HOW TO ACTIVATE THE IDA AND PINGALA NADIS?

YOGA MUDRA

(ATTITUDE OF PSYCHI UNION)

SIT IN PADMASANA.
TAKE HOLD OF ONE WRIST BEHIND THE BACK.
CLOSE THE EYES AND RELAX THE WHOLE BODY.
BRING THE AWARENESS TO MOOLADHARA CHAKRA (SLIGHT MOOLA BANDHA MAY ALSO BE PERFORMED)
INHALE SLOWLY AND FEEL THE BREATH GRADUALLY RISING FROM MOOLADHARA TO AJNA CHAKRA.
RETAIN THE BREATH FOR A FEW SECONDS AND CONCENTRATE ON AJNA CHAKRA.
EXHALE SLOWLY WHILE BENDING FORWARD FROM THE HIPS.
SYNCHRONIZE THE MOVEMENT WITH THE BREATH, SO THAT THE FOREHEAD JUST TOUCHES THE FLOOR IN YOGAMUDRASANA AS THE AIR IS FULLY EXPELLED FROM THE LUNGS.
SIMULTANEOUSLY, FEEL THE BREATH GRADUALLY DESCENDING FROM AJNA TO MOOLADHARA CHAKRA.
RETAIN THE BREATH OUTSIDE FOR A FEW SECONDS WHILE CONCENTRATING AT MOOLADHARA CHAKRA.
INHALING, RAISE THE TRUNK TO THE VERTICAL POSITION.
BE AWARE OF BREATH MOVING UPWARD FROM MOOLADHARA TO AJNA CHAKRA.
ALL THE MOVEMENTS SHOULD BE PERFORMED IN A HARMONIOUS, SMOOTH AND SYNCHRONIZED MANNER.
REMAIN IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION, HOLDING THE BREATH FOR A FEW SECONDS AND CONCENTRATE ON AJNA CHAKRA.
EXHALE SLOWLY, MOVING THE AWARENESS BACK DOWN THE SPINE TO MOOLADHARA CHAKRA.
THIS IS ONE ROUND.

IMMEDIATELY START ANOTHER ROUND, PERFORMING A LIGHT MOOLA BANDHA WITH THE BREATH HELD OUTSIDE AND THE AWARENESS AT MOOLADHARA CHAKRA. BEGINNGERS MAY TAKE A FEW NORMAL BREATHS BEFORE STARTING THE NEXT ROUND.

PERFORM 3 TO 10 ROUNDS.

BREATHING

THE RESPIRATION SHOULD BE AS SLOW POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST STRAIN.

AWARENESS

PHYSICAL - ON SYNCHRONIZING THE MOVEMENT OF THE BODY WITH THE BREATH.

SPIRITUAL - ON MOOLADHARA AND ANJA CHAKRAS.

BENEFITS

THE PRACTICE MASSAGES THE ABDOMINAL ORGANS AND STRETCHES THE BACK, CONTRIBUTING TO GOOD GENERAL HEALTH. IN ADDITION, IT IS AN EXCELLENT PREPARATORY PRACTICE FOR MEDITATION, ENGENDERING A SENSE OF RELAXATION. IT RELIEVES ANGER AND TENSION, INDUCING TRANQUILLITY. IT DEVELOPS AWARENESS AND CONTROL OF PSYCHI ENERGY AND IS USED TO AWAKEN MANIPURA CHAKRA.

VARIATIONS

THE HANDS MAY ALSO BE PLACED:
ON THE HEELS OF THE FEET, WITH THE ELBOWS POINTING OUT TO THE SIDES.
PALMS DOWN ON THE SOLES OF THE FEET.
PALM TO PALM WITH THE FINGERS POINTING UPWARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK (THIS IS HAMSA OR SWAN MUDRA).

PRACTICE NOTES

PEOPLE WITH STIFF BACKS AND THOSE UNABLE TO SIT IN PADMASANA COMFORTABLY MAY PERFORM THE PRACTICE FROM SUKHASANA OR VAJRASANA. IF ADOPTING THE LATTER, BEND FORWARD INTO SHANSHANKASANA WITH THE HANDS CLASPED BEHIND THE BACK. IF VAJRASANA IS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE, THE KNEES MAY BE SEPARATED SLIGHTLY, ALLOWING THE CHEST TO COME CLOSER TO THE FLOOR.

NOTES

YOGA MUDRA IS SO CALLED BECAUSE IT UNITES THE INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS WITH THE SUPREME CONSCIOUSNESS, OR THE OUTER NATURE WITH THE INNER NATURE.

