Question:
Charlie, great research, truly! I very much appreciate the references. I did not know of Kavindra previously, but I see that Kavindra was a disciple of Rajarshi Muni who was a disciple of Swami Kripalu, so thus we had the same gurudev. "I think most of the higher mudras & bandhas and such are described that way though, with such benefits eh? " Well, in order not to create confusion the sat karmas and traditional kriyas cleanse the body, remove heaviness, eliminate other obstructions, increase our energy, and lead to more rapid success in sadhana. They are usually not practiced spontaneously. Swami Kripalu’s method used the word, kriya, very differently. His system of sahaj yoga led to spontaneous kriyas where mudras, asanas, bandhas, and the like would occur naturally (without will power). It was the intelligent energy (kundalini shakti) that moved the meditator and it was seen as purification (hence the word, kriya). Hence in one school we do the asana, bandha, mudras, etc willfully in order to reach samadhi while in this school these actions are the spontaneous result of purification activity itself (kriya shakti). What I am saying is that you have found some esoteric stuff here — most people are taught the external. physical, or gross forms of yoga first (necessarily so) but most have not heard of the energetic, subtle, or rather "invisible" aspects, but e does equal mc squared. ja :-) So Rajarshi Muni is after the rainbow body. Yes it is very much like some Taoist and Tibetan Yoga pursuits, but it is commonly misunderstood and very esoteric. I don’t think we can talk about it successfully here, but if you like we can continue privately. What maybe is most valuable is to pursue our daily sadhana as well as daily activities with love, with intention (bhava) for clarity, with heart as one integrated practice. This is where authentic yoga comes into play. Most are not willing to do so (yoga is sort of a hobby for them), but this is not how yoga practice was designed. So in this NG we necessarily have the unique interface from raw beginner, skeptic, nay sayers, and even members of conflicting religions (if they so desire to see yoga as conflicting) on one hand to sincere and long term dedicated yoga practitioners on the other. Thus it is often difficult if not futile to bridge these gaps (as one can notice). I am reminded that MARS is in retrograde for awhile 
Hari Om – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sahaj yoga considers that all obstructions in the form of samskaras have an energetic and physical component as well so that these kriyas when allowed to occur spontaneously can be synergistic to the overall process. …snip… The physical aspect of khechari is not necessary, (IMO) but rather it is the energetic and spiritual aspects that are essential. The hatha yogis realized that the bio-psycho-spiritual was a wholistic two way street and hence the physical could help trigger the mental energetics just as the mental affects the energetic and physical. Patanjali in the yoga sutras was not a hatha yogi and no, he did not use the physical aspects of khechari mudra. Those practices came later, but as I have said they are not antagonistic. Rajarsi Muni is after a complete transformation of the body/mind — he is reaching for the rainbow body — a true yogi. This is a very difficult practice.but I wish him success. what, you mean sort of a physical transformation into a sort of ’superman’? i remember a bit in the Gerand Samhita that briefly mentions extruding a portion of the lower intestine for cleansing, that is said to give one a body ’such as the Gods’. I think most of the higher mudras & bandhas and such are described that way though, with such benefits eh? Siddhis and all that. Yes, good luck to him! If more authentic blatently ‘miraculous’ stuff was attained & demonstrated, it might swing a lot of people away from the coarse distractions of our manipulative consumer-culture. (?) I know the energy taoists are striving to create a light-body, they believe they need a vehicle will persist after death. Apparently the proof of it for those left living, are funny little coloured pearls, left behind. (after cremation? or perhaps after the body disappears, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. i can’t remember which) … In anycase asana practice prepares one for the path. Sounds like the poster was a disciple of Swami Kripalu or perhaps Yogeshwar Muni (another disciple of Swami Kripalu). Can you send me the URL from the quote — sounds interesting. Thanks. here you go this is the thread. Kavindra is the 3rd message down (and you’ll need to click ‘read the rest of this message).
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&ic=1&th=325ee7fded…, 4&seekm=34c190d2.4132654%40news.snet.net#p – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Found it through the ‘advanced search’ window at http://groups.google.com . I am off to nature for a few days, so won’t be around. Jai Bhagawan! namaste!
