Neti, neti: I am not this, not that

Have holiday celebrations and feasts started for you? My month thus far has been jam packed with festive gatherings, as well as more-than-I’m-used-to alcohol, sugar, and carbohydrate consumption. Talk of detoxing usually begins at the start of the new year, and yet I’m already feeling the need to cleanse.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, an ancient text that is much like an operation manual on hatha yoga, lists the shatkarma kriya, or the six (shat) yogic practices that purify the body. These include Neti, Dhauti, Nauli, Basti, Kapalabhatit, and Trataka. The most well-known purification technique of these six is Net?, or more specifically, jala net?, which entails cleaning the head’s air passage ways by gently pouring a salt water mix in one nostril with the head tilted to the side, and the run off comes out of the other nostril.

Neti neti, also refers to a Sanskrit expression that means “not this, not this” or “not this, not that,” which is also an analytical meditation (modern day Ramana Maharshi was famous for this self-inquiry approach to enlightenment).

I like to believe that ancient yogis spent their days asking themselves “Who am I?”, and they created techniques like asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation, and purifications to help answer this question. When mucous would come out of their nose after pracitcing jala neti, they could find solace in knowing that they are “not this, not that,” or in other words, not that mucous. Knowing this, they would continue asking themselves “who am I?” and move on to the next practice or technique to try to answer the question.

I also like to think that our work as yogis (or humans — same same to me) is to also ask ourselves “who am I?”. When in yoga class, at the gym, in the pool, or running against your stopwatch, ask yourself if you are that tight hamstring, the number of pounds you bench, the laps that you do, or the time that you run? Most likely not because we are complicated beings who are so much more than just this or that. Off the mat my experience has been if I feel something strongly enough — be it sadness, grief, anger, or even happiness — I begin to believe these emotions are me and that things will never change. Thinking like so is delusion, one of the defilements as named by both the Buddha and Patanjali. However, this practice of “Who am I?”, reminding myself neti, neti, and asking again “Who am I?” helps me poke holes in the veil of delusion.

It also keeps things interesting and intimate – it’s pretty fun (and scary) getting to really know myself. As things slow down over the holidays and into the new year, why not take some time to get intimate with yourself? After all, you spend the most time with yourself.