Practices for Bindu Visarga

Month 7

The bindu visarga trigger point is considered to be a tiny point at the top of the back of the head, but this point cannot be located physically. It can only be found when the nada or sound of bindu has been discovered and traced to its source. Through the practice of moorchha pranayama and vajroli mudra awareness of the nada can be developed. Then, through practices such as bhramari pranayama and yoni mudra, the nada can be traced to its source.

It is not intended that you practise all the nada yoga techniques at one time. You should adopt the practice which you can perform without difficulty. It does not matter which practice you commence with, because all the techniques lead to awareness of the same subtle inner sounds.

There is a very close relationship between swadhisthana chakra and bindu visarga. This is because bindu is the point where the primal sound of creation first manifests. It is the point of origin of individuality, and swadhisthana is the source of the impetus towards reproduction and sexual function. This is the material expression of the desire to reunite with the infinite consciousness beyond bindu. Sperm and menses are the material distillates of the drop of ambrosial nectar which emerges from bindu visarga. Note: There is no kshetram corresponding to bindu.

Practice 1: Moorchha pranayama

The fainting breath attitude

This practice requires a steady and firm asana - siddhasana is the best. Hold the spine and head upright and relax the whole body. Perform khechari mudra. Inhale through the nostrils with ujjayi pranayama while simultaneously bending the head backward and assuming shambhavi mudra. The inhalation should be slow and deep. At the end of inhalation, your head should lean backward, but not completely. The position of the head is as shown in the diagram. Retain the breath inside for as long as is comfortable, maintaining shambhavi mudra, but keeping the attention at bindu. Keep the arms straight by locking the elbows and pressing the knees with the hands. Fix your whole awareness on bindu. Then bend the arms and slowly exhale with ujjayi pranayama as you bend the head forward. Slowly lower and close the eyes. At the end of exhalation your head should face forward and the eyes should be completely closed. Relax the whole body for a short time, keeping the eyes closed. Release khechari mudra and breathe normally. Become aware of the lightness and calmness pervading the whole mind. This is one round. After some time, commence the second round. Practice 10 or more rounds, or until a fainting sensation is experienced. Perform each round for as long as possible, but without strain. Note: Not for sufferers of high blood pressure, vertigo, high intracranial pressure or brain hemorrhage.