Response:
Namaste, You cutting pasting pizzaman you actually got a bit of understanding of life in the womb and after . Your right heading in the right direction with soma its a scholar thing…… translations….. no one ever found the reciept for the drug it must be ambrosia the joyti lights of the moon god. But its obvious its more like Arthur Avalon your coping with a bit of Wentz. Its your I your gave it all up with crown chackra that’s your glorious mistake. need a few good wicked minds. Turina wrote (notice no turdina or lying shroud insults) I’m gonna drop in again…<Nice First of all, you have to know that the instructions for kecari mudra are encrypted, as all other tantric material. A literal understanding won’t do you any good, and attempting to find logical explanations won’t help either, because the guys who wrote the texts counted on that, too. They wrote the texts in such a manner, that you’d _have_ to get the accurate meaning from the guy who actually knows the practice. In any other case, the texts will lead you astray. Second, I must say that I, too, didn’t understand those texts until I experienced the kecari mudra phenomenon in practice. Before that, I was pretty much bewildered regarding the meaning of it. Now, the explanation. Kecari mudra is a phenomenon that combines the upstream of red Kundalini, located at the bottom of the spine, representing the individual being’s energy, with the downstream of white Kundalini, or the Divine energy, pouring below from the crown chakra. Kecari mudra seems to take place when you tune into the white Shakti, and "drink" it, which is the meaning of the "nectar dripping from the moon". The moon is the crown chakra, and "nectar" is the sublime energy, that partially materializes in the body, producing a chemical called Soma. If you read the Vedas, you’ll know that Soma is in fact depicted as the god of the Moon, which makes the thing even more apparent. So, the tongue movement is spontaneous, and you can’t reproduce the energetic flow by just changing the position of your tongue; you’d have to bring yourself into a blissful state, by awareness of some Divine attribute. This would cause a burst of ecstasy, and if you start to "drink" this ecstasy, your tongue will feel most comfortable in kecari mudra, and by drinking bliss you will shift your breathing into a prolonged inhalation, positioned from the crown downwards. This form of cessation of breathing is called kevala kumbhaka, "liberating retention", and is always a sign of connection of personal consciousness with God’s blissful presence. By breathing in, "drinking" this "nectar", your body and soul become purified and you will soon, extremely soon, attain liberation. But, it is unlikely that you’ll manage to sustain the experience for long – at least at first. Gradually, as you become capable of "drinking" God more, as your system becomes more divine, you’ll be able to progress with this practice. However, since it is highly unlikely that a beginner would be able to identify all the "pointers" that I mentioned, I would suggest starting with more basic forms of practice, such as those formulated in the techniques on my website. Gradually, as you get to know your system, you’ll become capable of performing this, and similar advanced practices, such as "soma rasa" meditation for increasing the subtlety of your system. Much luck with your practice. — May Your Heart Always Meet Your Head.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Charlie, you are finding great stuff. Rajarsi Muni is a sincere and dedicated practitioner. He was a student of Swami Kripalu who had a huge following in Gujarat and who also claimed Lakulish (the last incarnation of Siva) as his teacher. Swami Kripalu taught sahaj yoga — an advanced form of meditation that is designed to accelerate the provocation of kriyas (spontaneous purification activities) that often take the form of asana, mudra, and bandhas. Sahaj yoga considers that all obstructions in the form of samskaras have an energetic and physical component as well so that these kriyas when allowed to occur spontaneously can be synergistic to the overall process. …snip… The physical aspect of khechari is not necessary, (IMO) but rather it is the energetic and spiritual aspects that are essential. The hatha yogis realized that the bio-psycho-spiritual was a wholistic two way street and hence the physical could help trigger the mental energetics just as the mental affects the energetic and physical. Patanjali in the yoga sutras was not a hatha yogi and no, he did not use the physical aspects of khechari mudra. Those practices came later, but as I have said they are not antagonistic. Rajarsi Muni is after a complete transformation of the body/mind — he is reaching for the rainbow body — a true yogi. This is a very difficult practice.but I wish him success.
what, you mean sort of a physical transformation into a sort of ’superman’? i remember a bit in the Gerand Samhita that briefly mentions extruding a portion of the lower intestine for cleansing, that is said to give one a body ’such as the Gods’. I think most of the higher mudras & bandhas and such are described that way though, with such benefits eh? Siddhis and all that. Yes, good luck to him! If more authentic blatently ‘miraculous’ stuff was attained & demonstrated, it might swing a lot of people away from the coarse distractions of our manipulative consumer-culture. (?) I know the energy taoists are striving to create a light-body, they believe they need a vehicle will persist after death. Apparently the proof of it for those left living, are funny little coloured pearls, left behind. (after cremation? or perhaps after the body disappears, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. i can’t remember which) … In anycase asana practice prepares one for the path. Sounds like the poster was a disciple of Swami Kripalu or perhaps Yogeshwar Muni (another disciple of Swami Kripalu). Can you send me the URL from the quote — sounds interesting. Thanks.
here you go this is the thread. Kavindra is the 3rd message down (and you’ll need to click ‘read the rest of this message). http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&ic=1&th=325ee7fded… Found it through the ‘advanced search’ window at http://groups.google.com . I am off to nature for a few days, so won’t be around. Jai Bhagawan!
namaste!
Response:
X-Ftn-To: Frank Ettenbar After practicing for three years now I can feel the tip of my tongue touching the uvula. I had expected there to be an increase of saliva in my mouth, so called nectar drinking, or some special sensation. I had only noticed that I sometimes gape the moment my tongue touches the uvula. I now wonder whether I need to practice more in order to stretch my tongue much further.
