खेचरीमुद्राkhecarī-mudrā · the seal of moving in space
Khecarī mudrā, what the hatha texts describe
4 min read · Updated October 17, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026
In short
Khechari mudra, in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (3.32), is turning the tongue back into the cavity above the soft palate while the gaze rests between the eyebrows. The texts describe lengthening the tongue by gradually cutting its frenulum: a bodily procedure that must never be attempted. The safe practice that keeps its spirit is nabho mudra, the tongue resting against the palate.
The name
ख (kha) is the sky, the void, a hollow; car is to move. The Monier-Williams dictionary gives khecara as "moving in the air, flying", a word used for birds and for celestial beings. Khecarī is "she who moves in space". The Hatha Yoga Pradipika gives its own explanation: "the mind moves in space, and the tongue, having gone there, moves in space: therefore the adepts have called this mudrā khecarī" (3.41).
What the texts say
The definition
कपालकुहरे जिह्वा प्रविष्टा विपरीतगा । भ्रुवोरन्तर्गता दृष्टिर्मुद्रा भवति खेचरी ॥
kapāla-kuhare jihvā praviṣṭā viparītagā | bhruvor antargatā dṛṣṭir mudrā bhavati khecarī ||
The tongue, turned back, enters the hollow of the skull; the gaze is set between the eyebrows: this is the khecarī mudrā.
The "hollow of the skull" is the cavity above the soft palate, behind the nose. For the tongue to reach it, it must be far longer than usual.
What the text describes, as a text
Verses 3.33 to 3.36 describe how the tongue is lengthened: by cutting, moving and "milking" it, the frenulum is cut little by little over about six months, until the tongue can touch the point between the eyebrows when drawn out. The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā (3.25-3.27) gives a similar account. Its translator, Srisa Chandra Vasu, added a note in his 1914-1915 edition saying that he had watched his own teacher go through this "painful process", repeated week after week for a long time.
We report this because it is in the texts and because you will meet it in any serious study of hatha yoga. It belongs to the ascetic world of renunciates living under a teacher's daily eye, centuries ago. It is not a practice, and nothing here should be read as an instruction.
The promises
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika gives khecarī more verses than any other mudrā (3.32-3.54). The yogi who holds the tongue up "even for half a moment" is said to be freed from poisons, disease, death and old age (3.38); he knows neither sleep, hunger nor thirst (3.39); bitten by the serpent Takṣaka, he is untouched by the poison (3.45 in GRETIL, 3.44 in Sinh). The centre of this imagery is the nectar (amṛta, soma): it drips from the moon in the head and is burnt by the fire of the belly, which is why we age; khecarī blocks its fall and lets the yogi drink it.
The text even plays a famous riddle. It praises those who "eat the flesh of the cow and drink the immortal liquor" every day, then explains: go, cow, means the tongue, and "eating" it means thrusting it into the palate (3.47-3.48 in GRETIL, 3.46-3.47 in Sinh). The chapter culminates in one line, 3.54 in GRETIL (3.53 in Sinh): there is one seed of the universe, one mudrā, khecarī, one god without support, one state, manonmanī.
Read these promises as you would a sacred poem. No study has examined khecarī, and none could make such claims.
From the texts
In its fourth chapter, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika uses the word in a second sense: khecarī as an inner state, when the breath moves in the central channel, between the left and right channels (4.43-4.47 in GRETIL). The physical seal of chapter 3 and this state of absorption share a name, which explains why some teachers speak of khecarī without any tongue technique at all.
A whole text on khecarī
Khecarī is old enough and important enough to have a text of its own, the Khecarīvidyā attributed to Ādinātha (Śiva), which the scholar James Mallinson edited and translated in 2007 as "an early text of haṭhayoga". If you want to study the subject seriously, that critical edition is the place to start.
The safe form: nabho mudrā
From the texts
"In whatever business a Yogi may be engaged, wherever he may be, let him always keep his tongue turned upwards (towards the soft palate), and restrain the breath. This is called Nabho-Mudra; it destroys all the diseases of the Yogi." (Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā 3.9, Vasu, 1914-1915)
Nabhas also means sky: nabho mudrā keeps the spirit of khecarī without any intervention on the body.
- Close the mouth, teeth slightly apart, lips together.
- Place the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth, just behind the upper teeth.
- Slide it gently back along the hard palate, as far as is comfortable, without any strain; the underside of the tongue may now touch the palate.
- Stay there, breathing quietly through the nose.
- When the tongue tires, release it and rest.
Practise it during pranayama and meditation, a few minutes at a time, and lengthen as it becomes comfortable. Many Indian teachers call it jihvā bandha, the tongue lock.
| Period | Practice | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-2 | tongue behind the teeth, then sliding back | 1-3 minutes, a few times |
| Weeks 3-6 | during breathing practice | 5-10 minutes |
| Later | throughout seated meditation | as long as comfortable |
Common mistakes
- Pulling or stretching the tongue after reading about khecarī. Do not.
- Forcing the tongue back until the throat cramps or you gag.
- Clenching the jaw to keep the tongue in place.
- Expecting siddhis. The texts' promises are part of their poetry.
In context
Khecarī is one of the ten mudrās of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, listed on the mudras page; the text pairs it with shambhavi mudra, the gaze between the eyebrows. Its imagery of nectar and fire belongs to the inner map explained on kundalini and nadis. For a practice of the mouth and throat you can safely do today, see jalandhara bandha and bhramari.
Questions people ask
Is it safe to practise khechari mudra?
The classical khecarī, with lengthening and cutting of the tongue, is not safe and must never be attempted from a book, a video or a website. Resting the tongue against the roof of the mouth (nabho mudra) is safe for everyone.
Do yogis really cut the tongue for khechari?
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (3.33-3.36) and the Gheranda Samhita (3.25) describe it, and Srisa Chandra Vasu noted in his 1914-1915 translation that he had seen his own teacher do it. This belongs to an ascetic world under a guru's daily supervision, not to modern practice.
What does khechari mean?
Khecarī means 'moving in space': kha is the sky or the void, car to move. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika says it is so named because the mind moves in space and the tongue, having gone there, moves in space too (3.41).
What is the nectar that khechari is said to drink?
In hatha imagery, an ambrosia (amṛta) drips from the moon in the head and is burnt by the fire of the belly, which causes ageing. Khecarī is said to block its fall and let the yogi drink it. It is a symbolic physiology, not anatomy.
Sources
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, translated by Pancham Sinh, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV part 3 (1914), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
- Svātmārāma, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Sanskrit text, 3.32-3.54 and 4.43-4.47 (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 17, 2026
- Srisa Chandra Vasu (tr.), The Gheranda Samhita, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV (1914-1915), lesson 3, verses 9 and 25-28, Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
- James Mallinson, The Khecarīvidyā of Ādinātha: A critical edition and annotated translation of an early text of haṭhayoga (Routledge, 2007) checked October 17, 2026
- Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), entries kha and khecara, Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries checked October 17, 2026
Practise gently and within your limits. Yoga is learnt best with a qualified teacher; this page does not replace one.