Kundalini.Tantra.by.Satyananda.Saraswati

The humming breath
Sit in a comfortable meditative pose. Adjust your position and relax fully for some
minutes. Plug the ears with the index fingers. Face forward and hold the spine as straight
as possible. Close the eyes. Relax the whole body. Keep the teeth slightly separated and
the mouth closed throughout the entire practice. This allows the vibration to be
experienced more distinctly in the brain. Breathe in slowly and deeply. Then, while
breathing out, produce a humming sound. The sound should be smooth and continuous
for the full duration of exhalation. The humming need not be loud. The important thing is
that you hear the sound reverberating within your head. The exhalation should be slow
and controlled. At the end of exhalation, stop the humming sound and breathe in. Keep
the eyes closed and the ears plugged. Again repeat the humming sound with the next
exhalation. Try to relax fully during the practice. Do not strain in any way. Continue for 5
or ю minutes.
Practice 4: Ajapa japa meditation
Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or any posture which feels completely
comfortable. Close your eyes and relax for a few minutes. Now become aware of your
natural breath as it enters and leaves the body. Do not try to control the breath, just
become a witness of the natural breathing process. Now become aware that the sound of
inhalation is so and the sound of exhalation is ham. The natural mantra of the breath is
so-ham. You have only to discover it. Be simultaneously aware of the natural breath,
coupled with the idea of so-ham-so-ham-so-ham. You must be totally relaxed in this
practice. Do not lose awareness of the mantra or your natural breath, even for an instant.
Do not be concerned with the thoughts and feelings that arise. Allow them to come and
go as they will. Remain ever aware of the natural breath and the ongoing mantra. Now
become aware of the psychic breath which is flowing in the front of the body brtween the
navel and the throat, and between the throat and the navel. With inspiration, this psychic
breath rises from the navel to the throat and its mantra is so. With expiration, the psychic
breath descends from the throat back to the navel. Its mantra is ham. Maintain awareness
of the breath passing through the psychic passageway and producing the sound so-hamso-ham-so-ham.
Continue this practice for ю or 15 minutes more, allowing your
breathing to be totally relaxed.
Note: Ajapa japa can be practised at any time, but it should be done for 5 to ю minutes
per day - either in the morning sadhana session or at night, immediately before sleep. It
should be continued for at least one month.
Practice 5: Meditation - entering the heart space
Sit in siddhasana or any other comfortable posture. Close your eyes and relax yourself
completely for some time. Concentrate your awareness in the throat region. Now become
aware of the breath in the throat. Only be aware of the sensation of the breath in the
throat for some time. Now add the awareness of the ingoing breath from the throat
downwards. You are not concerned with the outgoing breath. Your attention is occupied