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Gently pull the sutra to and fro, a few times only to begin with. If there is the slightest discomfort, stop the practice immediately. Pull one end of the thread and slowly withdraw it from the
nose. Breathing: Breathing is performed through the mouth. Duration: With a catheter the practice takes less than 5 minutes.
With a sutra it takes about 10 minutes.
Once every few days or once a week is more than sufficient. Awareness: Physical - on relaxing the body and moving the
catheter or thread smoothly and slowly.
Spiritual - on ajna chakra. Sequence: Sutra neti should be performed before jala neti as
the latter will flush out all the impurities and particles in
the nose which have been dislodged by sutra neti. Precautions: Do not use force under any circumstances. The
interior of the nose is very delicate and any undue force could cause damage. After persistent attempts, if the thread or catheter will not pass through the nose, consult an experienced yoga teacher. Make sure that the sutra is perfectly clean before inserting it into the nostril. It is best
not to try sutra neti until jala neti has been perfected. Contra-indications: Those people who suffer from chronic
bleeding in the nose should not do sutra neti. Anyone with nasal ulcers, polyps and severe malformations of the nasal septum or turbinates should first seek the advice of
a yogic or ayurvedic doctor. Benefits: The benefits are the same as for jala neti. In addition,
however, sutra neti can rectify the problem of deviated nasal septum. If one or both nostrils are not flowing freely due either to deformed bone or fleshy outgrowths, the regular friction of sutra neti causes these obstructions to
disappear within a few months. Practice note: Although the catheter is easier and quicker it
does not clean the nasal passages as effectively as the cotton thread. Also, the advanced stage of sutra neti is virtually impossible if a catheter is used.
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