Dharana 73 of 112 · verse 81

The Tongue and the Sound HA

The tongue is turned up to the palate and attention fixed on a sound felt in it.

Recorded, not taught

Shoonyaka does not offer this one as a guided practice. It is here because the collection is of all one hundred and twelve, and leaving it out would misrepresent the text.

Before you try this

Not offered as a guided practice here. The tongue positions in this family range from harmless to genuinely damaging depending on the version taught, and it is not possible to tell from the verse which is meant.

The practice

The verse describes opening the mouth, turning the tongue up towards the centre of the palate, fixing attention on the middle of the tongue, and feeling the sound HA being uttered there.

What it works on

A precursor of the khechari practices. The accessible core is the attention, not the tongue position: attending to the middle of the tongue and to the soft breath-sound HA is a real practice on its own, and is what dharana 21 offers.

Notes

  • Dharana 21 gives the safe form of this — the HA sound and its dissolving, with the tongue left alone.

Practise gently

Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.