I’m gonna drop in again… First of all, you have to know that the instructions for kecari mudra are encrypted, as all other tantric material. A literal understanding won’t do you any good, and attempting to find logical explanations won’t help either, because the guys who wrote the texts counted on that, too. They wrote the texts in such a manner, that you’d _have_ to get the accurate meaning from the guy who actually knows the practice. In any other case, the texts will lead you astray. Second, I must say that I, too, didn’t understand those texts until I experienced the kecari mudra phenomenon in practice. Before that, I was pretty much bewildered regarding the meaning of it. Now, the explanation. Kecari mudra is a phenomenon that combines the upstream of red Kundalini, located at the bottom of the spine, representing the individual being’s energy, with the downstream of white Kundalini, or the Divine energy, pouring below from the crown chakra. Kecari mudra seems to take place when you tune into the white Shakti, and "drink" it, which is the meaning of the "nectar dripping from the moon". The moon is the crown chakra, and "nectar" is the sublime energy, that partially materializes in the body, producing a chemical called Soma. If you read the Vedas, you’ll know that Soma is in fact depicted as the god of the Moon, which makes the thing even more apparent. So, the tongue movement is spontaneous, and you can’t reproduce the energetic flow by just changing the position of your tongue; you’d have to bring yourself into a blissful state, by awareness of some Divine attribute. This would cause a burst of ecstasy, and if you start to "drink" this ecstasy, your tongue will feel most comfortable in kecari mudra, and by drinking bliss you will shift your breathing into a prolonged inhalation, positioned from the crown downwards. This form of cessation of breathing is called kevala kumbhaka, "liberating retention", and is always a sign of connection of personal consciousness with God’s blissful presence. By breathing in, "drinking" this "nectar", your body and soul become purified and you will soon, extremely soon, attain liberation. But, it is unlikely that you’ll manage to sustain the experience for long – at least at first. Gradually, as you become capable of "drinking" God more, as your system becomes more divine, you’ll be able to progress with this practice. However, since it is highly unlikely that a beginner would be able to identify all the "pointers" that I mentioned, I would suggest starting with more basic forms of practice, such as those formulated in the techniques on my website. Gradually, as you get to know your system, you’ll become capable of performing this, and similar advanced practices, such as "soma rasa" meditation for increasing the subtlety of your system. Much luck with your practice. — Homepage: http://www.danijel.org
Response:
Dear Sahaj Yogi, Thx for sharing your knowledge with me. It is true that some have longer tongues then other. I consider my tongue as been of average length and I have made great efforts and numerous attempts to place my tongue all the way back touching the little snake (uvula) in the back of my throat. After practicing for three years now I can feel the tip of my tongue touching the uvula. I had expected there to be an increase of saliva in my mouth, so called nectar drinking, or some special sensation. I had only noticed that I sometimes gape the moment my tongue touches the uvula. I now wonder whether I need to practice more in order to stretch my tongue much further. I also wonder if practitioners have already tried to artificially lengthen the tongue instead of cutting the frenum and what results they have had from doing so. I had also thought about having my frenum cut by a specialist but I am not sure whether this is the right thing to do. I am not aware of the spiritual/mental aspect of khechari mudra. But of course, there is a broad range of spiritual practices some of which are only know and practiced by the more advanced students. I would appreciate any more information that could shed some more light on Kechari Kriya practice since the english literature I stumbled across has proven to be very meager. Friendly, Frank Ettenbar
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Frank, my experience is that some people are born with unusually long tongues and they can do it with little practice. Some have long "enough" tongues where they can be stretched through daily pulling and other tongue exercises. A teacher has to look at your tongue to let you know if the latter is possible for you. I was told that but I have not been able to stretch it long enough to place it all the way up the uvula (but then again my practice is very poor). My teacher did not want to cut the frenum of the tongue (it has to be done right and AFIK not to be approached without expertise). There are many aspects of khechari mudra. The Tibetan and Chinese teachers say it is merely an energy movement and the tongue does not have to be physically in place. There exists also a spiritual/mental aspect of khechari mudra in that its meaning portends to a relationship or Loka.(khechara paradise) which is a tantric yoga practice utilizing non-dual tantra belonging to what is called the eleven yogas utilizing the energy body, the sushumna (Avadhuti channel), the brahma aperture, etc). Not that I am adept at this practice, but just to say that this aspect is perhaps more subtle or inner than the outer corresponding practice. This response is necessarily brief, but it is generally considered to be the best of mudras. Again since my practice is poor, I simply utilize the energetic aspect (mostly in asana, pranayama, pratyhara, dharana, and meditation practice) placing the tongue on the roof of the palate near the teeth (not far back). Sometimes I do the visualization of the channels. Sometimes I massage the roof of the palate with the thumb (but that is mostly a kriya). This is briefly my experience of khechari. Really I am not a very consistent or experienced practitioner.
