Khechari Mudra is an advanced yogic seal or gesture considered one of the most powerful techniques in Hatha Yoga and Tantric traditions. The name derives from two Sanskrit words: “khe” meaning “sky” or “void” and “chari” meaning “to move” or “to wander”—thus it is often translated as “the seal of moving in space” or “tongue lock.”
In its classical form Khechari Mudra involves rolling the tongue backward and upward to touch specific points on the upper palate and eventually into the nasal cavity. The complete practice traditionally includes a preparatory procedure called “tongue milking” (gradually stretching the tongue over months or years) and in some cases the careful surgical lengthening of the frenulum (the tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth).
According to yogic texts including the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Gheranda Samhita Khechari Mudra provides access to profound states of consciousness by:
- Stimulating important energy centers and glands in the brain
- Activating the flow of nectar (amrita) from the bindu visarga region at the back of the palate
- Redirecting sexual energy upward through the central channel (sushumna)
- Facilitating pratyahara (sensory withdrawal) and dharana (concentration)
- Creating a circuit that conserves and transmutes subtle energies
Modern practitioners often practice simplified variations such as pressing the tongue against the upper palate behind the front teeth. Even this gentler version is reported to calm the nervous system slow mental activity enhance meditation and stimulate the production of saliva which contains beneficial enzymes.
As an advanced practice Khechari Mudra should be approached gradually under qualified guidance. Contemporary yoga teachers generally discourage surgical modification focusing instead on gentle consistent practice to naturally increase tongue flexibility. The mudra is typically practiced in conjunction with breathing techniques bandhas (energy locks) and meditation.
