps to increase bodily fire.
• It helps to delay old age and death.
• It increases blood pressure therefore good for low blood pressure patients as it activates the sympathetic nervous system.

Precautions

• It shouldn’t be performed who has high blood pressure.

7. Gomukasana (Cow’s Face Pose)

How to perform

• Sit erect
• Fold the left from the knee and bring your left heel to the side of right buttock.
• Now fold the right knee and bring the right heel to the side of left buttock.
• Raise the left arm by bending it at elbow and place it at the back of the shoulder from below while the right arm by bending at elbow has to take from upward and behind the back.
• Interlock the finger of both the hands at the back.
• Stay in the position as long as you can by gazing front.
• Repeat it by changing the position of both the hands and legs.
• Do five rounds.

Benefits

• This is good for respiratory diseases including sinus.
• It is good in making the spine supple, flexible and straight.
• This asana is helpful for joint arthritis.
• This can be practiced who is facing frozen shoulder, neck pain and cervical spondylitis.

Precautions

• Person suffering from piles should avoid it.

8. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

The meaning of Bhujanga is ‘Cobra’ as the final pose of the asana seems to be Cobra.

 How to perform

• Lie down on the stomach with legs apart.
• Fold your hands at the elbows and bring your palms at the shoulder level.
• Now with inhale raise your head portions till your navel and try to see the roof with your head.
• Maintain the pose with slow inhale and exhale as long as you can.
• Bring down with deep exhale.
• This is one cycle do five to seven cycles.

Benefits

• This is good for the proper functioning of your lungs thus directly or indirectly affects the sinus
• It is one of the best pose to lose belly fat
• It is good to relieve backache
• It should be practiced by those who is experiencing cervical spondylitis and thyroid.
• It is also quite effective to cure gynecological disorders.

Precautions 

• It should be avoided if the person is having the problem of hernia and abdominal injuries.

9. Sarvangasana (All Limbs Pose)

Sarvangasna is known as mother of all the asanas because of its significance and importance. This asana is good in curing and treating of many diseases and disorders.

How to perform

• Lie down on the supine position.
• Raise your both the legs slowly at 90° angle. Try to form a straight line so that your chin may get touch your chest.
• Slowly come down to the supine position and rest.
• Practice it 3 to 5 rounds.

Benefits

• This yoga pose is good in treating of problems related with head region.
• It delay aging
• It is good to prevent hair fall.
• It is helpful in treating of constipation and piles.
• It is useful to prevent graying of hair.
• It regulates the endocrine glands.

Precautions

• People suffering from high blood pressure shouldn’t practice it.

10. Ustrasana (Camel pose)

How to perform

• Kneel down on the floor.
• Bring your feet one foot apart.
• With inhale bend backward carefully so that you can able to place your right palm on the right heel and left palm on the left heel.
• Maintain the pose with slow inhale and exhale.
• Come to the original position with deep exhale.

Benefits

• It is good for problems related with your head region including the nasal area.
• It improves eyes sight.
• It is beneficial for back pain and neck pain.
• It helps to reduce belly fat.
• It enhances digestion

Precautions

• It should be avoided who has high blood pressure, cardiac problems and hernia.