Ayurveda. Nasya Oil: It's Super!

Bottle "Nose" Dolphin

Nasya, the administration of medicine through the nose, has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda. The nose is a direct route to the brain and thus the doorway to consciousness. Prana (life force) rides on the breath so having clear, lubricated nasal passages enhances our assimilation of prana. A daily application of oil (medicated or otherwise) to the nasal passages is part of the Ayurvedic daily routine. This may sound weird to the Western mind but once you understand the benefits and try it out yourself, you'll enjoy it!

Nasya helps relieve symptoms of allergies and colds, post-nasal drip, headaches, muscle tension in the jaw and neck, snoring, inflammation and nasal dryness that comes with cold weather and indoor heat. It enhances mental alertness, prevents upper-respiratory illness and protects against absorption of environmental toxins found in city air.

There are two ways of administering nasya oil:  either tilt your head back, put 2 to 4 drops in each nostril and huff it or apply the oil to the tip of your pinky finger and massage the oil inside your nose.  Whichever method you choose, you’ll do it twice a day, once upon waking and once before bed.