I. Bhramari Pranayama
(sound like bee buzzing)
“Inhale slowly, do bhramari-kumbhaka and exhale slowly. This creates the sound of a buzzing bee.
Listening to this sound, place manas in the center of the sound. This is how samadhi comes, the knowledge of So Ham (I am He) grows and great happiness comes. "
Gheranda Samhita (7.10-7.11)
We sit down in sukhasana or siddhasana, set the position of the hands, as in sahita-kumbhaka, slowly inhaling through one nostril, exhaling through the other, trying to make the throat buzz like a bee. We listen to this buzzing until the mind merges with sound in samadhi and dissolution (laya) occurs.
“Breathe in the air quickly with a loud buzz-like sound, and exhale slowly, producing a quieter buzzing bee sound. By doing this practice, the sadhak becomes the master of the yogis, and his mind dissolves in bliss. "
Swatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (2.6
This is "bhramari" (pranayama of the "buzzing bee"), it is called so because the sound that the yogi makes during breathing is similar to the sound of the buzzing of a bee.
Option I
Sit in the correct posture, siddhasana or sukhasana, with the spine straight, the body steady and completely relaxed. Keep your eyes closed.
Cover your ears with your index or middle fingers. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, listening to the sounds of the breath.
When exhaling, a soft, low-pitched sound similar to the buzzing of a bee should be heard.
During the entire exhalation, keep your attention on this sound.
Take a deep breath again and then exhale as described above.
This is one cycle. Perform 10 to 20 of these breaths.
In a more difficult version, after exhalation, holding the breath, jalandhara and mula bandha are performed.
Several breaths can be taken between cycles to restore the natural breathing rhythm.
At the end of the practice of pranayama, remain for some time in meditation, listening to the sounds arising inside.
Option II
This option differs from the previous one in that after inhalation, the breath is held, mula bandha and shanmukhi (yoni) -mudra, that is, the ears are closed with thumbs, eyes - with index fingers, nostrils - with middle fingers and mouth - with ring fingers and little fingers.
Hold your breath as far as it is comfortable for you.
Behold the subtle sounds or visions of light that may appear before your eyes, that is, without following them, remain in awareness. You should not judge sounds, think about them, or try to get a better look at them. Combine sounds and presence of awareness.
When the breath-hold comes to an end, loosen your middle fingers and exhale smoothly, making a whirring sound, as described in the first option.
Perform 10 to 20 cycles.
This pranayama is recommended to be performed after the practices of the Shakti-yantra section, since the depth of the manifested sounds depends on the strength of the ascending energy flow in the body. The best hours of the day for contemplating the sounds of Nada are early morning or late evening.
The bhramari sound induces heightened awareness, whereby the winds enter the central channel.
II. Shanmukhi (yoni) -mudra
In Nada Yoga, Shanmukhi Mudra is used as a self-sufficient practice for revealing the inner sounds of nada.
"A yogi, sitting in muktasana and concentrating in shambhavi mudra, should listen to the sound (nada) heard in the right ear."
"If you close your ears, eyes, nose and mouth, you will hear a clear sound in the purified sushumna channel."
Swatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (4.67, 4.6
Usually shanmukhi mudra is performed in an asana when the yogi sits on a rigid pillow, like riding a horse, so that pressure is exerted on the perineum. The elbows are in the knees and the index fingers are inserted into the ears.
The pose should be sufficiently stable and motionless so that no extraneous noise is created when contemplating the sounds of Nada.
Thinking must be completely stopped. We listen attentively to sounds arising in the head or heart. If the sound is not immediately heard, bhramari pranayama should be performed. At the beginning, a certain background is perceived, in which quiet, subtle sounds appear. You need to focus on them and maintain your mindfulness as long as possible.
Thanks to such concentration, after a while this sound will intensify and another more subtle sound will appear, arising from the general background. Now you should direct your consciousness to this more subtle sound.
Thus, our consciousness begins to refine, and we can get the experience of savikalpa samadhi - the exit of the subtle body and travel to other worlds of the Universe, using the sounds of nada as a means of movement.
Practice Description
Sit in siddhasana, sukhasana, or as described above.
Take a deep, slow breath and hold your breath.
Perform shanmukhi mudra, covering your ears with your big fingers, your eyes with your index fingers, your nostrils with your middle fingers, and your mouth with your ring and little fingers.
While holding your breath, concentrate on the inner sounds of nada. Try to contemplate the sounds coming from your right ear.
Combine the presence in the natural state with the sounds of nada. Work with the unity of sound and emptiness.
After holding your breath, loosen your fingers and exhale gently and smoothly.
This is one cycle, repeat from 5 to 10 such cycles.
In a more complex version, naumukhi mudra is performed, that is, mula bandha, vajroli and khechari mudra are added to the shanmukhi mudra.
You can also use other variations of this practice by doing breath-hold and bhramari pranayama while exhaling. Or, you can only plug your ears, performing shambhavi mudra - contemplation of the inner space.
However, one should not get too carried away with the variety of methods. It is more correct to choose one or two that are most suitable for you and pay full attention to them.
Mystical sounds: buzzing, bells, etc. often describe various saints and people who come into contact with other realities or beings of other worlds. As a rule, such sounds precede contacts with deities and beings of other dimensions.