Response:
Dear Sahaj Yogi, Thx for sharing your knowledge with me. It is true that some have longer tongues then other. I consider my tongue as been of average length and I have made great efforts and numerous attempts to place my tongue all the way back touching the little snake (uvula) in the back of my throat. After practicing for three years now I can feel the tip of my tongue touching the uvula. I had expected there to be an increase of saliva in my mouth, so called nectar drinking, or some special sensation. I had only noticed that I sometimes gape the moment my tongue touches the uvula. I now wonder whether I need to practice more in order to stretch my tongue much further. I also wonder if practitioners have already tried to artificially lengthen the tongue instead of cutting the frenum and what results they have had from doing so. I had also thought about having my frenum cut by a specialist but I am not sure whether this is the right thing to do. I am not aware of the spiritual/mental aspect of khechari mudra. But of course, there is a broad range of spiritual practices some of which are only know and practiced by the more advanced students. I would appreciate any more information that could shed some more light on Kechari Kriya practice since the english literature I stumbled across has proven to be very meager. Friendly, Frank Ettenbar
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Frank, my experience is that some people are born with unusually long tongues and they can do it with little practice. Some have long "enough" tongues where they can be stretched through daily pulling and other tongue exercises. A teacher has to look at your tongue to let you know if the latter is possible for you. I was told that but I have not been able to stretch it long enough to place it all the way up the uvula (but then again my practice is very poor). My teacher did not want to cut the frenum of the tongue (it has to be done right and AFIK not to be approached without expertise). There are many aspects of khechari mudra. The Tibetan and Chinese teachers say it is merely an energy movement and the tongue does not have to be physically in place. There exists also a spiritual/mental aspect of khechari mudra in that its meaning portends to a relationship or Loka.(khechara paradise) which is a tantric yoga practice utilizing non-dual tantra belonging to what is called the eleven yogas utilizing the energy body, the sushumna (Avadhuti channel), the brahma aperture, etc). Not that I am adept at this practice, but just to say that this aspect is perhaps more subtle or inner than the outer corresponding practice. This response is necessarily brief, but it is generally considered to be the best of mudras. Again since my practice is poor, I simply utilize the energetic aspect (mostly in asana, pranayama, pratyhara, dharana, and meditation practice) placing the tongue on the roof of the palate near the teeth (not far back). Sometimes I do the visualization of the channels. Sometimes I massage the roof of the palate with the thumb (but that is mostly a kriya). This is briefly my experience of khechari. Really I am not a very consistent or experienced practitioner.
Response:
Charlie, you are finding great stuff. Rajarsi Muni is a sincere and dedicated practitioner. He was a student of Swami Kripalu who had a huge following in Gujarat and who also claimed Lakulish (the last incarnation of Siva) as his teacher. Swami Kripalu taught sahaj yoga — an advanced form of meditation that is designed to accelerate the provocation of kriyas (spontaneous purification activities) that often take the form of asana, mudra, and bandhas. Sahaj yoga considers that all obstructions in the form of samskaras have an energetic and physical component as well so that these kriyas when allowed to occur spontaneously can be synergistic to the overall process. So when it is stated: "This happens spontaneously under the direction of the shakti, with no effort or will on the Yogi’s part. This is preceded by Jhivana Kriya and Dolana Kriya. Jhivana Kriya is a series of spontaneous movements which sever the ligament under the tongue. Dolana kriya is the series of spontaneous movements which elongate and strengthen the tongue (UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should someone cut it with a knife or stretch it with pliers- this will destroy any chance of Khechari Mudra ever occurring)." This means that the inner direction and intelligence of shakti should take precedence over that of mechanical or logical means i.e., the trick is to allow shakti to do all the work and the sadhak just observes in witness consciousness. However, the sadhana of sahaj yog is not about just about laying around waiting for shakti. It is a very deep practice which involves MUCH meditation. Rajarsi Muni had one book written in English, but I didn’t buy it. It was very traditional and for my taste empty. But now perhaps he has more to say. Swami Kripalu however wrote a wonderful book in English called, "The Science of Meditation" but it is almost impossible to find today. Amrit Desai (the founder of Kripalu now located in Mass was a disciple of Swami Kripalu. He tried to teach sahaj yoga to westerners but gave it up. What is known as Kripalu Yoga really is Desai’s invention which contains some watered down elements of sahaj yoga. Now, this being said, I do not totally agree with the following: "Very few people would really ever want to do this path, were they to approach this point. For most people, then, it is wise to direct them away from the lower chakras. They will not, however, attain Moksha in this lifetime. Khechari Mudra is absolutely essential for the state of Pratyahara that Patanjali refers to, and true Dharana/Dhyana/Samadhi will never occur without it. At best, only partial forms of these processes will occur through other methods." The physical aspect of khechari is not necessary, (IMO) but rather it is the energetic and spiritual aspects that are essential. The hatha yogis realized that the bio-psycho-spiritual was a wholistic two way street and hence the physical could help trigger the mental energetics just as the mental affects the energetic and physical. Patanjali in the yoga sutras was not a hatha yogi and no, he did not use the physical aspects of khechari mudra. Those practices came later, but as I have said they are not antagonistic. Rajarsi Muni is after a complete transformation of the body/mind — he is reaching for the rainbow body — a true yogi. This is a very difficult practice.but I wish him success. And yes sahaj yoga also deals with the sexual energetics (it does not try to suppress the body nor demonize it). It is not necessarily tantric, but rather those practices that deal with this natural function can be considered spirito-erotic as they coax and are coaxed, embrace and are embraced, etc by the integration of kundalini shakti. In anycase asana practice prepares one for the path. Sounds like the poster was a disciple of Swami Kripalu or perhaps Yogeshwar Muni (another disciple of Swami Kripalu). Can you send me the URL from the quote — sounds interesting. Thanks. I am off to nature for a few days, so won’t be around. Jai Bhagawan!