Get enlightened on nasal blockage - Effective pranayama

Source : The Divine Romance - Paramhansa Yogananda

Bad colds affect the whole body adversely, and even obstruct the mind so that you cannot think clearly. Colds are extremely disruptive to the yogi's meditation, preventing correct practice of pranayama techniques. Therefore Satan to delight in getting into the nose and throat area. All those who need their voices, such as singers and lecturers, are usually susceptible to throat troubles because they are more or less sensitive about the throat, and this mental fear makes it easy for Satan to establish himself there. So when a cold first starts in the nose, you should arrest it immediately. If you don't, it gradually settles in the throat and lungs. Do you know why ? The heat of the body becomes unbalanced..


Speaking of colds, let me give you some practical suggestion: Gargling daily with a glass of warm salt water is a very good preventive for colds, as are right diet and exercise, and daily sunbath for 10 to 30 minutes (depending on the intensity of the sun and the sensivity of the skin.) If you do get a cold, it is best to stop it while it is only in the nose, before it goes down into the throat and chest. The best way to quickly bring the cold under control is to fast. It will arrest the condition. If you fast for 24 hours, the cold usually goes away. But if the condition is chronic, you must eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and also have plently of fresh air and sunshine, and exercise. Many people believe in drinking lots of water when they have a cold. This is good, if they have a fever or congestion with thick mucus. Otherwise excess water can make the mucus membrane very active. One of the worst thing you can do when you have a cold is to drink hot beverages. Cold contracts, and heat expands. The heat may feel good for a little while, but it expands the cells and disturbs their normal function. And don't take ice-cold drinks either.


If you get a chest cold, dip a turkish towel in very hot water, wring it out and rub the chest with it. Then wipe the chest area with a dry towel. Repeat this five times, two or three times a day. Keep the chest well covered after each treatment.


In spite of precaution and remedies, colds as well as other disease sometimes lingr, and sometimes they go away quickly. The reason for this is karmic. That is, the state of the body as determined by the law of karma, cause and effect. The cure of a disease depends in great part on one's karmic condition---the sum total of the effects of his past action---plus the antidote taken for that illness Some people think that since our karma predestines us to suffer, we might as well give up and accept the inevitable. But it is not right to be fatalistic. To try to help yourself and then give up when you don't get immediate results is foolishness, because every effort you make will help to break down that karmic pattern. "God helps him who helps himself".