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Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai! Dev Purīṣa Mahādeva Kī Jai! Dharm Samrāṭ Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān Kī Jai! Satya Sanātan Dharma Kī Jai! Good evening, dear brothers and sisters, the spiritual seekers around the world, practitioners of yoga and daily life. This blessing is coming to you from Śrī Svāmī Madhavānandajī Āśram, Vienna, Austria. Welcome. This evening is about one mudrā which is very, very important, and a yoga practitioner should know this mudrā. It would be good to practice. There are many different kinds of mudrās. We practiced Sambhavī mudrā, Yoga mudrā, Chinna mudrā, and others last weekend. But this evening is about that mudrā which unites our consciousness to immortality. That is called Khecharī mudrā. In the ancient śāstras, and especially from the great saint Gaurākhanātha, much is written about Khecharī Mudrā. One great saint, Brahmanandaji, says in his bhajan, in his spiritual song, that Khecharī Mudrā is the mother of every yogī. Khecharī Mudrā leads to immortality, leads to good health, and it slows down the process of aging. It is sure that we will be old sooner or later. But if we practice Khecharī mudrā, old age will become slow. This mudrā is practiced by rare yogīs. It is said that the practitioners of the Khecharī mudrā need nearly no nourishment. There are some yogīs, male and female, who do not consume any kind of food, neither solid nor liquid. They live from this prāṇa-śakti, the cosmic energy. Their body system changes entirely, and they can live only on the air, the vāyu-tattva, through which the life energy is received or supplied to the body. It is a practice which leads to Kāya Kalpa, which needs great attention and discipline. It is believed that through Khecharī Mudrā, we can cure many diseases. Through Khecharī mudrā, we regenerate the body cells, we influence the glandular systems, and we master the prāṇa, the pañcaprāṇa and pañcasaprāṇa. These ten kinds of prāṇa give energy to our body to keep it healthy and ensure a long life. According to the Kuṇḍalinī science and the science of the chakras, energy centers in our body produce cosmic energy within our body, or they connect our body with the cosmic energy. There are many chakras in our body. We have chakras in our fingers, in our palms and hands, and in our arms. We have chakras on the foot soles, the toes, and in our legs. All these chakras are concentrated or guided by other major chakras, which are the eight chakras in our body: the Mūlādhāra, the Svādhiṣṭhāna, the Maṇipūra, the Anāhata, the Ājñā Chakra, Viśuddhi, Bindu, and Sahasrāra. These are the eight major centers. These chakras govern our emotions and our intellect. They are responsible for our bioenergy and for our life. These eight chakras are controlled by three nāḍīs: Iḍā, Piṅgalā and Suṣumṇā. The Iḍā is the moon nāḍī, the lunar system in the body. Piṅgalā is the sun system, governing activity and intellect. Suṣumṇā sustains the consciousness. Suṣumṇā, which we call the central nerve, is responsible for the entire existence of the individual phenomenon. Khecharī mudrā, which is a mudrā for a yogī, functions like a mother. What do we understand about a mother? A mother means giving nourishment to the child, the milk. Similarly, the yogī receives the cosmic milk through the Khecharī Mudrā. That is why Khecharī Mudrā is like a mother. Khecharī Mudrā practice is a practice of several years, requiring discipline and regularity. Khecharī Mudrā, along with Jālandhara Bandha and the controlling of Prāṇa Śakti, awakens a very beautiful center in our body called the Bindu Chakra. We call it a chakra, but in reality, it is not like a chakra; it has no petals. It is only one, like a dot, a granthi, a gland. That chakra is located on the top of the head. To awaken that chakra, there are different techniques. It is advised to have long hair here on the top of the head and then tie it. It is called Brahma granthi. Brahma means God; it is the knot which keeps our consciousness from ascending to the Brahma-chakra, the Sahasrāra-chakra. This whole skull, or the brain or the head, is called Brahma-loka. What we call Brahma, Viṣṇu and Śiva—the creator, the protector and the liberator—this trinity is situated in our Brahmaloka. This is a brahmāṇḍa, meaning the universe. Yatha brahmāṇḍe tatha piṇḍe: what exists in the brahmāṇḍa, in the universe, exists in this body. Everything in the body is governed by these centers located in the head. Bindu means the dot. It is a very