Sinusitis Survival

I have always had a leaning towards being a mad magazine collector .. in my twenties it was everything cooking (Gourmet Traveller, Vogue Entertaining) and these piled up until I moved house and at that point I had eight years worth which I gifted to a friend .. later it was everything Buddhist and for many years I subscribed to Shambhalasun, Mandala Magazine and Tricycle .. and for the last several years it is everything yoga/wellbeing/meditation ... Yoga Journal and maybe Wellbeing (maybe I will post soon on this)

I love to see a big pile of luscious magazines .. full of ideas, glorious photos and jewels of information .. last night I felt a cold coming on, perfect night to retire early with some reading .. so I just casually picked up an old mag and it was an old favourite Yoga Journal .. edition January 2003. How appropriate it was, all about winter and how to look after ourselves at a time when germs and low tolerance collide .. how we must nurture our bodies and our minds in the winter season.

I wanted to thus share some of the article as it assist many Melbournians at this time...

“Yogis have traditionally chanted the mantra “Om” to help with focusing the mind. However, this simple and most primal of chants may serve an important side benefit, particularly during winter months: The sound vibrations may help keep your sinuses healthy.”

The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, discovered that humming can help ventilate and open the sinuses. In their testing found that humming increased nitric oxide levels fifteen fold, compared to quiet exhalations without sound. People with healthy sinuses have high nitric oxide levels which indicates that more air is able to flow between the sinuses and the nose.

Humming was defined as exhaling with sound while the mouth was closed and chanting ‘Om’ produces the same effect. Chanting and humming both crease sound vibrations, which encourage air to move back and forth between your sinus membranes and nasal passages. This air movement opens the tiny ducts, or ostia, that connect your nose to your sinuses, allowing your sinuses to drain properly.

Daily humming or changing may prevent sinusitis infection from taking hold.

“It is logical that daily periods of humming would be beneficial .. the sinuses are effectively ventilated by humming.”

In addition to daily chanting if sinus issues are a problem at this time of the year .. consider the purchase of a humidifier which helps lubricate the nasal/sinuses by producing warm moist air; or using a yogi neti pot (get some guidance first).

Put's a new spin on chanting sessions and something I will have to introduce to my class!

*Details for this entry taken from Yoga Journal January/February 2003 "Sinusitis Survival" by Alisa Bauman