Khechari Mudra
‘Kha’ means sky and ‘Char’ means to move. ‘Khechari’ thus means to move in the sky. The sky may be an outside one or the one that is inside human body. It is said that a yogi who has mastered Khechari Mudra can move anywhere in the sky. That’s why it is given the name ‘Khechari Mudra’. By the practice of this Mudra the Yogi is free from fainting, hunger, thirst and laziness. He is free from diseases, decay, old age and death. This Mudra makes one an Oordhvaretas. As the body of the Yogi is filled with nectar, he will not die even by virulent poison. This Mudra gives Siddhis to Yogins. Khechari is the best of all Mudras. Khechari Mudra can be performed by inverting the tongue and entering it in the nasal cavity. Many teachers suggest to lengthen the tongue before performing actual Khechari Mudra by the process of Chedan (dissecting) and Dohan (milking). But in Kriya Yoga such methods of lengthening the tongue are prohibited. The great Kriya master Lahiri Mahashaya says that Khechari Mudra is attained automatically in Kriya Yoga.
How it works?
Beyond the nasal cavity and the two eyebrows, there is a gland, which performs several functions in the human body. Of the many activities governed by this master gland are the main activities of breathing and rejuvenation of the entire glandular system. The hormones it produces play an important part in controlling the activities of the heart system and an overall health of the body. This is the functionality of this gland. Now, we shall study the potential of using this gland in the physical, mental and the spiritual progress of a person. The Yoga practitioners have experienced multiple expressions when the tip of the tongue is touched to this gland. This touch also creates a secretion, which is called 'Amrit' in the scriptures. Tasting this secretion leads to a state beyond death. This also supports the health. For attaining this state, Lahiri Mahashaya has prescribed to place the tongue in the nasal cavity. The hormonal secretions from this gland control the activities of heart. When the breathing becomes poised, the Pranas (life current) are also poised. With this the mind also becomes peaceful. The pranas and the mind have a great physical relationship. If one gets excited, the other follows. Thus, with the above method, the equanimity of the pranas is possible. This is the ultimate limit of the physical activity. When the tongue reaches the glandular system, a mental process is also triggered. The limit of this process is until the equanimity of the mind. But this process is slightly different than the above physical process. It is earlier explained that when the tongue reaches that place, there is creation of a typical kind of experience. This experience is the experience of bliss. Though this experience is triggered within the body portal, however, is also linked to the mental realm as well. In the Scriptures it is explained that the experience of the bliss within this body is a glimpse of the Brahmananda alone. Thus, with the experience of bliss, the mind is involved with this experience and resolves to follow it. For following this experience, one has to shun the external world. The mind also gets absolved of the external world, since now it is for the lookout for the experience of ãnanda more condensed than the ãnanda of the external world. During the process of this peaceful joy, the mind remains stable. When we combine the physical stability of prãnas and the mental stability so attained in the peaceful joy, a greater realm of stability is arisen in the Bhãva-mana, the emotional mind. This state leads to the highest goal of the spiritual world. Now we shall discuss the automatic achievement of the Khechari Mudrã
