Bliss on the tip of the tongue - Khecari mudra + changed format of meeting

​Dear All,

Continuing our look at physical aspects of sahaja yoga meditation to coincide with National Yoga Month, here is Shri Mataji teaching some sahaja yogis the 'khecari mudra' in Vienna, Austria 1985 : Khecari Mudra .

What is the 'khecari mudra'?

Well, according to the extraordinary claims found in a 600 year old Indian text* relating to hatha yoga,as well as other sources,  the khecari mudra ('mudra' means yogic 'gesture') was the Queen of all mudras, the highest and the root of all other mudras. By the practice of this mudra, it was possible to catch on the tip of the tongue the nectar flow from the crown of the head and by so doing conquer disease, death and achieve immortality.

Oh, and by the way, also achieve raising of the kundalini. And be able to fly!

As Shri Mataji pointed out in various of her lectures, there was a great deal written about hatha yoga and raja yoga that was far from accurate. Possibly because the authors of the books were writing not from personal experience. The analogy Shri Mataji used to illustrate this, was of someone trying to turn the steering wheel and the wheels of a car without first turning on the ignition . The ignition being the initial awakening of the kundalini energy.

So, for our purposes, we can ignore the fantastical abilities the khecari mudra was said to bestow, and, instead, focus on the much more simpler one which is to activate the vishuddhi chakra in the throat. It's the vishuddhi chakra which , when clear, allows us to feel the vibes on the hands and around us. This is the 'sixth sense' that it has been predicted all human beings will have at some point.

The khecari mudra, as taught by Shri Mataji then is practiced by curling the tongue back in the mouth without touching the palate; pressing the chin against the chest and breathing in by pushing the chest out and stomach up; keeping the attention at the top of the head while the eyes remain open. The counterpart to this is to again curl the tongue back in the mouth; raise the head and look up; insert the index fingers(vishuddhi fingers) into the ears (the ears representing 'directions of space'/'akash'/ ether/ vishuddhi element) and keeping attention on sahasrara chakra.

While the regular practice of kechari mudra, which takes 2 minutes, won't cause you to fly, it will improve your vishuddhi chakra so that you can more easily feel vibes. When you are better at feeling vibes then it's an excellent way of helping you make better decisions and choices in almost everything. The truth of things is to be felt; not rationalised.

Changed format of meeting - focus on meditation:

Following our move from the large hall into the smaller space in The Hut and our slightly awkward first meeting there, we're adopting the suggestions some of you offered:

1.  Chairs - rows running length-wise to hall (rather than width-wise as at first meeting). This allows a comfortable amount of personal space for everybody and provides room for the workshops. It also allows easier entrance and exit from the hall.

2. Noise - Sam has kindly made a pact on our behalf with the downstairs hall users, who have agreed to be as quiet as possible when they leave their meeting. We're also keeping the door and cubbyhole into kitchen closed during our sessions. The ceiling windows will be opened instead.

3. Time - Since the meeting has been reduced to one hour (7:30 - 8:30pm) we are having to be smarter about the use of the time . So the emphasis is being placed on actual meditation and collectively achieving the thoughtless awareness state because it's in that state that all the magical stuff happens, even for the new-comers.

 In order to be able to do that, we're dispensing with the introductory talk and the video as fixed features of every single meeting. Instead they'll be an opportunity for you to develop your principal of guru if you want by explaining the mechanism of the kundalini, chakras and vibrations to any new-comers you happen to be working on in the 1-on-1 workshops. Shri Mataji's video talks will continue to be pushed out over these weekly emails as occasional short clips that you can watch in your own time whenever convenient. In the experience of many of us, listening to video talks can be incredibly powerful . The effect they can have on our own vibrations is described by the sanskrit word , ' karyanvit' which means 'it just works' ie listening to a talk(while thoughtless) can clear your chakras. You can avail yourself of the treasure trove of talks on youtube.

See you on Tuesday.

Regards

​* Hatha Yoga Pradipika