Khechari Mudra खेचरी मुद्रा

'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 [urdhvaretas ऊर्ध्वरेतस्]. 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.' Sivananda Saraswati.

Etymology

Khechari खेचरी (khecarī) means "magical power of flying" or "with siddhi or gat". It is described by Abhinavagupta, in his Tantraloka, as "the stance of moving or flying through the void of the supreme consciousness." This mudra is also known as 'Tongue flip'.

Description

The tongue flips upwards and backwards in the mouth so as to touch the palate . An advanced practice would allow a sufficient elongation of the tongue muscle so that its tip reaches and closes the posterior nasal openings.(*)

(*) The preliminary portion of this Mudra is in making the tongue so long that the tip of the tongue might touch the space between the two eyebrows. The lower tendon of the tongue is then cut with a knife little by little once a week, for a period of six months.

Effects

This spiritual practice is called khechari sadhana. It is hypothesized that it would stimulate the nearby pituitary gland in such a way. The practice of this mudra leads to the return of all thoughts and all desires to their source, which is to say to the soul.

It allows speech mastery, or vak siddki, and provides divine power and strength to the speech.

By positioning the tongue in such a way, the yogini gathers the soma, this divine nectar, amrita, the immortality fluid that drips from the pituitary gland.