Mudras and Health: Kriya to reverse ageing

By Yogi Ashwini ji of Dhyan Foundation

Mudras and Health: Kriya to reverse ageing

Here is a kriya to reverse the ageing process.

The body is programmed for normal wear and tear. The pranic currents of paanch mahapranas within the body i.e Prana, Apana, Samana, Udaan and Vayan are programmed to flow in their respective directions and take the body to its logical end. Our ancient rishis discovered that reversing the process of pranic flows has the effect of reversing certain ageing processes, processes responsible for apparent decay of the body viz grey hair, sagging skin and loss of the youthful physical glow.

Reversing the pranic flow is called Viparitkarni - a technique prescribed by the ancients to reverse the ageing process.

Viparitkarni Kriya

Lie down on your back. Then slowly lift the lower part of the body upwards (as shown in the picture) till you are in a position where the legs are perpendicular to the ground. Remember the legs should not be tilting towards the face. As you lift the body - inhale and hold your breath for a comfortable time period; then exhale and slowly come down. Remember the key is not to overstrain yourself.

Caution: The body should not be diseased, that is to say you should practice this kriya only when there are no physical ailments in the body. If there is a problem in the body then do other asanas and kriyas to get rid of the disease first. The body's ageing process can be reversed only if the body is disease free.

Hatha Yog Pradipika, Chapter 3, Verse 80 on Viparitkarni:

-       Adhahsiras cordhvapadah ksanam syat prathame dine Ksanac ca-kincid adikam abhyasec ca dine dine.

-       Place the head on the ground and the feet up into the sky. For a second only the first day and increase this time daily.

Having discussed Viparitkarni Kriya which is a reversal of the pranic flow of energy, which results in an excessive generation of energy or prana in the body. We now discuss how this excessive energy needs to be directed towards various energy transformers in the body - which the ancient rishis called the chakras.

These transformers or chakras are visible to a clairvoyant as clearly as you see them in this picture. Chakras can be understood as rotating lotuses - each of a different colour and each responsible for the vital and motor functions of the body. Chakras directly control not only the physical body [annamaya kosha] but also our financial and emotional aspects.

The Chakra Sanchalan Kriya as explained by Yogi Ashwiniji in this article helps direct excessive prana generated by Viparitkarni, to the various chakras.

Chakra Sanchalan Kriya

Sit in Vajra asana with your hands raised high. Your palms should face upwards at the Sahastrar chakra, with eyes in Shambhavi Mudra (eyeballs rolled up looking at the centre of your eyebrows). First move your awareness upwards, then slowly move it downwards, stopping at each of the chakras momentarily, then be aware of all the chakras simultaneously. The seven chakras from top and downward:

- 7 - Sahastar, 6 - Ajna, 5 - Vishuddhi, 4 - Anahaat, 3 - Manipoorak, 2 - Swadhishtthan, 1 - Mooladhar.

This Kriya will have the effect of directing the energy towards the chakras or the transformers. The position of the hands, wherein they face the Sahastrar chakra, helps prevent any energy escape from the Sahastrar, hence the energy is deflected back in the body. Follow this procedure seven times.

This is a very simple, yet extremely powerful kriya, which when done regularly over a few months brings about a balance in one's being and the practitioner is blessed with immense power and glowing health.

After redistributing the excessive energy through the Chakra Sanchalan Kriya the Brahmacharya Mudra is used for kundalini awakening, energising for preserving life, to add a glow to your form or to any other desired effect.

We now discuss how this redistributed energy is used for enhancing the body's beauty and glow. How it is directed to the kundalini can not be discussed here for that is a subject only for serious sadhaks and requires very strict discipline.

The Kriya to be followed is the Brahmacharya Kriya. Traditionally in the Yogic texts the feet are spread in front of you (Brahmcharya asana) when you lift your body from the ground on your flat palms, but Yogi Ashwini ji through practice finds lifting off in Padma asana along with moolbandha (as discussed in the Mahabandha series) and shambhavi mudra much more effective for a normal person.

Brahmacharya Kriya

Sitting in Padma asana or lotus position, maintain Shambhavi mudra and apply the Moolbandha. Inhale and hold your breath into your stomach or in other words let the stomach come out, and lift yourself off from the ground on your flat palms as shown in the photo. Then slowly exhale and come down. This is to be done once and then gradually increased to seven times. The breath is to be held for seven counts initially and then gradually increased by multiples of seven. An adept holds for 49 counts.

After this relax in Shava asana for ten minutes. During Shava asana visualize that this energy is going to the desired areas of the body and correcting whatever needs to be corrected. You may also use this force for reshaping your body or adding a glow to your form.

This is an advanced yogic kriya designed by Yogi Ashwiniji . Great care should be followed in its practice and at no time should the body be even slightly strained. All advanced yogic kriyas or mudras should be done under strict supervision of experts.

.

.

See also: Mudras and Health, Mudras, Mudras and Health, Mudra Instructions, Yoga, Yoga and Health, Yoga Systems, Yoga Positions)