Sadhguru
12 Oct 2012
An allergic reaction occurs when a person’s immune system reacts to an otherwise harmless substance in the environment. There are many types of allergies existent today, and some that cause the highest discomfort are related to the nose and eyes. Sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma and similar chronic ailments are extremely common nowadays, especially in industrialized urban environments.
People suffering from these conditions are found to have allergic inflammation and sensitivity throughout the nasal airways, due to contact with allergens such as dust or pollen. Allergic rhinitis alone affects 10% to 30% of adults and 40% of children worldwide. As anyone suffering from the symptoms of allergies – itchy eyes, running nose, phlegm, constant sneezing and breathing difficulties – would agree, this significantly impacts the quality of everyday life.
Mainstream medicine and alternative therapies have come up with several treatments for such conditions, with varying success rates. As far as yoga is concerned, Sadhguru tells us about the positive effects that regular practice of Kapalabathi (an energy process which in) can have on allergy patients:
Sadhguru:
I know people who have just messed up their whole system trying to do all kinds of things to their sinuses. All you need to do is kapalabathi[1] for a month or two, and your sinusitis should completely disappear. If you do the kapalabathi properly, it will provide relief to any type of cold-related disease.
Especially those of you who have allergic conditions must do sufficient amount of kapalabathi, increasing it to whatever extent possible. Three to four months of practice should generally free you from allergies. There are a few exceptions, but it has worked for a majority of people. For those who have not had any relief, they probably need to take a break from whatever they are allergic to for a while, and do the kriya for some time to establish it well. Their kriya may not be very effective because of their allergic conditions. If the nasal passages are not fully opened and there is excessive mucus, the kriya may not be completely effective. If it is practiced correctly, you can definitely work yourself out of allergic situations. Cold weather just won’t bother you anymore. Not just the cold, even heat will not disturb you. When you have an internal air-conditioning, both the heat and cold do not disturb you too much.
Keeping the nasal passages clear and breathing properly is an extremely important process. Modern societies have forgotten about this. They think that somehow if the air goes inside, it is okay. This is not so. Clear nostrils and a healthy breathing process are extremely important. If kapalabathi is sufficiently practiced all the extra mucus will be burned up. Initially, we ask you to do around 50 counts. You could gradually try to increase this by 10 or 15 counts every day. You could even go up to 1000 if you like. There are people who do 500, 1000 and 1500 kapalabathis. With time, there will be no extra mucus and your nasal passages will always be clear.
Sadhguru also gives us a few tips for home remedies that could help ease the condition:
Sadhguru:
Those who suffer from cold related diseases and find their nostrils blocked every morning, will benefit a lot from the consumption of neem, pepper, honey and turmeric.
Grind neem leaves to a paste, make a small-sized ball, dip it in honey and swallow it every morning on an empty stomach. Avoid eating anything for the next hour or so to let the neem pass through the system. This actually works on any kind of allergy – skin, food, anything. This practice can be continued for life, there is no harm in this. Neem has an extremely high medicinal value. Using tender neem leaves could reduce the bitterness, but otherwise any fresh and green leaf will do.
Crush about 10 to 12 pepper corns roughly and soak them in a couple of spoons of honey overnight (about 8 to 12 hours). In the morning you consume this and just chew upon the pepper. Mixing some turmeric with the honey should also work. If you avoid all dairy products, your phlegm will go down naturally.
[1] Kapalabathi is taught as a part of the yoga program Shoonya Intensive at the Isha Yoga center. To know more about the program, please visit: http://www.ishayoga.org/advanced-programs/shoonya-intensive
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