11. Internal psycho-physical techniques

Another feature of Nath yoga physiology are the three bandhas, the muscle contractions or ‘locks’ that facilitate the containment and regulation of psychic energy within the body.

They are used particularly as an adjunct to breathing exercises. The three bandhas are the mulabandha (situated just above the anal and genital muscles), the uddiyanabandha (just below the diaphragm), and the jalandharabandha (the throat lock).

Many mudras (which means ‘seal’, ‘stamp’ or ‘impression’) are also described (twenty-five in the Gheranda Samhita). Particular mudras entail specific kinds of pranayama and bhandas, while some require a posture, most commonly padmasana (‘lotus position’).

Three of the mudras are the three bandhas (described above); other mudras are particular kinds of concentration (such as on an external object or the tip of the nose), maintaining a shoulder stand (viparitakarani), shanmukhi mudra (closing the ears, nose and eyes with the fingers), vajroli mudra (which involves drawing up liquid into the penis), and kechari mudra (the ‘flying’ mudra), which entails rolling the tongue back to allow the tip to seal the nasal passage and release nectar from the cranial vault.

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