• You should practise until a state of semi-fainting is induced. If you go beyond this sensation you may become unconscious.
• This practice is very powerful in inducing pratyahara and rendering the mind free from thoughts, especially when kumbhaka is prolonged. Practice 2: Vajroli mudra with awareness of bindu Sit in siddhasana or siddha yoni asana. Close the eyes and relax. Try to draw the sexual organs upward by pulling and tensing the lower abdomen and contracting the urinary system. This contraction is similar to that which is made when the urge to urinate is controlled. Contract for 10 seconds, release for 10 seconds, and continue this alternately. Each time you attain full contraction of the urinary and reproductive systems, bring your awareness to swadhisthana chakra in the spinai column, at the level of the coccyx. Repeat,‘swadhisthana, swadhisthana, swadhisthana’, mentally. Then draw your awareness up through sushumna passage to bindu visarga, uniting the sexual and reproductive energy with its source in bindu. Mentally repeat, “bindu, bindu, bindu”. Then return to swadhisthana and release vajroli mudra. This is one round. Continue this alternately for several minutes, practising up to 25 rounds. Note: This practice should be performed immediately after moorchha pranayarna, as both these practices awaken the awareness of bindu. Practice 3: Perception of subtle inner sound This practice should be preceded by bhramari pranayama. In this stage no loud humming sound is produced, you only listen attentively to the inner sound. You should keep your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears; this is necessary to block out external disturbances. Listen for any subtle sounds within your head. At first you may find this difficult, but keep trying. As soon as you become aware of a sound, any sound, try to fix your awareness on it to the exclusion of other sounds. Go on listening. After some days or weeks of practice, you should find that one sound is very distinct, and it will become louder and louder. Be totally aware of that sound. This is your vehicle of awareness - let your awareness flow towards this sound, leaving all other sounds and thoughts. Gradually, through practice, your sensitivity will increase. Eventually you will hear another sound, a faint sound in the background; it will be almost obliterated by the main, louder sound that you are hearing, but you will hear it nevertheless. You should now listen to the new faint sound. Leave the other louder sound and continue to listen to this new sound. It will become more and more distinct. This will become the new, more subtle vehicle of your awareness. Let this sound occupy your whole attention. This will further increase your sensitivity of perception. Eventually you will hear another faint sound emerging from behind this louder sound. Fix your awareness on this new sound, discarding the other sound. Continue in the same manner, allowing the new sound to occupy your whole awareness. When it becomes loud, try to perceive a more subtle underlying sound and fix your awareness on it. In this manner your perception will become progressively more sensitive, allowing you to dive deep into your being. Note: It requires practice over a period of weeks and months to perceive these progressively more subtle sounds. For many weeks you may be unable to hear even the first sound.
• This is a very simple but powerful technique that will bring results if you persevere. All that is necessary is time and effort. Try to practise for as long as you have time. In the beginning, devote 15 minutes or more to bhramari and this practice together. Practice 4: Yoni mudra Yoni mudra is also known as shanmukhi mudra,which means,’the closing of the seven gates’. It is so called because the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and the mouth arc closed during the practice. These are the seven doors of outer perception. It is via these doorways that one receives the sense data from the outside world. When these doors are closed, we facilitate the direction of the awareness internally; that is, into the mind. Yoni mudra is amore advanced practice than bhramari. It is slightly more difficult as it is not preceded by a vocalized humming sound, and it is combined with retention of the breath. Yoni mudra is more suitable for those who have a reasonably harmonized mind and are not beset by distractions. The invocation of the source Sit in any comfortable meditative asana, preferably siddhasana. Completely relax the body and mind. Bring the hands in front of the face, with the elbows pointing sideways. Hold the spine atid head upright. Close the ears with the thumbs, the eyes with the index fingers, the nostrils with the middle fingers and the mouth with the ring and small fingers placed above and below the lips respectively. The fingers should gently but firmly close the seven doors. Throughout the practice, the middle fingers should release the nostrils during inhalation and exhalation. Now inhale deeply and slowly. At the end of inhalation, close the nostrils with the middle fingers and retain the breath. Try to hear sounds emanating from bindu at the back of the head, from the middle of the head, or perhaps the right ear. At first you will either hear many sounds or none - it does not matter. Just continue listening. Hold your breath for as long as it is comfortable. Then release the pressure of the middle fingers and slowly breathe out. This is one round. Inhale once more, close the nostrils, and retain the breath. Listen to the inner sounds. After a comfortable length of time, release the nostrils and breathe out. Continue in this way for the duration of the practice. During the period of breath retention, your full awareness should be directed to the perception of inner nada. At first there may be a confused jumble of sounds, but gradually you will hear a specific sound. This may take a few days or weeks, but it will be perceived. When you hear a distinct sound, be totally aware of it. It will become clearer and clearer. Keep your awareness fixed on the sound. Listen very carefully. If your sensitivity is sufficiently developed, you will hear another sound in the background. It may be faint, but perceptible. Leave the first sound and transfer your awareness to the perception of the fainter sound. In this way you will transcend the first sound. Eventually this second sound will overwhelm your whole attention. Again, with practice and enhanced sensitivity, you will hear a further sound start to emerge. It will be faintly perceptible behind the louder second sound. Direct your awareness to this new sound. Carry on in this way - perceive a sound and then discard it when you can hear a more subtle sound. The more subtle the sound you perceive, the deeper you will delve into the depth of your being. Continue this practice for a few minutes. Do not expect to hear subtle sounds on your first attempt. Practice is necessary. Eventually you will be able to readily transcend the gross external sounds and then the progressively more subtle sounds. Do not dwell on any of the sounds for too long. This is not the purpose of the practice. The aim is to leave behind each sound you discover and to go deeper. Do not get lost or distracted by the beautiful sounds which will manifest on your journey. Breath retention: This technique is more effective if you can retain your breath for extended periods of time. Those aspirants who have been practising nadi shodhana pranayama regularly for some months beforehand, will find yoni mudra an easy and effective means of introspection. Awareness: The point of awareness during the practice should be fixed at the back of the head in the bindu region. However, if you hear a distinct sound in any other area, such as the right ear or the middle of the head, then your awareness should be fixed there. Some people may find it easier to listen to the nada in the region of the heart space (anahata chakra), especially those of a devotional nature. The important thing is not so much the point of awareness, but that the awareness remains fixed on progressively more subtle sounds. Total absorption on the nada can lead to dhyana or the meditative state of awareness. Practise Practise the techniques for bindu visarga for one month. Then begin the techniques given in the next chapter for integrated chakra awareness. The selected techniques for ajna, mooladhara, swadhisthana, manipura and anahata chakras can also be done daily, as given in the “Practise” section of the previous chapter. For vishuddhi chakra, jalandhara bandha, vishuddhi chakra purification and vipareeta karani asana can be done. Khechari mudra and ujjayi pranayama need not be done separately, since they are both incorporated into techniques given in this section.