MANDUKI MUDRA

GESTURE OF THE FROG

SIT IN BHADRASANA. IF POSSIBLE WITHOUT STRAINING, ADJUST SO THAT THE TOES ARE POINTING OUTWARD.
THE BUTTOCKS SHOULD REST ON THE FLOOR.
A FOLDED BLANKET MAY ALSO BE PLACED UNDERNEATH THE BUTTOCKS TO APPLY FIRM PRESSURE TO THE PERINEUM, STIMULATING THE REGION OF MOOLADHARA CHAKRA.
PLACE THE HANDS ON THE KNEES, HOLDING THE SPINE AND HEAD STRAIGHT.
CLOSE THE EYES AND RELAX THE WHOLE BODY.
THIS IS MANDUKI ASANA.
OPEN THE EYES AND PERFORM NASIKAGRA DRISHTI.
WHEN THE EYES BECOME TIRED, CLOSE THEM FOR FEW SECONDS.
CONTINUE THE PRACTICE FOR 5 MINUTES, UNTIL THE MIND AND SENSES BECOME INTROVERTED.

BREATHING

BREATHING SHOULD BE SLOW AND RHYTHMIC.

AWARENESS

PHYSICAL - ON THE NOSETIP.

SPIRITUAL - ON MOOLADHARA CHAKRA.

BENEFITS

MANDUKI ASANA IS A COUNTERPIECE FOR CROSS-LEGGED MEDITATIVE ASANAS. MANDUKI MUDRA ACTIVATES MOOLADHARA CHAKRA. IT CALMS THE DISTURBANCE AND FLUCTUATIONS OF THE MIND AND BALANCE IDA AND PINGALA NADIS, LEADING DIRECTLY TO MEDITATION.

PRACTICE NOTES

MANDUKI MUDRA IS AN ADVANCED VARIATION OF NASIKAGRA DRISHTI. IT SHOULD BE PERFORMED IN MILD LIGHT SO THAT THE TIP OF THE NOSE CAN BE SEEN CLEARLY.

NOTES

THE WORD MANDUKI MEANS "FROG". THIS MUDRA IS SO NAMED BECAUSE THE SITTING POSTURE RESEMBLES A FROG AT REST. THIS PRACTICE ALSO GIVES THE BESIS FOR THE KRIYA OF THE SAME NAME.

MAHA MUDRA

(STRETHED LEG POSE)

SIT IN UTTHANPADASANA WITH THE RIGHT LEG OUTSTRETCHED.
KEEP THE BACK STRAIGHT.
RELAX THE WHOLE BODY.
PRACTICE KHECHARI MUDRA.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH IN.
EXHALE AND BEND FORWARD. CLASP THE RIGHT BIG TOE WITH BOTH HANDS.
KEEP THE HEAD ERECT, AND THE BACK STRAIGHT.
SLOWLY INHALE, TILTING THE HEAD SLIGHTLY BACK.
PERFORM SHAMBHAVI MUDRA AND THEN MOOLA BANDHA.
HOLD THE BREATH INSIDE AND ROTATE THE AWARENESS FROM THE EYEBROW CENTRE, TO THE THROAT, TO THE PERINEUM.
MENTALLY REPEAT "AJNA, VISHUDDHI, MOOLADHARA.
THE CONCENTRATION SHOULD REMAIN AT EACH CHAKRA FOR ONLY 1 OR 2 SECONDS.
RELEASE SHAMBHAVI AND MOOLA BANDHA.
SLOWLY EXHALE, RETURNING TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION.
THIS IS ONE ROUND.

BREATHING

ONE ROUND IS EQUIVALENT TO 2 COMPLETE BREATHS. THE LENGTH OF THE BREATH SHOULD BE EXTENTED GRADUALLY.

DURATION

PRACTICE 3 ROUNDS WITH THE LEFT LEG FOLDED, THEN WITH THE RIGHT LEG FOLDED, AND THEN WITH BOTH LEGS OUTSTRETCHED.

TIME TO PRACTICE

IN THE EARLY MORNING WHILE THE STOMACH IS COMPLETELY EMPTY.

BENEFITS

MAHA MUDRA COMBINES THE BENEFITS OF SHAMBHAVI MUDRA, KHECHARI MUDRA, MOOLA BANDHA AND KUMBHAKA. IT STIMULATES THE ENERGY CIRCUIT, LINKING MOOLADHARA WITH AJNA CHAKRA. THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS CHARGED WITH PRANA WHICH INTENSIFIES AWARENESS AND INDUCES SPONTANEOUS MEDITATION. ENERGY BLOCKAGES ARE REMOVED.

PRACTICE NOTES

BEFORE COMMENCING MAHA MUDRA, THE PRACTITINER SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY PROFICIENT IN THE TECHNIQUES OF SHAMBHAVI MUDRA, KHECHARI MUDRA, MOOLA BANDHA AND KUMBHAKA.

THIS PRACTICE SHOULD ONLY BE ATTEMTED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE COMPETENT TEACHER.