Ayurvedic Wellness Spotlight - September 2022

What is nasyā? Nasyā is a sanskrit word that means nose. In āyurveda, nasyā is the practice of oiling the nasal passages. Read on to learn more about the importance of nasyā………….

Research suggests that the human nose can perceive around one trillion different odors! That’s a lot of information about the world around you. Our sense of smell helps us perceive danger, and also helps us distinguish emotions like love and joy. Our sense of smell plays a role in mate selection, our daily food choices, our memory, and our learning. Research even shows that we can discern a person’s general age just with our sense of smell!!

A compromised sense of smell has been linked to depression, brain degeneration, and a decrease in our quality of life. Our ability to experience the world through our nose is important for our overall experience of joy.

Āyurveda prioritizes caring for the senses through daily self care practices and routines. Nasyā is one such practice. Lubricating the nasal passages with oil helps to keep the mucous membranes moist. This relieves congestion and helps the sinuses drain properly. Keeping the nasal passages moist also helps the tiny hairlike projections lining your mucous membranes, called cilia, do their job of sweeping the sinuses and nasal passages clean. Nasyā can help prevent nosebleeds and headaches caused by dry air, and according to āyurvedic texts, it promotes mental clarity.

Nasyā is easy to do. Simply place a drop of oil on your smallest finger and gently rub the inside of your nasal passages. Alternating between right and left nostril until each has received 3 applications of oil. We recommend using Banyan Botanical’s special āyurvedic formulation, infused with herbs to promote mental clarity, decongestion, rejuvenate the mind, and support the flow of prana. You can purchase Banyan’s nasyā oil on line, or in our boutique!