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awakened and straightened up, via sushumna nadi, and mudra is used for this purpose. So, firstly the asana, padmasana or siddhasana, then internal breath retention, followed by the two bandhas, moolabandha and jalandhara, and finally the third bandha, uddiyana, causes the pranic energy to ascend, to enter sushumna and continue up to sahasrara, to the tenth gate, to the seventh chakra, and enter into cosmic harmony. This is the function of mudra, which should be clear to everyone.
Now, if we understand the real purpose of mudra, we can understand that when we practise yoga mudra, we are not actually practising yoga mudra but yoga mudra asana. If we wish to practise vipareeta karani mudra as a mudra, we can do so, but the technique changes. Breath retention will need to be performed; bandhas will have to be practised sequentially, and after such practice it will have to be seen whether the pranic sensations are ascending or not. If they are, the mind will have to be focused and concentrated and will need to be observed.
Nowadays, people are learning meditation, practising it and gaining benefits from it, as if it were something different from hatha yoga. But I believe that meditation cannot be taught, cannot be learnt. No one can 'meditate' because meditation is a happening, a result, of the preliminary practices of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara and dharana. The meditation that we are learning and practising nowadays is not the meditation of Patanjali yoga but a, mudra of hatha yoga. This meditation of Patanjali is a spontaneous happening; it is not in our hands. We can only practise asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana and the result that is bestowed on us is meditation.
So, hatha yoga has been a great boon for us. Now, in hatha yoga, one can actively practise meditation and mudras. We can concentrate on the practice, it is in our hands. We can raise the kundalini, reach the stage of nadanusandhana, reach the stage of samadhi. Bringing meditation to a level of doing has been the great boon of hatha yoga. So, I request that we please understand what we are doing when we assume that we are meditating. Actually we are practising a mudra of hatha yoga, because it is hatha yoga which has made provision for the practice of mudras. As far as Patanjali yoga is concerned, this is a result.
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