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yes I like those movements above that you describe as well as extending the tongue outward and pushing against an object (resistance) as a motion, upward resistance motion as in lifting an object, downward resistance motion (both with the tongue extended). I’ve got a book at home (overseas therefore unaccessible) by Mantak Chia, titled something about ‘Taoist Sexual Secrets for Males’ . I remember it has several pages of tongue stretching and strengthening exercises too. To do the movements you mention, i remember: to set up a ruler extending out from a table, then use your tongue only to lift and depress the ruler … also to suspend an orange from a thread or string, then to poke it with your tongue, like hitting a punching bag. When I do these tongue exercises I do feel an energy movement as well. The frenulum of the tongue is connected to the hyoid bone which is also a subtle adjustment in cranio-sacral therapy. my anatomy knowledge isn’t good enough understand that! i’ll look for a picture Many of these are also found in Chinese yoga. i have head that this is ‘the true explanation’ for that tantric directive to eat meat (drink wine, etc. a list of 5 things i think?) The tongue is the ‘meat’ and you eat it by putting it back to the throat. Another slant: I think it was Mumford who likened it to an internal sexuality … the tongue is the lingam, the uvula is the clitorus, and yoni is the opening to the the nasal region Well some say that Mumford was over sexed in his youth but yes there are correspondences and it is given in tantra for the inward and upward energetic of the completion of non-dissipation (pratyhara). Hey, i was doing a google Usenet history search, and came across a mysterious & very interesting post about khechari. it mentions a mysterious ’sexualized tongue’ experience. you many have read this a few years ago: Newsgroups: alt.yoga …. connected with it, since this is the means by which evolution occurs from generation to generation. Each succeeding generation is a tiny bit more than the one before it. When kundalini awakens in an individual, however, that individual’s consciousness starts to evolve at a very rapid rate. This is preceeded by a massive catharsis of all unresolved unconscious issues, including those that Freud characterized as the psychosexual stages of childhood development. While in the midst of this process, the sadhak is in danger of transferring the surface feelings onto anyone in their lives- just like analysands often feel like they’re falling in love with their analysts. This is where a vow of celibacy can come in handy. I was in such a vow for five years, and feel that it was a great help in getting me through this without much trouble. Not only do you get massively horny at this point, but very soon you meet your One And Only True Soul Mate, who you love with all your heart, and are convinced that you’re destined to be with. If you resist the temptation to fall for this romantic hogwash, it will fade after a while. You may have a few months of relative peace . . . until the next One And Only True Soul Mate comes along. And again. And again. After a while, you stop taking the Soul Mate thing so seriously. Many sadhaks get distracted from their sadhana at this point. They can wind up with happy marriages from this, which isn’t so bad- but for people who haven’t purified themselves adequately before the awakening, they can find that their urges also have a considerable amount of fetishism that they never experienced before. This can lead to neurotic and unstable relationships, and generate all sorts of unhappy karma. Freud felt that an infant’s desire to suckle was motivated by the same feelings that make adults want to have sex- but the erotic energy is situated in the infant’s mouth, and is gratified through it. By maturity, it has descended to the groin. I didn’t think much of Freud until I reached a certain point in my sadhana. Let me explain. There is a process called Khechari Mudra which is only attained by very advanced Yogis. It involves the tongue becoming elongated and very strong, then inverting and going up into the cranium. This happens spontaneously under the direction of the shakti, with no effort or will on the Yogi’s part.. This is preceded by Jhivana Kriya and Dolana Kriya. Jhivana Kriya is a series of spontaneous movements which sever the ligament under the tongue. Dolana kriya is the series of spontaneous movements which elongate and strengthen the tongue (UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should someone cut it with a knife or stretch it with pliers- this will destroy any chance of Khechari Mudra ever occurring). I have experienced a bit of Jhivana Kriya. Because of my householder status, I only practice this sadhana in a very limited way, and things like this happen at a snail’s pace. At this point, there is only the tiniest tear in my froenulum. Frankly, I’m in no great hurry. It’s damn weird. What happened was this: There is a nadi leading from the second (swadhisthana) chakra up the front of the body to the base of the throat. I had been experiencing a "ball" of erotic sensation at a point inside about three inches below my navel for some time when I sat for meditation (to my frustration, it was also often there when I was going about my day as well!) After a while, certain other
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Response:
Yes I like those movements above that you describe as well as extending the tongue outward and pushing against an object (resistance) as a motion, upward resistance motion as in lifting an object, downward resistance motion (both with the tongue extended).
