Yoga Practice Name
Maha Bheda Mudra
Yoga Practice Branch
Ashtang Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga
Yoga Practice Type
Hatha Yoga Category
Mudra
Steps and Description
- Sit with the legs outstretched. Assume utthan padasana as described for maha mudra.
- Keep the back straight and relax the whole body.
- Do khechari mudra take a deep breath in.
- While exhaling, lean forward and clasp the right big toe with both hands.
- Retain the breath outside and perform jalandhara, uddiyana and moola bandhas.
- Rotate the awareness successively from the throat, to the abdomen, to the perineum, mentally repeating, 'vishuddhi, manipura, mooladhara'.
- The awareness should rest on each chakra for only 1 or 2 seconds and then move to the next in a smooth flow.
- Rotate the awareness in this manner for as long as is comfortable, retaining the breath outside.
Release moola bandha, uddiyana and jalandhara. - When the head is fully raised, breathe in and return to the upright postion and relax.
Contraindications
- This practice should only be performed under the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher.
- Maha bheda bandha raises the energies very fast, and can precipitate symptoms of hyperactivity if wrongly prescribed or if preliminary preparation is not thorough.
General Benefits
- Digestion and assimilation are stimulated and abdominal disorders are removed.
- Maha bheda mudra stimulates the energy circuit linking mooladhara with ajna chakra.
- The whole system is charged with prana which intensifies awareness and induces spontaneous meditation.
Benefits for Disease
Depression