Spare a thought for the neti pot

My neti pot

I like my neti pot, especially in the cold, dry winter. It is useful for the purpose for which it is designed, but I think that it shows something interesting about how our society is evolving that makes me happy.
You see, I have always considered myself to be what I call a "true scientist," and that isn't to disparage other scientists, just the ones that have become so mired in "accepted" thought that they will not consider an idea that may challenge what they already know. For example, the neti pot. The neti pot has been a part of Ayurvedic medicine and a part of the hygiene ritual for many people for thousands of years, but because it was part of a Non-Western tradition, it was overlooked until recently. However, when we stopped seeing yoga as a weird hippie thing and started seeing all the very real health benefits that can come from it, we gained from that shift in view. Ten years ago, I didn't know what a neti pot was. Five years ago, it was a strange pretty object sitting in the corner of the yoga bookstore. Now, it is available in any drugstore, and in some grocery stores and wal-mart. Most ENT doctors (that I know of, anyway) now promote its use.
Isn't it nice when we just step back and look at things objectively?