They indicate that channels are opening in our body responsible for such contacts. In fact, contact occurs through contact with deeper parts of our consciousness. Our consciousness in its essence resembles the endless open space of the cloudless sky.
It is an unrestricted space made of light. When we do the sadhana of Nada Yoga, sound leads our mind to this space of light. In essence, sound (Nada) is not different from light (Jyoti). Light is the more subtle part, the source of sound.
The energy of sound acts in our subtle body, which has a form (sukshma-sarira), it is also called the astral, mental or psychic body, which acts in a dream with dreams (swapna).
Light acts in our causal body (karana sarira), which we can be aware of in dreamless sleep (sushupti). The causal body contains all the karmas that force us to incarnate in samsara, accepting gross bodies.
Moving from sound to light, we refine our consciousness and develop awareness in more subtle bodies, up to reaching the fourth state of consciousness (turya) beyond the three (jagrat, svapna, sushupti).
In the terminology of Laya Yoga, we are talking about four bodies: a purified gross body (Shuddha-deham), a subtle, radiant body operating in the subtle world of forms among the Siddhas (Pranava-deham), unlimited awareness, similar to empty space (Jnana-deham) and the body of the true "I", in which all differences between the manifested and the unmanifest are overcome (Deva-deham). Thus, Nada Yoga turns into Jyothi Yoga, sound dissolves into light.
“Cover your ears with your thumbs, your eyes with your index fingers, your nostrils with your middle fingers, and your lips with the rest. The yogi who has thus trapped the air sees his soul in the form of light.
He who sees this light even for a moment is free from sin.
The yogi who practices this constantly forgets his physical, subtle and causal body and becomes one with this soul.
Whoever practices it in secret is absorbed in the Atman, and sins do not interfere with him anymore.
This is the right path to Nirvana. Keep it a secret. This is my favorite yoga. Through this practice, the yogi begins to hear the sounds of Nada. "
Shiva Samhita (5.22-5.26)
“Dive into the center of a sound like the continuous sound of a waterfall. Or, covering your ears with your fingers, listen to the sound of sounds.
Vigyana Bhairava Tantra (14)
A special method of Nada Yoga used by the siddhas is meditation on the all-pervading sound, which allows you to discover the unconditioned nature of Mind beyond duality. This method is deeply esoteric and, in fact, relates more to the sadhanas of "self-recognition" of Laya Yoga and requires a direct transmission from the Master.
"When listening to stringed instruments, hear their central sound: thus omnipresence is achieved."
Vigyana Bhairava Tantra (17)
It was in this way, in combination with other yoga sadhanas, that he reached the highest stage of realization of the siddhis of Vinapa. In ancient times, masters of Nada Yoga were known - siddhi musicians who, by playing stringed instruments, were able to awaken Kundalini in their disciples, introduce them into samadhi or immobilize them, cause the change of day and night, or control the elements.
“Covering your ears with your fingers, focus on the sound until you reach your goal.
As you practice, the sound of Nada gradually begins to drown out all external sounds. So a yogi can achieve bliss in fifteen days. "
Swatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (4.81, 4.82)
At the beginning of the practice, on the first day, after three hours of concentration, the sounds of Nada begin to appear as a very subtle background noise heard from within. Then, on the second day, separate sounds begin to be guessed in this noise.
Approximately on the third or fifth day, in the course of concentration on them, these sounds intensify and become polyphonic, you literally plunge into the world of mystical sounds. This immersion itself tears off consciousness from material objects and unfolds the mind into an indescribable inner reality, giving an incomprehensible charge of faith and enthusiasm in practice.
“Mercury under the influence of sulfur becomes solid and devoid of its fluid nature. So by the action of Nada, the thought becomes It swings steady and attains Niralambha (state without support). "
Swatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (4.95)
Simultaneously with hearing sounds, a transformation of consciousness occurs. The former external reality, which seemed so attractive, is felt as something rough, at this time we can feel endless loneliness, endless delight and amazement in front of the abyss of our inner universe.
Eternity itself begins to knock from within, and we hear its knocking as incomprehensible sounds. Sadhana of Nada Yoga invades our inner reality as something incomprehensible, irrational.
We don't just hear sounds, we actually hear the beat of eternity. We are aware of our position as a small conditioned being thrown into this world by the winds of karma. Suddenly, this creature becomes aware of its infinite nature and the infinite mystery of the universe.
It realizes that his life is just an unsuccessful attempt to unravel this endless mystery. There is no chance for a conditioned being to figure it out. It must die and be reborn again, becoming part of this endless mystery. Having realized this, it begins to experience a deep existential sadness. At this time, you remain completely alone, there is no one who could penetrate your inner reality and do it with you. You and Eternity.
The past must be abandoned, and this requires courage and boundless faith. That illusory world that we have built in order to feel safe is suddenly seen as dreams from pre-dawn dreams.
We feel naked, sensitive, as if a shell had been removed from us. Something very deep awakens in our consciousness when we hear the sounds of Nada, and we can no longer remain the same, realizing that we have only one way out - to follow these sounds to the end ...
This is how the deepening of clarity and the cutting off of hope, fear and selfish clinging is experienced during the sadhana of Nada Yoga. We enter into a deep mystical contact with those parts of our universal Mind, the existence of which was never suspected.
While holding your breath, concentrate on the inner sounds of nada. Try to contemplate the sounds coming from your right ear.