HOW TO INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF YOUR BODY?

PASHINEE MUDRA

(FOLDED PSYCHI ATTITUDE)

ASSUME HALASANA. SEPERATE THE FEET BY ABOUT HALF METRE.
BEND THE KNEES AND BRING THE THIGHS TOWARDS THE CHEST.
UNTIL THE KNEES TOUCH THE EARS, SHOULDERS AND FLOOR.
WRAP THE ARMS TIGHTLY AROUND THE BACK OF THE LEGS.
RELAX THE WHOLE BODY IN THIS POSITION AND CLOSE THE EYES.
BREATHE SLOWLY AND DEEPLY.
MAINTAIN THE POSITION FOR AS LONG AS IS COMFORTABLE.
SLOWLY RELEASE THE ARMS AND COME BACK INTO HALASANA.
LOWER THE LEGS AND RELAX IN SHAVASANA.

AWARENESS

PHYSICAL - ON THE STRETCH OF THE NECK.
SPIRITUAL - ON MOOLADHARA OR VISHUDDHI CHAKRA.

SEQUENCE

THIS MUDRA SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A BACKWARD BENDING ASANA.

BENEFITS

PASHINEE MUDRA BRINGS BALANCE AND TRANQUILLITY TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND INDUCES PRATYAHARA, SENSORY WITHDRAWEL. IT STRETCHES THE SPINE AND BACK MUSCLES, AND STIMULATES ALL THE SPINAL NERVES. IT MESSAGES THE ABDOMINAL ORGANS AND STIMULATES BLOOD CIRCULATION TO THESE AREAS. THE NERVE PLEXUSES IN THE VISCERAL AREA ARE STIMULATED AND TONED.

BENDING FORWARD AND EXTENDING THE STOMACH STRETCHES THE DIAPHRAGM AND PELVIC FLOOR, AND CREATES PRESSURE THROUGHOUT THE TRUNK OF THE BODY. THIS STIMULATES MANIPURA CHAKRA, THE CENTRE OF ENERGY DISTRUBUTION, AND RAISES THE LEVEL OF PRANA GENRALLY.

PRACTICE NOTES

RELEASE THE HOLD ON THE TOES BETWEEN BREATHS IF THE POSITION BECOMES UNCOMFORTABLE.

PRANA MUDRA

(INVOCATION OF ENERGY)

SIT IN ANY COMFORTABLE MEDITATION POSTURE, PREFERABLY PADMASANA OR SIDDHI/SIDDHA YONI ASANA WITH THE HANDS IN BHAIRAVA MUDRA.
CLOSE THE EYES AND RELAX TEH WHOLE BODY, ESPECIALLY THE ABDOMEN, ARMS AND HANDS.

STAGE 1

KEEPING THE EYES CLOSED, INHALE AND EXHALE AS DEEPLY AS POSSIBLE, CONTRACTING THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES TO EXPEL THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF AIR FROM THE LUNGS.

WITH THE BREATH HELD OUTSIDE, PERFORM MOOLA BANDHA WHILE CONCENTRATING ON MOOLADHARA CHAKRA INTHE PERINEUM.

RETAIN THE BREATH OUTSIDE FOR AS LONG AS IS COMFORTABLE.

STAGE 2

RELASE MOOLA BANDHA. INHALE SLOWLY AND DEEPLY, EXPANDING THE ABDOMEN FULLY, DRAW AS MUCH AIR INTO THE LUNGS AS POSSIBLE.

SIMULTANEUOUSLY, RAISE THE HANDS UNTIL THEY ARE IN FRONT OF THE NAVEL. THE HANDS SHOULD BE OPEN WITH THE PALMS FACING THE BODY, THE FINGERS POINTING TOWARDS EACH OTHER, BUT NOT TOUCHING.

THE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE HANDS SHOULD BE COORDINATED WITH THE ABDOMINAL INHALATION.

THE ARMS AND HANS SHOULD BE RELAXED. WHILE INHALING FROM THE ABDOMEN, FEEL THE PRANA OR VITAL ENERGY BEING DRAWN FROM MOOLADHARA CHAKRA TO MANIPURA CHAKRA.

