Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas - Awakening Ecstatic Kundalini

by Yogani

"Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas - Awakening Ecstatic Kundalini" provides a practical approach for incorporating yoga postures and specialized inner physical maneuvers into a compact daily routine of practices that includes spinal breathing pranayama and deep meditation. Kundalini awakening is covered with clarity, including a discussion of symptoms and specific methods for self-pacing and regulating the inner energies to provide for progressive and safe unfoldment of abiding inner silence, ecstatic bliss and outpouring divine love - the essential characteristics of rising enlightenment.
Yogani is the author of ground-breaking books on highly effective spiritual practices, Advanced Yoga Practices - Easy Lessons for Ecstatic Living (two comprehensive user-friendly textbooks), and The Secrets of Wilder, a powerful spiritual novel.

The "AYP Enlightenment Series" makes these profound practices available for the first time in a series of concise instruction books. "Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas" is the fourth book in the series. The third in the series is "Tantra - Discovering the Power of Pre-Orgasmic Sex." The second is "Spinal Breathing Pranayama - Journey to Inner Space." The first is "Deep Meditation - Pathway to Personal Freedom."

Genres: Spirituality

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Yogani is the author of the Advanced Yoga Practices (AYP) system, including more than a dozen Instructional Titles available in Paperback, eBook and AudioBook editions, covering all aspects of Full-Scope Yoga Practice. Since 1970, he has crossed the lines between many traditions, developing an effective integration of methods including Deep Meditation, Spinal Breathing Pranayama, Hatha, Kundalini, Tantra, Self-Inquiry, and more. It is a flexible, scientific approach rather than a rigid, arbitrary one, and open to public scrutiny, as all spiritual knowledge should be nowadays. He has no desire for guru status - only to have the joy of making a small contribution to helping the disciplines of spiritual practice become open to everyone. He wishes to remain anonymous, preserving a quiet life in practices. AYP is not about the author. It is about all who long for knowledge. 


Reviews

[Luke Sebree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was less satisfied with this book compared to the previous three in this series (Deep Meditation, Spinal Pranayama, and Tantra).

CRITICISMS

My first criticism is that he does not caution readers about the potential consequences of cutting your lingual frenulum to accomplish Khechari Mudra. For anyone unfamiliar, Khechari Mudra is a technique where you bring your tongue up and back into your nasal cavity. You can accomplish this more easily by gradually cutting your lingual frenulum, (the membrane connecting tongue to the bottom of your mouth) but it is a dangerous practice that can result in difficulty eating, speaking, or at the very least infections and bleeding if done improperly. Yogani has a responsibility to warn readers about these consequences and encourage supporting practices like Talabya Kriya, Dohan Kriya, and Chalan Kriya, all of which can help practitioners accomplish Khechari Mudra without cutting their tongues.

My second criticism is regarding the use of Uddiyana Bandha at the top of your inhale during Yoni Mudra and Maha Mudra. For those unfamiliar, Uddiyana Bandha is a technique where you suck your diaphram in and up into your lung cavity. My understanding was that you had to exhale fully to perform this Bandha properly i.e. during exhale retention. Yogani says to apply Uddiyana Bandha during inhale retention for Yoni and Maha Mudras, which confused me. This might be a misunderstanding on my part, I would love clarification here.

My third criticism is that Yogani introduces the concept of "Samyama" into his yoga practice without explaining what it means in the context of his other systems introduced so far. In chapter 3 he suggests an overall practice routine of 10 minutes Asanas, 5-10 mins spinal pranayama, 20 minutes deep meditation, 10 minutes Samyama, and 5-10 mins rest, but at this point in the series he has not defined Samyama in any detail so it's inclusion here confused me.

SUMMARY

Other than those criticisms, I found this to be an excellent, thorough guide on Asanas, Mudras, and Bandhas. Yogani proposes a 14 part, 10 minute Asana series to be performed twice daily alongside spinal pranayama and deep meditation. For Yogani, Asanas can be practiced on their own for health and relaxation, but when paired with spinal pranayama and deep meditation Asanas and the other bodily postures (mudras and bandhas) become powerful tools for purifying and improving the conductivity of our nervous systems and specifically the Shushumna nadi or central spinal column nerve.

KEY TECHINQUES:

-10 minute Asana (posture) series
-Siddhasana (perfect pose -Yogani considers this THE most important Tantra technique)
-Bandhas (locks): Mula Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, Jalandhara Bandha
-Mudras (seals): Shambavi Mudra, Khechari Mudra, Yoni Mudra, Maha Mudra, Yoga Mudra

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made a lot of sense to me since I've been experience some sort of automatic mudras taking place when doing pranayamas. Now, if you have not practiced anything or you are not doing other sets of practices (pranayama and meditation), this book will sound distant and esotheric.
From the set of AYP books, this is by far the less repetitive. Other books in the series have an extremely short message, this one has a lot to say (many distinct concepts and techniques).

[Cal]

I have been enjoying this entire series. Yogani explains the actual practice of meditating in a way that is surprisingly accessible. If you are interested, I suggest starting with the first in this series and working your way through them; perhaps one a month.