khechari mudra

[Inedible]

There is a technique in yoga that is intended to change the flow of energy through the body, for the purpose of deepening meditation. It is called khechari mudra. A mudra is different than a posture (asana) in that it generally only involves part of the body rather than the whole body. Khechari mudra in particular involves the tongue. In order to accomplish it, the tongue has to be lengthened and made more mobile. Generally this is done over a period of years, by pulling on the tongue and massaging it. There is a shortcut that is frequently used - trimming the connective tissue on the underside of the tongue that holds the tongue in place - the word is "frenulum". This generally takes as least six months and runs the risk of infection because it involves repeatedly cutting inside the mouth. What I was thinking, though, is that perhaps a combination of hypnosis and the traditional lengthening techniques might be used to get the tongue to lengthen and become free-er without the risks of repeated cuttings.