Friday, January 04, 2008

THE NYT DISCOVERS THE NETI POT




From yesterday's article, spotted by Catesey:

Originally part of a millennia-old Indian yogic tradition, the practice of nasal irrigation — jala neti — is performed with a small pot that looks like a cross between Aladdin’s lamp and your grandmother’s gravy boat. The neti pot made its way into this country in the early 1970s as a yoga meditation device, but even as yoga became mainstream, the neti pot remained on the fringes of alternative culture.

That is, until now. Due to a confluence of influences, the neti pot is having what can only be termed a moment, sold in drugstores, health food stores, even at Wal-Mart and Walgreens.

"The practice gained wide exposure last spring when it was introduced on Oprah Winfrey’s show by a frequent guest, Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and an author of health books. Dr. Oz explained that bathing the sinus cavities in a warm saline solution can reduce symptoms of allergies, cold, flu and other nasal problems....



I've been using the thing since they demystified its use at last February's teacher training with Dharma Mittra.

The results have indeed been amazing.

Just make sure that you use 1/4 tsp fine, non-iodized salt and lukewarm water - mixed well. Also be sure to stack one ear on top of the other when pouring (so it doesn't go out the mouth - which isn't as bad as it sounds). Most important: Lower the head and snort hard at the end, so you get everything out.

Expletives are optional.

4 comments:

  1. Hysterical.

    They got Jack Black to dress up as a hippie.

    (That particular pot includes written instructions which feature a model grinning in delight as she pours.)

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  2. Anonymous4:07 PM

    I thought everyone got hip to the neti pot when I did, watching Six Feet Under's George character (James Cromwell) use one.

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  3. No dollars, India tells tourists

    Associated Press

    January 4, 2008

    NEW DELHI

    No dollars, just rupees please.

    In a sign of how the once-mighty U.S. dollar has fallen, India's tourism minister said Thursday that U.S. dollars no longer will be accepted at the country's heritage tourist sites, including the famed Taj Mahal.

    For years the dollar was worth about 50 rupees, and tourists visiting most sites in India were charged either $5 or 250 rupees.

    But with the dollar at a 9-year low against the rupee -- falling 11 percent in 2007 alone and now hovering around 39 rupees -- that deal has become a losing proposition for the tourism industry.

    The tourism minister said, though, that the decision was only in part a reaction to the currency's plunging value.

    "Before the dollar lost its value, there was a demand to have [admission tickets] just in rupees," Tourism Minister Ambika Soni told the CNN-IBN news channel.

    Soni said that charging only rupees will be more practical and save money because "the dollar was weaker against the rupee."

    The Taj Mahal, India's famed white marble monument to love, which had charged tourists $15 or 750 rupees, has been refusing to accept dollars since November.

    The move makes visits pricier for American tourists, who now have to shell out nearly $20.

    And it's likely to get worse.

    "We expect a slight appreciation of the rupee to continue, although it won't be as dramatic as last year," said Agam Gupta, head of foreign-exchange trading at Standard Chartered Bank in India.

    The dollar has fallen against most major currencies. It has lost ground against the rupee because of an influx of foreign capital into India, Gupta said.

    Soni said she isn't worried about the decision affecting tourism numbers, as India provides more than just budget attractions.

    "I always say it's not numbers I am looking for or working for. I am working for tourists to have a complete experience," she said.

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  4. Me & my n-pot are best buds. I hadn't thought of single malt though.

    But I guess this comment will be lost under the bro-spam.

    ReplyDelete