AAAA…CHOOO…

Attractive title during the present situation, right? Without much chattering, let me jump straight to the topic.

Problem : I have no particular label for this disease (is label more important or cure?). I suffered form an allergic nose. It started in around 2014, when I was in 7th class. It was like a sneeze attack, which came on some days. Triggers included dust, pollen, change in weather, humidity, sweat, cold breeze striking my nose, any physical touching of nose (e.g I was hit by basketball many times). Continuous sneezing for 10-20 mins during different times of day (not everyday, but when it happened, it lasted for a whole day), watery nose (which used to become as red as rose), and itching  in eyes. I had to carry two big napkins to school along with tablets (imagine teacher teaching in a silent class, and a student disturbs the class by his non-stop loud super-sneezes, how embarrassing I felt), heavy exhaustion due to sneezes, could start anytime, in school bus or while eating food. It was not a viral flu, it was an allergy I had inherited. According to medical science, only remedy I knew was suppression using tablets.

Why tablets are not a good choice : Tablets have their side-effects. They block your nose, disturb digestion and are not a life long cure. Once you take a tablet many times, your body gets used to it and then either you have to switch to a different tablet or increase the dose (from first hand experience). It makes you worse.

Causes : Before discussing the solution, it is important to know not only the root cause, but different causes at different levels. Here I am categorising causes on basis of 4 out of 5 sheaths (panchkosha) on basis of my limited first hand experience and understanding :

• Physical (related to annamaya kosh) : The gross causes which include oversensitiveness of interior of nose, unbalanced cough (one of 3 doshas) in body, not exercising and physical blocks in nose.
• Energy flow related (related to pranamaya kosh) : This includes uncontrolled flow of different energies ( the ten vayus) of your body and lack of proper breathing.
• Mental (related to manomaya kosh) : You may not have seen people curing this disease, so you have a firm believe that this can’t be healed. This lack of faith, and negative belief is the mental cause.
• Genetic (related to vigyanmay kosh) : This includes the genetic cause, your hereditary. We all are copy cats, we copy are ancestors. My mother and mama both have this problem. I got this in my blood. Although it can’t be controlled completely, but some things can be done.

Cure : We need to address different causes at different levels. So here are the things which I did :

Physical : 

• Exercise : You need to do some physical activity such as dance, yoga, workout, sports, that you are bathed in sweat.
• Diet : Till you cure yourself, you need to stay away a little from cough increasing food. At least, don’t take diary products at night. I don’t take tea or coffee but take hot milk with turmeric, it has multiple benefits. And, during present times, who doesn’t know about kadhas.
• Neti : It is one of the 6 shuddhi kriyas (purificatory acts) which is helpful in all respiratory disorders. Jal Neti is easy and can be learnt from you tube. It requires a neti pot. Some words of precaution. Jal Neti should be done only in morning, using warm salty water, with open mouth and  should be followed by kapal bhati and forceful exhalation. Don’t tilt your head backwards. Bend forward and squeeze your nose in direction from brow center to tip of nose to remove any water residue which can be harmful. I did it daily for about a month or so last year during lockdown. You will sneeze badly on your first attempts, but after some practice it will become a child’s play. Sutra neti requires a cord of thread waxed at one end or rubber catheter. You have to put it into nostril and pull it out from mouth. I didn’t have one so I made one using a cord and candle wax. However, I don’t recommend this to you as it can be painful and risky. It requires you to be mindful and aware of interior of your mouth and nose. So don’t do this without expert guidance. (I take such risks under my guru Adiyogi’s guidance, and he gives me opportunity only when I am ready.)
• Tip for nose : Apply some ghee in interior of your nostrils with the help of little finger. It heals.

Energy Related : 

• Learn to Breathe properly : I learnt to breathe properly in 10th class. Breath and mind are deeply connected. Tense mind=hallow and fast breathing with more air being exhaled with good amount of sound, where as deep slow silent breathing leads to calm mind.
• Nadi Shodhana Pranayama : Alternative nostril breathing commonly known as anulom-vilom. It can be done by anyone as it purifies your energies deeply and balances solar and lunar channels. Do it after you have exhausted yourself physically. Sit with back straight. Inhale from left nostril, hold, exhale from right, inhale from right, hold, exhale from left and repeat. Ratio of inhalation-hold-exhalation should be 1-4-2. No forceful inhalation or exhalation. Simple ratio I use is 2-8-4 seconds and for intense 16-64-32 seconds (not everyday). (I won’t recommend any other Pranayama as Pranayama without proper guidance can cause problems. I once suggested one to my friend in 11th class, next day, he came with a headache. I also faced that but the difference was, I knew the counter Pranayama and he didn’t.)
• Kapal bhati : Literally, it means skull shining. It is another shuddhi kriya, which clears your respiratory tract. Start with slow pace and then increase pace. If you start with fast pace, you may end up doing it in wrong way. I don’t think I need to explain this much, it is very popular.
• Tratak : Another shuddhi kriya. Among many other benefits, it gives you control over different energies of your body.
• “At the beginning and end of sneezing, in terror, sorrow or confusion, when fleeing from a battlefield, during (keen)
  curiosity, or at the onset or appeasement of hunger, that state is the external existence of Brahma.”(Vigyan Bhairav) : When you are about to sneeze, I mean when sensation of sneezing starts to arise, become aware, feel that. Slowly, you will learn to control it. The energy of sensation instead of going out will enter into a center around your brow center and you will not sneeze, saying after practising. It may feel hard in beginning, but with practice, everything is possible. In this way, Vigyan Bhairav Tantra gives you a chance to turn sneezing into meditation.

Mental : 

• YOU CAN HEAL YOURSELF. THIS PROBLEM HAS A SOLUTION. I can’t overstate the power of belief. Just because you have not seen anyone healing doesn’t mean you can’t heal. It is 100% possible to cure this problem, I am a living example. Throw this thought out of your mind that there’s no solution.
• Meditation : self explanatory.

Genetic : You get a disease because internally you are meditating on an image which has disease. This is not based on whether you have seen it or not, your Vigyanmay kosh carries images of all your ancestors, believe it or not. A simple way to solve this problem is concentrating on form of a divine, in this way you will be able to draw the energy of that particular form. You become like who you concentrate on.

Bonus Point – Mantras : Mindful mantra chanting so that you can feel the vibrations of mantra can do miracles, separate post on it someday. I got great benefits from intense chanting of Rudra path, Rudra suktam, shiv tandav, Mahamrityunjay mantra, Chandi Kavach, etc. Simple Aum chanting has many benefits. Besides, soothing music also heals.

I hope this will help some of you. Don’t give these suggestions to a person who doesn’t want to recover and are happy in their disease (there are such), it should be given to someone who really wants to improve.

I offer this post which contains some drops of knowledge of healing at the feet of my master Mahadev, who is Vaidyanath, the lord of physicians, one who is Mrityunjaya bathing in nectar. May he help you in healing yourself.

“He who holds a beautiful and powerful shaft and a strong bow,
He who is the source and repository of all medicines, praise Him alone.
To gain the favor and goodwill of that supreme and effulgent God Rudra,
let us worship Him, honor and adore Him by salutations.
Due to its contact with the Linga image, this right hand of mine is fortunate.
Indeed this hand of mine is a panacea for all human beings for all ills.”
-Sri Rudram