tiny gland, and that gland produces nectar. Nectar means immortality. When we get that nectar, we become immortal. We must awaken that center and keep it active. There are certain techniques one should do. The first is to keep here what is called the Śikhā. Śikhā means the flame. Śikhā means the peak, the highest point of the mountain. Śikhā means that light, that Jyoti, the flame through which the individual light, the flame of our life, goes and enters into the universal light. That is the way. Therefore, the ṛṣis created and advised humans to have certain symbols, like tilak, which is for the ājñā cakra. It is the sandalwood paste which keeps the Ājñā Chakra balanced and awakened. Whether you concentrate or not, it is constantly keeping the Ājñā Chakra active. So, it is not merely a religious symbol. It is according to the science of the body, mind, and consciousness. Yoga was not created for a particular religion, or rituals, or ceremonies. The message, knowledge, and practices of yoga are given so that a human will complete the cycle of rebirth and death and be able to merge that consciousness in the cosmic consciousness. So when we have hair and we twist it a little, roll it together, and give that particular knot, it is called Brahma Gāṭha. You should learn how to make a Brahma Gāṭha. Now, a question may arise: some people have no hair here. What should they do? Should they implant something? No, there is another technique. Every morning, take a little sandalwood oil and place it here on this Bindu Chakra. The whole day, the aroma of the sandalwood will keep your Bindu Chakra active, and it will supply positive energy through which you will be free of tension. Aggressiveness will be less. People who are often angry or nervous should do this practice for the Bindu Chakra. It is best to take a little oil drop on your hand or a little bit of paste and massage with your ring finger. The ring finger has that divine energy which unites you. Every fingertip represents different kinds of energies, and so mudrās are also performed through these different energies. When you go to the bathroom to take a shower—the room temperature water depends on the climate; if it is very cold, take a little warmer, lukewarm water—use a neti loṭā. You all know how it looks. Neti is a Kriyā, one of the Ṣaṭ Karma Kriyās of Haṭha Yoga: Neti, Dhauti, Basti, Nauli, Trāṭak, and Kapālabhāti. The neti pot is made out of brass. You can take it on your journey, for holidays, anywhere. No one prohibits it because this metal has no bacteria and is not heavy. Fill this neti pot with warm water and a little salt, and perform the Haṭha Yoga Kriyā of cleaning. In the next period, in Haṭha yoga techniques, Ummapurī will again provide nice information and demonstration for your yoga techniques. First, you clean the pot very nicely with soap. If you are near the Gaṅgā, you take Gaṅgā water; otherwise, take normal water, and you can perform abhiṣeka on the Śiva Liṅgam with the Mahā-mṛtyu-jaya mantra: Oṃ Tryambakaṃ Yajāmahe Sugandhiṃ Puṣṭivardhanam Urvārukam Evavandhanāt Mṛtyor Mokṣīya Mā’mṛtāt. Or you can do it with one loṭā in one hand, another hand here. This is the symbol of the Śiva Liṅgaṃ. Śiva means the consciousness. This is the seat of the consciousness. Śiva means liberation. Satyam, Śivam, Sundaram. Śiva is the truth, Satyam. Shivam is that Shiva. Sundaram is beauty. The truth is beauty. So you fill the water, and then with both hands you can pour the water on the Bindu Chakra. Oṁ tryambhakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭivardhanam, urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt. How beautiful it is after washing yourself. Then, after drying your head or hair, take a little pure sandalwood oil and apply it here on the Bindu Chakra. The whole day, the fragrance from the Bindu Chakra will come to your indriyas, to your ears and nose. It goes into your body and gives a nice coolness to the brain. As they say here in the cold climate of Europe, the feet should be warm and the head should be cool. This means balanced thoughts without stress. If someone is not balanced or angry, we say, "Oh, his brain is too hot." The engine is very hot, so turn off the motor and let it cool down. So this is the second kriyā or technique. The third is with the finger. When you apply the oil, also massage a little bit—gently, not with your nails. As gentle, as fine, as smaller is more powerful. Very gently. If you use force, heat will be produced, and the fine energy cells which are able to awaken and give more energy can be