I know Winter is Here in Westeros, but it's still making its way to India š®š³
And as much fun it was making this poster, winter is never a fun time for me and I turn almost this blue at its peak. (Yes, that's me in the poster! š)
There was a time when I could not step out of the house without a handkerchief. Continuous running nose would make my life as bad as being stuck behind the wall during the long night!
I know that it's not nearly as cold where I live, but my tolerance to cold is close to zero. Plus I have a very bad sinus problem which leads to a lot of headaches during the winter.
But this time I have the tools to fight the cold!
There are 3 things which I am following/going to follow:
- Yoga: Jal-Neti & Danda-Neti
- Win Hof's breathing and cold shower methods
- My special herbal/green tea recipe.
Let's look at them one at a time:
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Jal-Neti is a yogic technique of nasal irrigation using a special pot called the neti-pot.
The procedure is pretty simple:
Disclaimer: You need an experienced Yoga Teacher to help you through the process. If done wrong, you will end up catching a cold instead! I am just laying out the procedure here to understand how it works. You have been warned.
- Stand over a sink/wash basin
- Pour warm water into a glass. Not too hot, not too cold. Just enough warm so that you can bear it while pouring through the nose.
- Put salt into the glass, a pinch is enough just to make it slightly salty.
- Slowly bend forward from the waist so that your nose is right above the sink. Then tilt your head to one side first, so that your left nostril is down.
- Put the neti pot's pointy side into the right nostril in such a way that the water doesn't leak from the right nostril. Breathe from the mouth and lift the pot. The water should start flowing and coming out from the left nostril.
- Before repeating the process with the other nostril, blow out the mucus and excess water from both nostrils by performing Kapaal-Bhati.
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Ok, so this shit is dangerous. DO NOT try this at home if you have not learnt how to do it!
Danda-Neti or Sutra-Neti is a process of nasal cleansing using a thin rubber tube. The tube goes in from one nostril and comes out from the mouth!
It took me a week of trying everyday to figure out how to do it. It tickels like hell and you end up sneezing or coughing everytime you try.
But once you get the hang of it, it is a really effective technique to clear your sinus passages of mucus.
I have been doing Jal-Neti and Danda-Neti once a week for 3 months now, which has kept my nose completely clear!
I hope continuing this practice will help me during winter as well.
If you haven't heard about The Iceman yet, you should check him out.
Wim Hof, nicknamed The Iceman, can withstand extreme temperatures and control his autonomous nervous system with help of breathing techniques, cold immersion and meditation.
Check out this video to understand more about him:
The method developed by him helps you withstand extreme temperatures and improve your immune system.
The breathing technique involves the following steps:
- Take 30 deep breaths. In and out.
- Breathe out the last one and hold for 1 to 3 minutes
- Breath in and hold for 20 seconds.
I have been trying this for a week and it gives you a real rush! I almost felt high like I had smoked some weed š»
And I could hold my breath for 1 minute 30 seconds!
Along with this, I have been taking only cold showers. And I can definitely feel the change. We went out on a trip to a remote village in Maharashtra where I could easily swim in a pretty cold stream flowing down a mountain!
The Yoga Institute that I learnt the nasal cleansing techniques from, used to give us this wonderful herbal tea which would feel like a miracle drink. It took away my cold in a day!
I learnt the recipe from the cook š¤
Ingredients:
- Ginger
- Black Pepper
- Cinnamon Powder
- Tulsi leaves
- Jaggery (as sweetener)
- Your choice of green tea leaves
- Water
Step 1: Take black pepper balls, ginger and tulsi leaves
Step 2: Crush the black pepper
Step 3: Mash the ginger and add to the crushed black pepper
Step 4: Add the Tulsi leaves
Step 5: Add cinnamon powder
Step 6: Put in the jaggery
Step 7: Add 1 cup water
Step 8: Bring it to boil
Step 9: Add green tea leaves
Step 10: Switch off gas, close and keep it for 5 minutes
Step 11: Filter
Step 12: Enjoy! š
This tea is completely natural and has no side effects(unless you are allergic to any of the ingredients). Try it, especially when you feel like you are going to catch a cold. It really helps!
Well. there you have it!
With the help of Jal-Neti, Danda-Neti, the WinHof method of breathing and cold showers and the green tea, I am hoping this song of ice will generate some fire within me to keep the cold at bay!