I’ve got a book at home (overseas therefore unaccessible) by Mantak Chia, titled something about ‘Taoist Sexual Secrets for Males’ . I remember it has several pages of tongue stretching and strengthening exercises too. To do the movements you mention, i remember: to set up a ruler extending out from a table, then use your tongue only to lift and depress the ruler … also to suspend an orange from a thread or string, then to poke it with your tongue, like hitting a punching bag. When I do these tongue exercises I do feel an energy movement as well. The frenulum of the tongue is connected to the hyoid bone which is also a subtle adjustment in cranio-sacral therapy.
my anatomy knowledge isn’t good enough understand that! i’ll look for a picture Many of these are also found in Chinese yoga. i have head that this is ‘the true explanation’ for that tantric directive to eat meat (drink wine, etc. a list of 5 things i think?) The tongue is the ‘meat’ and you eat it by putting it back to the throat. Another slant: I think it was Mumford who likened it to an internal sexuality … the tongue is the lingam, the uvula is the clitorus, and yoni is the opening to the the nasal region Well some say that Mumford was over sexed in his youth but yes there are correspondences and it is given in tantra for the inward and upward energetic of the completion of non-dissipation (pratyhara).
Hey, i was doing a google Usenet history search, and came across a mysterious & very interesting post about khechari. it mentions a mysterious ’sexualized tongue’ experience. you many have read this a few years ago: Newsgroups: alt.yoga …. connected with it, since this is the means by which evolution occurs from generation to generation. Each succeeding generation is a tiny bit more than the one before it. When kundalini awakens in an individual, however, that individual’s consciousness starts to evolve at a very rapid rate. This is preceeded by a massive catharsis of all unresolved unconscious issues, including those that Freud characterized as the psychosexual stages of childhood development. While in the midst of this process, the sadhak is in danger of transferring the surface feelings onto anyone in their lives- just like analysands often feel like they’re falling in love with their analysts. This is where a vow of celibacy can come in handy. I was in such a vow for five years, and feel that it was a great help in getting me through this without much trouble. Not only do you get massively horny at this point, but very soon you meet your One And Only True Soul Mate, who you love with all your heart, and are convinced that you’re destined to be with. If you resist the temptation to fall for this romantic hogwash, it will fade after a while. You may have a few months of relative peace . . . until the next One And Only True Soul Mate comes along. And again. And again. After a while, you stop taking the Soul Mate thing so seriously. Many sadhaks get distracted from their sadhana at this point. They can wind up with happy marriages from this, which isn’t so bad- but for people who haven’t purified themselves adequately before the awakening, they can find that their urges also have a considerable amount of fetishism that they never experienced before. This can lead to neurotic and unstable relationships, and generate all sorts of unhappy karma. Freud felt that an infant’s desire to suckle was motivated by the same feelings that make adults want to have sex- but the erotic energy is situated in the infant’s mouth, and is gratified through it. By maturity, it has descended to the groin. I didn’t think much of Freud until I reached a certain point in my sadhana. Let me explain. There is a process called Khechari Mudra which is only attained by very advanced Yogis. It involves the tongue becoming elongated and very strong, then inverting and going up into the cranium. This happens spontaneously under the direction of the shakti, with no effort or will on the Yogi’s part.. This is preceded by Jhivana Kriya and Dolana Kriya. Jhivana Kriya is a series of spontaneous movements which sever the ligament under the tongue. Dolana kriya is the series of spontaneous movements which elongate and strengthen the tongue (UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should someone cut it with a knife or stretch it with pliers- this will destroy any chance of Khechari Mudra ever occurring). I have experienced a bit of Jhivana Kriya. Because of my householder status, I only practice this sadhana in a very limited way, and things like this happen at a snail’s pace. At this point, there is only the tiniest tear in my froenulum. Frankly, I’m in no great hurry. It’s damn weird. What happened was this: There is a nadi leading from the second (swadhisthana) chakra up the front of the body to the base of the throat. I had been experiencing a "ball" of erotic sensation at a point inside about three inches below my navel for some time when I sat for meditation (to my frustration, it was also often there when I was going about my day as well!) After a while, certain other processes drove this energy up the front nadi to my tongue, which started to writhe in response. The thing was, my tongue felt horny! I have no other way to describe it. I believe that this is the same type of innervation that babies are born with. I’ve described enough, I