damaged. Sometimes, you don’t even need a touch; just keeping your hand like this, energy goes through. We can do this experiment again. Please join me. Rub both palms together, and now keep the palms three or four centimeters apart. You feel the energy penetrating. If you move them in a circular motion, it is like nails are moving in the palms. This is the same energy which can awaken and gives a feeling of relaxation. It is very beautiful. It streams energy from the Ājñā Chakra through this. If someone is very sad, aggressive, angry, or emotional, you put your hand on their head, and it calms them down. When a child is crying, the mother takes the small child, puts her hand on its head, and tries to calm it down. The child relaxes. The mother’s touch comes from the heart, from love. Different energy treats different things. So, with a gentle touch here, you will become very relaxed and calm. The stress-releasing point is this. So, clean with water nicely, slowly. You have to learn, otherwise water will come out from here. Slowly from here, a very gentle massage is beautiful. From this Abhisheka, Ayurveda has learned what is called Śirodhāra. In Pañcakarma, in Āyurveda, it is called Śirodhāra. Śiro means the head, and dhārā is a stream of water or oil. The oil can make a very fine, narrow stream which can fall for a long distance. It is not liters of oil at once, but very fine, like a thread. You can take a peacock feather. The peacock feather has many qualities; it has a healing quality. Take the peacock feather and slowly go over your own forehead, or let someone do it. It functions like Śirodhāra. People who have problems with their eyes, always moving them, can be cured with the peacock feather. Just gently go like this. As gentle, as fine, is more powerful, more relaxing. So śirodhārā, jaladhārā, will make you very calm, and your nervous system will be very balanced. Or you can ask your friend, mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife, or anybody: you sit, and then let this one loṭā let the water fall on your head. It is a beautiful feeling. Something is flowing through the body and center, the Bindu center. The Bindu is here. This is the center of your body. When you shave the hair and very little remains, you will see a circle here. That is the chakra circle of the Bindu. Someone has two? Yes, two are better than only one. This is also a technique to awaken the Bindu Chakra, and then you tie the knot, constantly letting the Bindu Chakra be balanced—meaning balanced thoughts and the nice sandalwood fragrance. Now, the Bindu Chakra. There is a very small gland, like a sesame seed. From there comes a very fine drop of nectar. It comes to the Viśuddhi Chakra near the vocal cords and then goes down with our saliva into the digestive system. In the digestive system, there is a fire. A small quantity of the nectar is dissolved, destroyed, burned. So, this drop of nectar—this very fine aroma of nectar; do not think it is like honey, sweet—should be received on the tip of the tongue. The tongue is like the mother’s body, the mother’s breast through which that milk is received, and then the jīvātmā is drinking through this. In some book, in some grantha, it is written that a yogī should eat every day, swallow—not eat—swallow the cow meat. People misunderstand, thinking why you should eat a cow. "Cow" here refers to the tongue. The cow gives milk. The cow gives this life energy. The tongue has many glands situated in it, in the gums, and in the mouth. This is the healthiest part. Therefore, in the science of nourishment, they say: chew nicely. Chew solid food well, and sip liquid food slowly. Do not drink too quickly; drink slowly. Like someone who likes coffee very much takes a little sip and puts it down slowly, mixing it. All the senses are nourished from this part of the body. That is why, according to this yogic science of the Khecharī mudrā and chakra science, in homeopathy they also say to take drops or little tablets under the tongue. It will go to the stomach anyhow. Why not just swallow it with water? They say no, then it will not function. If someone knows homeopathy, the science of homeopathy, perhaps they can explain more than what I am explaining now. The tongue is a very gentle sense organ of our body, especially the tip. The tip of the tongue, the tips of the fingers, and the tips of the toes have very special energies. While sitting, you can touch the tips of your toes very gently. You will feel the sensation going up to the Bindu Chakra. Do you feel it? Gently, and so gentle it goes