HOW TO FOUND OUR INNER PEACE? (THE MUDRAS POWER)

KHECHARI MUDRA

(TONGUE LOCK)

SIT IN ANY COMFORTABLE MEDITATION POSE, PREFERABLY PADAMASANA OR SIDDHA/SIDDHA YONI ASANA, WITH THE HEAD AND SPINE STRAIGHT AND THE HANDS IN CHIN OR JNANA MUDRA.
RELAX THE WHOLE BODY AND CLOSE THE EYES.
FOLD THE TONGUE UPWARD AND BACKWARD, SO THAT THE LOWER SURFACE LIES IN CONTACT WITH THE UPPER PALATE.
STRETCH THE TIPS OF THE TONGUE BACKWARD AS FAS AS IS COMFORTABLE.'
DO NOT STRAIN.
PERFORM UJJAYI PRANAYAMA.
BREATHE SLOWLY AND DEEPLY.
HOLD THE TONGUE LOCK FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT STRAINING.
AT FIRST THERE MAY BE SOME DISCOMFORT AND UJJAYI PRANAYAMA MAY IRRITATE THE THROAT, BUT WITH PRACTICE IT WILL BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE.
WHEN THE TONGUE BECOMES TIRED, RELEASE AND RELAX IT, THEN REPEAT THE PRACTICE.

BREATHING

GRADUALLY REDUCE THE RESPIRATION RATE OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS UNTIL THE NUMBER OF BREATHS PER MINUTES IS 5 OR 6.

THIS MAY BE REDUCED FURTHER UNER THE GUIDANCE OF A COMPETENT TEACHER.

DURATION

PRACTICE FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES. KHECHARI MUDRA MAY ALSO BE PERFORMED WITH OTHER YOGA PRACTICES.

AWARENESS

PHYSICAL - ON THE STRETCH OF THE TONGUE AND THE LIGHT PRESSURE AGAINST THE UPPER PLATE.

SPIRITUAL - AT VISHUDDHI CHAKRA.

PRECAUTION

DISCONTINUE THIS MUDRA IF A BITTER SECRETION IS TASTED. SUCH A SECREATION IS A SIGN OF TOXINS IN THE SYSTEM.

BENEFITS

KHECHARI MUDRA STIMULATES A NUMBER OF PRESSURE POINTS LOCATED IN THE BACK OF THE MOUTH AND THE NASAL CAVITY.
THESE POINTS INFLUENCE THE WHOLE BODY.
A NUMBER OF GLANDS ARE ALSO MASSAGED, STIMULATING THE SECRETION OF CERTAIN HORMONES AND OF SALIVA.
THIS PRACTICE REDUCES THE SENSATIONS OF HUNGER AND THIRST, AND INDUCES A STATE OF INNER CALM AND STILLNESS.
IT PRESERVES THE VITALITY OF THE BODY AND IS ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR INNER HEALING.
ULTIMATELY, THIS MUDRA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO STIMULATE PRANA AND AWAKEN KUNDALINI SHAKTI.

NOTES

THE WORD KHECHARI COMES FROM TWO SANSKRIT ROOTS, KHE, MEANING "SKY" AND CHARYA, MEANING "ONE WHO MOVES". KHECHARI MUDRA IS ASSOCIATED WITH AMRITA, THE NECTAR OR ELIXIR OF LIFE WHICH IS SECRETED FROM BINDU, A POINT SITUATED AT THE POSTERIOR FONTANEL, AND THEN COLLECTED AT VISHUDDHI CHAKRA.

PERFECTION OF THIS PRACTICE ENABLES THE YOGI TO TRAP THE DESCENDING DROPS OF AMRITA AT VISHUDDHI, OVERCOMING HUNGER AND THIRST, AND REJEVENATING THE ENTIRE BODY.

KAKI MUDRA
(CROW' BEAK)

SIT ANY COMFORTABLE MEDITATION ASANA WITH THE HEAD AND SPINE STRAIGHT AND THE HANDS RESTING ON THE KNEES IN EITHER CHIN OR JNANA MUDRA.
CLOSE THE EYES AND RELAX THE WHOLE BODY FOR A FEW MINUTES.
OPEN THE EYES AND PERFORM NASIKAGRA DRISHTI BY FOCUSING BOTH EYES ON THE NOSETIP.
TRY NOT TO BLINK THE EYES THROUGHOUT THIS PRACTICE.
PURSE THE LIPS, FORMING A BEAK THROUGH WHICH AIR MAY BE INHALED.
THE TONGUE SHOULD BE RELAXED.
INHALE SLOWLY AND DEEPLY THROUGH THE PURSED LIPS.
AT THE END OF INHALATION CLOSE THE LIPS AND EXHALE SLOWLY THROUGH THE NOSE.
REPEAT THE PROCESS FOR 3 TO 5 MINUTES.

AWARENESS

ONE THE FLOW AND SOUND OF THE BREATH, AND ON THE NOSETIP.

SEQUENCE

THIS MUDRA IS A COOLING PRACTICE. IT BALANCE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BODY WHEN PERFORMED AFTER HEATING PRANAYAMAS.

TIME TO PRACTICE

IT MAY BE PERFORMED AT ANY TIME OF DAY, ALTHOUGH IT IS BEST PERFORMED EARLY IN THE MORNING OR LATE AT NIGHT. IT SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED IN COLD WEATHER.

PRECAUTION

KAKI MUDRA SHOULD NOT BE PRACTICED IN A POLLUTED ATMOSPHERE OR IN EXCESSIVELY COLD WEATHER BECAUSE THE NORMAL FILTERING AND AIR-CONDITIOING FUNCTION OF THE NOSE IS BY PASSED.

CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN NOT TO STRAIN THE EYES.

BENEFITS

KAKI MUDRA COOLS THE BODY AND MIND AND SOOTHES MENTAL TENSIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE BENEFITS OF NASIKAGRA DRISHTI, THE ACT OF PURSUING THE LIPS IN THIS PRACTICE, TOGETHER WITH THE CONTACT OF THE INDRAWN AIR WITH THE MEMBRANES OF THE MOUTH, STIMULATES DIGESTIVE SECRETIONS, AIDING THE DIGESTIE PROCESS GENERALLY.

PRACTICE NOTE

PRACTITIONER SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH NASIKAGRA DRISHTI PRIOR TO COMMENCING THIS TECHNIQUE.

THE EYES MUST BE KEPT OPEN THROUGHOUT THE PRACTICE AND NASIKAGRA DRISHTI SHOULD BE CONTINUOUS.

IF THE EYES BECOME TIRED, RELAX THEM FOR AS LONG AS NECESSARY BEFORE RECOMMENCING THE PRACTICE.

NOTES

THE WORD KAKI MEANS "CROW". KAKI MUDRA IS SO CALLED BECAUSE DURING INHALATION THE MOUTH IS SHAPED LIKE A CROW'S BEAK. IT IS CLAIMED THAT REGULAR PRACTICE OF THIS MUDRA LEADS TO THE DISEASE FREE, LONG LIFE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CROW.

THIS MUDRA IS ALSO CONSIDERED TO BE A PRANAYAMA PRACTICE BECAUSE OF ITS CLOSE SIMILARLY TO SHEETALI AND SHEETKARI PRANAYAMAS.