UCCHĀRA (‘ascent of the root mantra’) the Core Daily Tantric Yoga Practice by Christopher Tompkins * This is a simplified, but still highly effective, version of part of the core daily Yoga practice, performed by all Tantric initiates, 7th-14th centuries
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Āsana (How to sit for practice). Come into a comfortable upright seated position for practice (on floor or on a chair). Chest is out slightly, chin is kept parallel to the floor (with the ‘DIVINE POSTURE’ below). a. HANDS in Dhyānī Mudrā (‘Meditation Pose’). Place one hand on top of the other with palms facing up, thumbs and fore-fingers touching each other, shoulders relaxed, forearms resting gently on the inner thighs.
b. ‘DIVINE POSE’ (jaw release) with an exhale, relax the jaw, making sure that a slight space is left between the two rows of teeth and also between the two lips. Optimally, the tip of your tongue should gently be raised up a bit off of the bottom of your mouth (to about as high as the top of the bottom row of teeth). ***This is kept throughout the entire practice, critical to not blocking the central channel, and for the ascent of the mantras up that channel through the crown of the head.*** II.
Prāṇāyāma (breath lengthening). 3 part breathing--The inhalation, pause between breaths, and the exhalation are drawn out to a count of 5 (seconds) or more, adding a couple seconds to each of the 3 parts each week. So 5-5-5, or 6-6-6, 7-77, etc. Practice for 5-15 minutes. a. Visualization for the inbreath (part one) envision that you are ‘drinking or sipping in’ each extended cool ‘lunar’ in-breath, seeing it as a cool (blue-ish perhaps) hue as it flows down through the 1
nostrils, down into the heart. Envision a white, flowing lotus (or other flower of choice) around the heart that gradually opens upward as you breath slowly down into it. b. Visualization for the breath pause (part two) As you hold your out-breath after each extended inhalation, Envision a (candle) flame in the center of the heart lotus as you inwardly chant ‘OM’ into it during the pause. Envision each ‘OM’ increasing the size and heat of the flame. c. Visualization for the exhalation (part three) For each extended ‘solar’ exhale, envision a column of flame arising from the heart lotus, which closes as the breath ascends from it. Envision this column rising through the crown of the head (remember to keep the jaw released throughout). After Prānāyāma (stage I) is complete, exhale out the breath with a double sigh, envisioning the release of all/anything not serving you, physically, emotionally, mentally… III.
Ucchāra. “Ascent” of the Mantras *Repeat the same 3 parts of prānāyāma as performed above, but now add the following*— a. At the end of breath pause (part two), slowly and audibly chant, with a slow exhale, from the heart up through the crown, the mantra AUṂ, rising as a column of healing flame, up through the central channel (the spinal column) from the heart but drawing energy from the base of the spine. b. Pronouncing the parts of AUṂ i. AU-. So the sound of AU- (pronounced ‘OH’), felt from the heart to the palate, is visualized as the column of rising fire (from the heart flame) ii. -Ṃ. This fades into the resonance of -Ṃ, (‘-nnnng’) which is sounded during the last 1/3 of your exhale. It is a pure resonance made in the palate/3rd eye area, thus it ascends naturally out of AU- in a straight line right up the spine (and not at the lips) The letter Ṃ is a vowel, pronounced in the palate area most accurately as “-nnng”. It is celebrated as the sound of the gentle buzz of bees gathering nectar in flowers. Feel it each round slowly fading upward past the nasal cavity and through the crown of the head raised with this hand mudrā-c. Performed with the Double Handed ‘Meditation Pose’ (dhyānī mudrā).
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Place one hand on top of the other with palms facing up, thumbs and fore-fingers touching each other, shoulders relaxed, forearms resting gently on the inner thighs. Raise the hands just before you begin to chant the sound AU- (At the heart); as your hands reach the palate, allow the AU- to fades into Ṃ (“nnng”). Here at the transition point (palate/3rd eye) between the 2 parts of the syllable AUṂ, the hands are flipped over gently, and guide the sound Ṃ through the crown of the head. Maintain the ‘DIVINE POSE’ (gentle separation between the jaw/teeth/lips). d. Inhalation of the ‘immortal nectar’ (amrita) of Shiva— i. When the sound of the mantra has dissipated through the crown of the head at the end of the exhale/rise of the mantra AUṂ, allow the hands to pause there before inhaling. ii. Slowly inhale the hands in a descending arc, like the shape of full moon. Here we draw into the body the cool circular ‘moon’ of Shiva’s lunar light, envisioning this as healing and infusing the body with expanded awareness. The hands come to rest on top of each other again in your lap (= to ‘c.’ above) as the cool inbreath fills the opening heart lotus. At the end of this drawn out inhalation, release a gentle sigh from the heart is drawn into the heart. Repeat the ‘Ascent’ of AUṂ as explained in a-d for at least 10-15 minutes, ending with a final double exhale that releases the breath and this exercise. IV.
MEDITATION. 10-15 minutes of meditation of your choice, following the ascending mantra practice. a. One option is to envision thoughts like waves that roll up to your body but do not touch it. Neither do you get up and step into the ocean of thought. Each thought is merely witnessed as a different wave-shape and not judged. VERY POWERFUL. b. It can be a good idea to keep the divine ‘jaw release’ pose while meditating, and also to occasionally do an extra round of the ‘Ascent’ of AUṂ to stabilize your focus. Throughout meditation, intuitively feel the resounding, healing effect of the ‘Mother Mantra’ all throughout your body.
Questions: cptompkins@yahoo.com
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