deep and calms down. Again, I come to the mother. The mother touches the head of the child slowly, slowly. It is so gentle that it calms the child down, and the child sleeps. It is beautiful. So the nectar coming from the Bindu Chakra should be received at the top of the tip of the tongue. Therefore, Khecharī Mudra—"khechana" means to pull, and mudrā means the position, posture. So, it is the position of the tongue: you roll the tongue back and place the tip of the tongue in the palate. If you know good anatomy, you will see that there is a small hole after the holes of the nostrils. First, the two holes of the nostrils join, and after that, in the center, there is a small hole like a needle can go in. That is the path from which the nectar comes. If we can manage to reach there—it is not easy to go so far. We can only come here initially. If it goes further, we might struggle. The tongue is also small; it cannot go there easily. So there is a practice: every day, try and try. Some people write, incorrectly, that you should cut the ligament or frenulum under the tongue. That is wrong. Do not do this. The tongue will lengthen itself slowly, day by day—half a millimeter perhaps in one week, one millimeter in one month or two months. Slowly, maybe in two years, you succeed. In the beginning, you may have pain in the throat. When you are successful while practising Khecharī Mudrā—it can also be done in the morning when you clean your tongue—you can hold your tongue and gently, a little bit, pull it out. A little bit, not forcefully. That will help. If we overdo it or cut it, do not make that mistake. If you do, you might bite your tongue often while eating, as it will have no control. So do not make mistakes. Some people write without experience. How should the reader know? Therefore, go according to the Śāstras, the authentic books. In our book, Die Farben, Organe, Kräfte und Menschen (The Colours, Organs, Powers and Man), the hidden powers in humans are described. Here in this book, where the chakras are illustrated, there is a writing about the Bindu chakra. There is another Bindu at the Ājñā chakra. The Bindu chakra's picture is beautiful. Just looking at this picture, one becomes happy. This is how the Bindu chakra looks within. All eight chakras are beautifully illustrated, and you can read more about this through this book. In your book, Yoga and Daily Life, there is also a very nice chapter about the Bindu, about two pages, which will guide you. This book gives you more information and clarity, but that book will guide you. If you cannot understand, then come to me. I am always available. After practicing for one, two, or three years, then, while making Khecharī Mudrā, you engage Jālandhara Bandha, sitting like this. Then, with Jālandhara Bandha, Khecharī Mudrā, and Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma, these three combine. Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma helps to reduce toxins from the body. All the energy which is harmful for the nectar and for our body will be exhaled and filtered by this, and the nectar will enter into the body system. Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma, when someone sleeps very deeply, involves a little deeper breath—not like snoring—and it relaxes the whole system. It is beautiful. From time to time, release your Khecharī Mudrā so that your tongue relaxes. Otherwise, you may get tension in the side muscles. So, Khecharī Mudrā is very good for yogīs and very good to overcome many disorders in the body, psychic as well as physical. Doing the abhiṣeka every day with your neti loṭā would help you very much. You can also use your loṭā for practicing neti. If you are in the bathroom, sitting, and want to wash yourself with a bucket of water, then take it and wash. It has multi-purpose use. If you can get this pot made out of copper, then it is very proper. You can fill it with water and leave it in your sleeping room at room temperature. In the morning, when you get up, drink all the water. Drinking one, two, or three glasses of water in the morning, many yogīs say, will balance your body functions and free you from many diseases. The Bindu Chakra has a connection also to the Ājñā Chakra, Viśuddhi Chakra, and Maṇipūra Chakra. So, today is only this much. Tomorrow, again at 9:30, the same time, I will speak further about the Bindu Chakra. If you have any questions, you can write them. If someone is far away, you can write to our website, and an answer will come. So today, that is all. I wish you all the best and God’s blessing.