Nice post.
'Direct your eyes toward the middle of the eyebrows and meditate upon your own self. It is Shambhavi Mudra, the most secret practice of all the Tantra scriptures.'
In the tantric scripture Sochanda Tantra, stanza 13, is said:
'Touching eyeballs as a feather, lightness between them opens into the heart and there permeates the cosmos.'
This is very true and is the
basis of all yogas (unions). "Who am I?" continually asked while focusing the attention between the eyebrows opens the heart chakra and awakens the kundalini. "Who am I?" destroys the false ego-sense and allows one to separate from the "mask of personality". It was the only practice really advocated by Bhagavan Maharshi.
Meditating in this manner causes a great turning about in one's life - a great awakening. Just like the first time one awakens while dreaming and realizes, "I am dreaming and all this comes from me" so too does focusing between the brow and meditating on self-nature cause lucid experience.
Over time, distinction between self and other disappears. One realizes there is
no difference between waking and dream states and one begins living in a lucid waking state. This is ultimately why Naropa advocated "dream yoga" as one of his techniques.
To stimulate this exercise, I do recommend the yoni mudra chakra meditation or performing some hatha yoga asanas before sitting to do self-inquiry meditation as the yoni mudra or hatha yoga awakens the centers along the spine.
Most importantly, in regards to this post... Despite what the yogis in india and elsewhere may say about the necessity to insert the tongue into the cranial cavity behind the soft palette, it is not necessary. Here's why...
psychologists found that a person can learn to play the piano without
physically playing it, they need only visualize the act in their heads and the brain wires itself along the same lines as if the physical act was done. I had a Tai Chi sifu that used to instruct us to meditate upon the form through the act of visualization to improve our technique.
To make the nectar flow out of the head, direct the attention to the sinus cavity behind the soft palette while holding the inhaled breath. The inhaled breath should be done starting in the area below the naval (sex center) so that the energy is lifted to the hollow of the throat. One can then imagine passing the tongue upwards into the nasal cavity and then toward the brow chakra. As one does this, with attention focused between the brow and with breath retained, do self-inquiry "Who am I?" meditation. This effectively stimulates nectar production with no need to slice the tendon under the tongue or practice iron tongue technique.
When doing the in-breath there should be a feeling like a little balloon 4 finger widths below the naval and in the center of the body being slightly squeezed. The breath should originate here and as it is lifted up, the hollow between the collarbone should be felt to "cave in" slightly from the outside and a feeling of enlargement from the inside. This breath retention technique stimulates the ability to visualize and concentrate (located in the cerebellum at the back of the head, near the etheric gap between the brain and the sushumna).
One can then pass into the brow chakra and feel the center of the head open up as if an etheric tongue has snaked its way up from the throat, to the center of the head, thus connecting the 3 major head centers of crown, brow and base of brain (which is like the substation for the lower 5 chakras).
When this accomplished. One may then begin breathing not from the center 4 finger breadths below the navel, but begin breathing from the moool-da-hara (root chakra). with attention focused between the eyebrows and the sex center aligned with the throat center, one can now feel and breathe the entire length of the spine, unimpeded by the cherubim that stands guard at the gate at the East of Eden. This is why bramachari (celibacy) is advocated in yoga. Of course, you dont need to be celibate, just quit indulging in animal orgasm, besides it sucks compared to the higher form of orgasm which is initiated by lifting the sexual energy to the throat and thence to the temple in the center of the brain, thus "transmuting the elixir" to borrow a Taoist term.
If practiced properly, this will unify all the techniques mentioned in this post into one fluid movement. All the chakras will align with the breath and the attention will naturally fall into its proper place. In doing so, one may enter into samadhi in one breath.
This is the great deliverer from sorrows. One does not need initiation from a guru. One's self is one's guru. There is only One Guru and only One pupil. Thou art that. OM TAT SAT.
blessings