STAGE 3

CONTINUE THE INHALATION BY EXPANDING THE CHEST AND RAISING THE HANS UNTIL THEY ARE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE STERNUM AT THE CENTRE OF THE CHEST.
FEEL THE PRANIC ENERGY BEING DRAWN UP FROM MANIPURA TO ANAHATA CHAKRA WHILE INHALING.

STAGE 4

DRAW EVEN MORE AIR INTO THE LUNGS BY SLIGHTLY RAISING THE SHOULDERS AND RAISE THE HANDS TO THE FRONT OF THE THROAT IN COORDINATION WITH THE BREATH.
FEEL THE PRANA BEING DRAWN UP TO VISHUDDHI.

STAGE 5

RETAIN THE BREATH INSIDE WHILE SPREADING THE ARMS OUT TO THE SIDES.
FEEL THE PRANA SPREADING IN A WAVE THROUGH AJNA, BINDU AND SAHASRARA CHAKRAS.
IN THE FINAL POSITION, THE HANDS ARE LEVEL WITH THE EARS.
THE ARMS ARE OUTSTRETCHED BUT NOT STRAIGHT, AND THE PALMS ARE TURNED UPWARD.
CONCENTRATION ON SAHASRARA CHAKRA AND VISUALIZE AN AURA OF PURE LIGHT EMANATING FROM THE HEAD.
FEEL THAT THE WHOLE BEING IS RADIATING VIBRATION OF PEACE TO ALL BEINGS.
RETAIN THIS POSITION, WITH THE BREATH HELD INSIDE, FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT STRAINING, THE LUNGS IN ANYWAY.
WHILE EXHALING, REPEAT STAGE 4,3,2,1 AND SLOWLY RETURN TO THE STARING POSITION.
DURING EXHALATION, FEEL THE PRANA PROGRESSIVELY DECESDING THROUGH EACH OF THE CHAKRAS UNTIL IT REACHES MOOLADHARA. AT THE END OF EXHALATION, PERFORM MOOLA BANDHA AND FEEL THE PRANA RETURNING TO MOOLADHARA CHAKRA.
RELAX THE WHOLE BODY AND BREATHE NORMALLY.

BREATHING

INCREASE THE DURATION OF INHALATION, RETENTION AND EXHALATION SLOWLY. BE CAREFUL NOT NO STRAIN THE LUNGS. WHEN THE PRACTICE HAS BEEN PERFECTED, VISUALIZE THE BREATH AS A STREAM OF WHITE LIGHT ASCENDING AND DESCENDING WITHIN SUSHUMNA NADI.

AWARENESS

THE AWARENESS SHOULD MOVE IN A SMOOTH AND CONTINUES FLOW FROM MOOLADHARA TO SAHASRARA AND BACK TO MOOLADHARA, IN COORDINATION WITH THE BREATH AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE HANDS.

SEQUENCE

PRANA MUDRA IS BEST PRACTICED AFTER ASANA AND PRANAYAMA AND BEFORE MEDITATION, BUT IT MAY BE PERFORMED AT ANY TIME.

TIME OF PRACTICE

IDEALLY, PRACTICE AT SUNRISE WHILE FACING THE SUN.

BENEFITS

PRANA MUDRA AWAKENS THE DORMANT PRANA SHAKTI, VITAL ENERGY, AND DISTRIBUTES IT THROUGHOUT THE BODY, INCREASING STRENGTH, HEALTH AND CONFIDENCE. IT DEVELOPS AWARENESS OF THE NADIS AND CHAKRAS, AND THE SUBTLE FLOW OF PRANA IN THE BODY. IT INSTILS AN INNER ATTITUDE OF PEACE AND EQUANIMITY BY ADOPTING AN EXTERNAL ATTITUDE OF OFFERING AND RECEIVING ENERGY TO AND FROM THE COSMIC SOURCE.

NOTES

THIS PRACTICE IS ALSO KNOWN AS SHANTI MUDRA, THE PEACE MUDRA.

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.