think. What is supposed to happen after this is far more bizarre than anything I’ve written so far. I know of three Yogis who have achieved Khechari Mudra in recent years. Rajarshi Munu wrote a book about it in the Gujarati language, and it has not been translated. However, I did see him speak to a hall full of physicians at the Jamnagar Medical University. Fortunately they all spoke English, so he lectured in English for the benefit of us Gringos who were studying with him at the time. These physicians had requested he come and speak on the subject because they were so astounded by the physiological changes he had undergone (I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg here). This was after he temporarily had to suspend his ten years of seclusion because of a health problem. I was very fortunate to be able to be with him during this brief period. Very few people would really ever want to do this path, were they to approach this point. For most people, then, it is wise to direct them away from the lower chakras. They will not, however, attain Moksha in this lifetime. Khechari Mudra is absolutely essential for the state of Pratyahara that Patanjali refers to, and true Dharana/ Dhyana/Samadhi will never occur without it. At best, only partial forms of these processes will occur through other methods. I’m fairly certain I’ve caused you to have more questions than the ones I have answered. Let’s keep writing. Jai Bhagwan, Kavindra I’ve never heard of Jhivana Kriya and Dolana Kriya. Advanced stuff this Kavindra was into i think. I don’t supposed you’ve come across this ‘Rajarshi Munu book written in Gujarati language’, or seen it translated? Cheers, charlie
Response:
the exerciese i have come across: – sticking tongue out far as possible. then making circles with it – tongue out and up to nose. out and down to chin. – tongue back as far as possible, repetitions. Then lower jaw a bit, and repeat. open the mouth a bit are there any others you know of? Of course probably the best practise method is to _do_ it, the attempt.
I was instructed to stick the tongue out and grab it with a handkerchief and pull straight out, down and up. Pulling down over the bottom teeth also was possibly even more effective. The handkerchief keeps the tongue from sliding out from the grasp of the fingers and perhaps provides a bit of hygiene. I must warn people that they could get a sore tongue from this I did this for many years (still do occasionally) but my practice is not consistent. I guess I have not prioritized it in relationship to the other practices (as there exists of course a limited amount of time I have each day so we must chose wisely). Yes I like those movements above that you describe as well as extending the tongue outward and pushing against an object (resistance) as a motion, upward resistance motion as in lifting an object, downward resistance motion (both with the tongue extended). When I do these tongue exercises I do feel an energy movement as well. The frenulum of the tongue is connected to the hyoid bone which is also a subtle adjustment in cranio-sacral therapy. Many of these are also found in Chinese yoga. i have head that this is ‘the true explanation’ for that tantric directive to eat meat (drink wine, etc. a list of 5 things i think?) The tongue is the ‘meat’ and you eat it by putting it back to the throat. Another slant: I think it was Mumford who likened it to an internal sexuality … the tongue is the lingam, the uvula is the clitorus, and yoni is the opening to the the nasal region
Well some say that Mumford was over sexed in his youth but yes there are correspondences and it is given in tantra for the inward and upward energetic of the completion of non-dissipation (pratyhara). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was investigating this mudra about a month ago, and i came across a treasure-trove of information, at the Ex-Premie website. This is a support site for those who have escaped the clutches of a manipulative false-guru, Prempal Rawat a.k.a. Maharaji, the ex-"Lord of the Universe". This guy came over in the late 60’s and told everyone he was God, and many people believed him and devoted their lives to him. He’s still playing the game (and so are many old and new followers), he’s a multimillionare with limosines & jets, alcoholic, and harbours a pedophile. He taught 4 bastardized yoga techniques, or ‘Knowledge’ as he put it. One of which was basically khechari mudra. Anyway on their message forum the ‘ex-premies’ as they are known were very friendly, and happy to share their experience of continuously working on kchechari, and the fruits (or lack thereof for some) of that practise. It was very very interesting! I would love to be posting it right now for everyone, but like an idiot i didn’t make a copy. I’m searching the forum archives, but have not been successful so far.
I would be interested if you find it. Thanks. Maharaji offered great hope to many. Have you spoken to anyone successful at this?
Not with the physical khechari, but many who use it energetically. I myself have found a benefit. Cheers!
Response:
Frank, my experience is that some people are born with unusually long tongues and they can do it with little practice.
not me 
Some have long "enough" tongues where they can be stretched through daily pulling and other tongue exercises.
