Nasya is an Ayurvedic therapy with varied types including:
Cleansing (Shodhana, Pradhamana, and Virechana)
Nutritive (Bruhana, Tarpana)
Sedative or Balancing (Shamana)
Lubricating (Navana)
Daily (Pratimarsha or Marsha)
Nasya is administered through the nose, which is the door to the brain and consciousness, using medicated oils, ghees, and herbal powders.
Before choosing which nasya to use it is important to understand your body’s constitution and imbalance as each type has its specific dosha, time of day, and indications for use - misuse may cause further imbalance.
Some uses for nasya include:
stiffness & pain in the head or neck
sinus congestion
dry nasal passages
stress
shoulder pain
jaw pain
headaches & migraines
toothaches & receding gums
tonsillitis & hoarse voice
supporting the mind & memory
depleted sexual energy
Use ghee for a daily nasya practice (Praitmarsha) to help with stress and to open the deep tissues. This may be used by any constitution at any time although best if done after urinating and defecating.
Ghee Instructions:
Place organic/hormone free cow butter in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil
Once boiling, reduce heat slightly, and allow to gently boil, foam will form on the top, the butter will turn a golden color and the milk solids will have sunk to the bottom and turned brown.
Ghee is done when the butter turns golden - about 8 minutes or so.
Skim off the foam and discard. Strain ghee through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth and store it in a heatproof airtight glass container - no need to refrigerate.
To avoid bacteria growth use a clean and dry spoon allowing no water into the jar.
Use a small amount of ghee on your little finger massaging into each nostril - this may be done while sitting.
If using drops: Lie down with your head tilted back and put 5 drops of nasya in each nostril (3 drops each nostril for children over 7) sniff until you feel it in the back of your throat, allow the oil to penetrate for a few minutes.