SHANMUKHI MUDRA

(CLOSING THE SEVEN GATES)

IF POSSIBLE SIT IN SIDDHA/SIDHA YONI ASANA OR PADMASANA.
OTHERWISE TAKE A COMFORTABLE MEDITATION ASANA AND PLACE A SMALL CUSHION BENEATH THE PERINEUM TO PROVIDE PRESSURE IN THIS AREA.
HOLD THE HEAD AND SPINE STRAIGHT.
CLOSE THE EYES AND PLACE THE HANDS ON THE KNEES.
RELAX THE WHOLE BODY.
RAISE THE ARMS IN FRONT OF THE FACE WITH THE ELBOWS POINTING SIDEWAYS.
CLOSE THE EARS WITH THE THUMBS, THE EYES WITH THE INDEX FINGES, THE NOSTRILS WITH THE MIDDLE FINGERS, AND THE MOUTH BY PLACING THE RING FINGERS ABOVE THE LITTLE FINGERS BELOW THE LIPS.
RELEASE THE PRESSURE OF THE MIDDLE FINGERS AND OPEN THE NOSTRILS. INHALE SLOWLY AND DEEPLY, USING FULL YOGIC BREATHING.
AT THE END OF INHALATION, CLOSE THE NOSTRILS WITH THE MIDDLE FINGERS.

RETAIN THE BREATH INSIDE FOR AS LONG AS IS COMFORTABLE. AFTER SOME TIME, RELEASE THE PRESSURE OF THE MIDDLE FINGERS AND SLOWLY EXHALE. THIS IS ONE ROUND. INHALE AGAIN IMMEDIATELY TO START ANOTHER ROUND. TO END THE PRACTICE, LOWER THE HANDS TO THE KNEES, KEEPING THE EYES CLOSED, AND SLOWLY EXTERNALIZE THE MIND, BECOMING AWARE OF EXTERNAL SOUNDS AND THE PHYSICAL BODY.

BREATHING

THIS TECHNIQUE GIVES GREATER BENEFITS WHEN THE PRACTITIONER CAN RETAIN THE BREATH FOR EXTENTED PERIODS.

DURATION

PRACTICE FOR 5 MINUTES TO BEGIN WITH. GRADUALLY BUILD THE DURATION UP OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS TO 30 MINUTES.

AWARENESS

PHYSICAL - ON SYNCHRONIZING THE HAND MUDRA WITH THE BREATH.

SPIRITUAL - BINDU, AJNA OR ANAHATA CHAKRA MAY BE USED FOR CONCENTRATION. THE IMPORTANT POINTS IS TO INTROVERT THE SENSES.

TIME TO PRACTICE

SHANMUKHI MUDRA IS BEST PRACTICED EARLY IN THE MORNING OR LATE AT NIGHT WHEN THERE IS MAXIMUM QUIET. PRACTISING AT THIS TIME AWAKENS PSYCHIC SENSITIVITY.

BENEFITS

PHYSICALLY, THE ENERGY AND HEART FROM THE HANDS AND FINGERS STIMULATES AND RELAX THE NERVES AND MUSCLES OF THE FACE. MENTALLY, IT INTROVERTS THE AWARENESS. SPIRITUALLY, IT INDUCES THE STATE OFPRATYAHARA OR SENSE WITHDRAWAL.

LISTEN SOUNDS

SHANMUKHI MUDRA IS A PRACTICE USED IN NADA YOGA TO HEAR ANY INTERNAL MANIFESTATION OF SOUND IN THE REGION OF BINDU CHAKRA. THERE MAY BE MANY SOUNDS OR NONE AT ALL, JUST LISTEN. DO NOT EXPECT TO HEAR SUBTLE SOUNDS IMMEDIATELY, PRACTICE IS NECESSARY. AT FIRST THERE MAY BE NO SOUND OT A CONFUSED JUMBLE OF SOUNDS. UPON HEARING ONE DISTINCT SOUND, FOCUS THE AWARENESS TOTALLY UPON IT. THIS MAY TAKE A FEW WEEKS OF PRACTICE. AS SENSITIVITY DEVELOPS SUBTLER SOUNDS WILL HE HEARD.