Different types of yoga require flexibility for certain postures. Khechari Mudra is no different, but it requires you to stretch your tongue to the back of your throat and insert it into your nasal cavity. Seems impossible? This is possible after months of practice.

Khechari Mudra is a type of Hatha yoga, which in Sanskrit means “force” and in modern-day primarily focuses on physical exercises. Hatha yoga is the yoga that is widely known by everyone now. 

Of course, yoga practice must be done in the presence of an expert Yoga or Mudra teacher. Some of the risks of trying Khechari Mudra without any professional is choking, and with a slight mistake, you can injure your tongue and other complications too.  

Stages of Khechari Mudra

Khechari Mudra is not the type of thing to master in just one try or overnight. In the first stage, practitioners curl back their tongues as far back as possible until the tip touches the soft palate at the back of the mouth or even the uvula. Doing it seems to be easier said than done, but it is supposed to become easier as you practice.

It can take months or even years of daily practice to do so but it does not sound as nearly as impossible as the next stages to come. The tongue can be lengthened naturally so it can reach behind the uvula, but for it to curl back enough to enter the nasal cavity, the lingual frenulum has to be cut. 

The lingual frenulum is the ‘string’ you can see attached to the back of your tongue when you curl it back. According to a hatha yoga text quoted by Wikipedia, it has to be gradually cut using a sharp blade little by little. Until about six months the skin is destroyed and then after another six months of constant practice, one can successfully do Khechari Mudra and reach the spiritual benefits of it.  

The purpose of Khechari Mudra

The goal is to attain liberation in the body, by sealing in the energy of Bindu in the head so that it is not lost. In Hindu metaphysics, Bindu refers to the point at which creation begins and may become unity. 

Some benefit of successfully undergoing this yoga is it helps overcome thirst, hunger, and laziness. Plus, it gives control over speech and gives you a strong immune system, and makes the body divine.