HOW TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR WHOLE BODY?

MAHA BHEDA MUDRA

(THE GREAT SEPARATING ATTITUDE)

ASSUME UTTHANPADASANA AS DESCRIBED FOR MAHA MUDRA.
KEEP THE BACK STRAIGHT.
RELAX THE WHOLE BODY.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH IN.
WHILE EXHALING, LEAN FORWARD AND CLASP THE RIGHT BIG TOE WITH BOTH HANDS.
RETAIN THE BREATH OUTSIDE AND PERFORM JALANDHARA, UDDIYANA AND MOOLA BANDHAS.
ROTATE THE AWARENESS SUCCESSIVELY FROM THE THROAT, TO THE ABDOMEN, TO THE PERINEUM, MENTALLY REPEATING, "VISHUDDHI, MANIPURA, MOOLADHANA. THE AWARENESS SHOULD REST ON EACH CHAKRA FOR ONLY ONE OR TWO SECONDS AND THEN MOVE TO THE NEXT IN SMOOTH FLOW.
RELEASE MOOLA BANDHA, UDDIYAN AND JALANDHARA.
WHEN THE HEAD IS RAISED, INHALE AND RETURN TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION.
EXHALE AND RELAX.
THIS IS ONE ROUND.

BREATHING

ONE ROUND IS EQUIVALENT TO TWO COMPLETE BREATHS. THE LENGTH OF THE BREATH SHOULD BE EXTENDED GRADUALLY.

DURATION

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

TIME OF PRACTICE

IN THE EARLY MORNIG WHILE THE STOMACH IS COMPLETELY EMPTY.

BENEFITS

MAHA BHEDA MUDRA HAS A PROFOUND INFLUENCE AT A PRANIC LEVEL. IT INFLUENCES MOOLADHARA, MANIPURA AND VISHUDDHI CHAKRAS, HARNESSING THEIR ENERGIES TO INDUCE CONCENTRATION OF MIND AND MEDITATION. MAHA BHEDA SUPPLEMENTS AND FOLLOWS MAHA MUDRA, TOGETHER THEY SUPERCHARGE THE WHOLE BODY - MIND COMPLEX.

PRACTICE NOTES

BEFORE COMMENCING THIS PRACTICE, THE PRACTITIONER SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE TECHNIQUES OF JALANDHARA, UDDIYANA AND MOOLA BANDHAS AND BAHIR KUMBHAKA.

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

MAHA VEDHA MUDRA
(THE GREAT PIERCING ATTITUDE)

SIT IN PADMASANA, RELAX THE BODY AND CLOSE THE EYES.
PLACE THE PALMS OF THE HANDS ON THE FLOOR BESIDE THE THIGHS WITH THE FINGERS POINTING FORWARD OR MAKE FISTS WITH THE KNUCKLES FACING DOWN.
THE ARMS SHOULD BE STRAIGHT BUT RELAXED.
INHALE SLOWLY AND DEEPLY.
RETAIN THE BREATH INSIDE.
RAISE THE BODY BY PLACING ALL THE WEIGHT ON THE HANDS AND STRAIGHTENING THE ARMS.
GENTLY BEAT THE BUTTOCKS ON THE GROUND 3 TIMES, KEEPING THE AWARENESS AT THE PERINEUM.
THE BUTTOCKS AND THE BACK OF THE THIGHS SHOULD TOUCH THE GROUND SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE SPINE MUST BE KEPT STRAIGHT.
GENTLY REST THE BUTTOCKS BACKON THE FLOOR. EXHALE.
THIS IS ONE ROUND.
WHEN THE BREATHING RETURNS TO NORMAL, REPEAT THE PROCESS.
PRACTICE 3 ROUNDS.

BREATHING

INHALE DEEPLY IN THE STARTING POSITION. RETAIN THE BREATH INSIDE WHILE RAISING AND LOWERING THE BUTTOCKS. EXHALE ONLY AFTER THE BODY HAS BEEN FINALLY LOWERED TO THE FLOOR.

AWARENESS

PHYSICAL - ON RETAINING THE BREATH WHILE LIGHTLY BEATING THE BUTTOCKS.

SPIRITUAL - ON MOOLADHARA CHAKRA.

PRECAUTIONS

BEAT THE BUTTOCKS VERY GENTLY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE A THICK MAT TO AVOID INJURY. DO NOT LET THE COCCYX (TAILBONE) LAND DIRECTLY ON THE FLOOR. THE BACKS OF THE LEGS AND BUTTOCKS SHOULD HIT THE FLOOR SIMULTANEOUSLY. THIS CUSHIONS AND DISTRIBUTES THE IMPACT OVER A WIDE AREA.

BENEFITS

THIS IS A POWERFUL PRACTICE FOR INTROVERTING THE MIND. IT AWAKENS PSYCHIC FACULTIES AND THE KUNDALINI WHICH RESIDES IN MOOLADHARA CHAKRA.

PRACTICE NOTES

IF PADMASANA HAS NOT BEEN MASTERED THIS PRACTICE CAN BE PERFORMED WITH THE LEGS OUTSTRETCHED, ALTHOUGH THIS METHOD IS LESS EFFECTIVE.

ASHWINI MUDRA

(HORSE GESTURE)

TECHNIQUE 1

SIT IN ANY COMFORTABLE MEDITATION ASANA.
CLOSE THE EYES AND RELAX THE WHOLE BODY.
BECOME AWARE OF THE NATURAL BREATHIG PROCESS.
TAKE THE AWARENESS TO THE ANUS.
RAPIDLY CONTRACT THE ANAL SPHINCTER MUSCLES FOR A FEW SECONDS WITHOUT STRAINING, THEN RELAX THEM.
CONFINE THE ACTION TO THE ANAL AREA.
CONTRACTION AND RELAXATION SHOULD BE PERFORMED 10 TO 20 TIMES, SMOOTHLY AND RHYTHMICALLY.
GRADUALLY MAKE THE CONTRACTIONS MORE RAPID.

TECHINIQUE 2

SIT IN ANY COMFORTABLE MEDITATION ASANA.
CLOSE THE EYES AND RELAX THE WHOLE BODY.
INHALE SLOWLY AND DEEPLY WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTRACTING THE ANAL SPHINCTER MUSCLES.
PRACTICE ANTAR KUMBHAKA (INTERNAL BREATH RETENTION) WHILE HOLDING THE CONTRACTION OF THE ANAL SPHINCTER MUSCLES AS TIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT STRAIN.
EXHALE WHILE RELEASING THE CONTRACTION OF THE ANUS.
PERFORM 5 TO 10 ROUNDS.