I hope this is me the exerciese i have come across: – sticking tongue out far as possible. then making circles with it – tongue out and up to nose. out and down to chin. – tongue back as far as possible, repetitions. Then lower jaw a bit, and repeat. open the mouth a bit are there any others you know of? Of course probably the best practise method is to _do_ it, the attempt. A teacher has to look at your tongue to let you know if the latter is possible for you. I was told that but I have not been able to stretch it long enough to place it all the way up the uvula (but then again my practice is very poor). My teacher did not want to cut the frenum of the tongue (it has to be done right and AFIK not to be approached without expertise).
yes indeed. My ‘Yoga Darshan’ by Satyanada goes so far as to claim that: "Once the tongue is cut, control over the faculties of speech and swallowing are impaired, which cannot be reversed. Therefore, the hatha yoga technique was traditionally done only by those yogis who were totally dedicated to spiritual awakening and no longer involved with worldly life." If true, it wouldn’t be worth it, for the vast majority of us. Also, perhaps cutting the frenum might lead to more likelyhood of involuntarily ’swallowing the tongue’ in an accident. There are many aspects of khechari mudra. The Tibetan and Chinese teachers say it is merely an energy movement and the tongue does not have to be physically in place.
yes, this is great news for those of us who haven’t got it all the way back yet! There exists also a spiritual/mental aspect of khechari mudra in that its meaning portends to a relationship or Loka.(khechara paradise) which is a tantric yoga practice utilizing non-dual tantra belonging to what is called the eleven yogas utilizing the energy body, the sushumna (Avadhuti channel), the brahma aperture, etc). Not that I am adept at this practice, but just to say that this aspect is perhaps more subtle or inner than the outer corresponding practice.
i have head that this is ‘the true explanation’ for that tantric directive to eat meat (drink wine, etc. a list of 5 things i think?) The tongue is the ‘meat’ and you eat it by putting it back to the throat. Another slant: I think it was Mumford who likened it to an internal sexuality … the tongue is the lingam, the uvula is the clitorus, and yoni is the opening to the the nasal region This response is necessarily brief, but it is generally considered to be the best of mudras. Again since my practice is poor, I simply utilize the energetic aspect (mostly in asana, pranayama, pratyhara, dharana, and meditation practice) placing the tongue on the roof of the palate near the teeth (not far back). Sometimes I do the visualization of the channels. Sometimes I massage the roof of the palate with the thumb (but that is mostly a kriya). This is briefly my experience of khechari.
I was investigating this mudra about a month ago, and i came across a treasure-trove of information, at the Ex-Premie website. This is a support site for those who have escaped the clutches of a manipulative false-guru, Prempal Rawat a.k.a. Maharaji, the ex-"Lord of the Universe". This guy came over in the late 60’s and told everyone he was God, and many people believed him and devoted their lives to him. He’s still playing the game (and so are many old and new followers), he’s a multimillionare with limosines & jets, alcoholic, and harbours a pedophile. He taught 4 bastardized yoga techniques, or ‘Knowledge’ as he put it. One of which was basically khechari mudra. Anyway on their message forum the ‘ex-premies’ as they are known were very friendly, and happy to share their experience of continuously working on kchechari, and the fruits (or lack thereof for some) of that practise. It was very very interesting! I would love to be posting it right now for everyone, but like an idiot i didn’t make a copy. I’m searching the forum archives, but have not been successful so far. Really I am not a very consistent or experienced practitioner.
Have you spoken to anyone successful at this? i think i’m going to put a reminder on my monitor here, to keep me at it while typing / surfing! cheers, charlie
Response:
Dear All, Is there anybody who has experience with Kechari Mudra (tongue lift) and would like to share his/her light with me? Thx for reading this message. Frank
Response:
Frank, my experience is that some people are born with unusually long tongues and they can do it with little practice. Some have long "enough" tongues where they can be stretched through daily pulling and other tongue exercises. A teacher has to look at your tongue to let you know if the latter is possible for you. I was told that but I have not been able to stretch it long enough to place it all the way up the uvula (but then again my practice is very poor). My teacher did not want to cut the frenum of the tongue (it has to be done right and AFIK not to be approached without expertise). There are many aspects of khechari mudra. The Tibetan and Chinese teachers say it is merely an energy movement and the tongue does not have to be physically in place. There exists also a spiritual/mental aspect of khechari mudra in that its meaning portends to a relationship or Loka.(khechara paradise) which is a tantric yoga practice utilizing non-dual tantra belonging to what is called the eleven yogas utilizing the energy body, the sushumna (Avadhuti channel), the brahma aperture, etc). Not that I am adept at this practice, but just to say that this aspect is perhaps more subtle or inner than the outer corresponding practice. This response is necessarily brief, but it is generally considered to be the best of mudras. Again since my practice is poor, I simply utilize the energetic aspect (mostly in asana, pranayama, pratyhara, dharana, and meditation practice) placing the tongue on the roof of the palate near the teeth (not far back). Sometimes I do the visualization of the channels. Sometimes I massage the roof of the palate with the thumb (but that is mostly a kriya). This is briefly my experience of khechari. Really I am not a very consistent or experienced practitioner.
Response:
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