A Practice Containing All Six Limbs of Yoga in a Single Session Through the Forceful Method of Kumbhaka
Note:
This translation is based on the Shadanga Yoga practice from the Kalachakra Tantra, as preserved in the Taklung Kagyu treasury texts. It is not a complete translation.
According to the text, before beginning the six limbs of yoga and associated breathing practices, it is essential to engage in physical training. For more on the importance of this foundational step, refer to my earlier article: Why Physical Training Is Essential Before Performing Breathing Practices.
I will share a translation of Lu-jong (physical training) in a future post.
Translation
After training the physical body, the channels (nadis), and the vital airs (vayus), now [the text] explains how to practise all six limbs of yoga in a single session using the forceful method of kumbhaka breathing. By applying this coercive method, the full benefits of all six limbs are forcefully realized through the power of kumbhaka.
I. Pratyahara
1. Night Yoga
Place: The room should be completely dark and free of humidity, with the door firmly closed—sealed so tightly that not even a crack the width of a horse’s tail allows light to pass through.
Posture:
Sit cross-legged on a warm, thick cushion. Place the hands in Dhyāna Mudrā at the navel, right hand over left, palms facing upward, with the thumbs pressing against each other. The tongue should be placed against the palate, leaving a small gap between the teeth. Maintain a straight posture, ensuring the head does not tilt backward, as this may obstruct the attainment of samādhi. Avoid tension in the body; allow both the body and mind to remain fully relaxed in the posture.
Kumbhaka Breathing:
[Inhale deeply,] drawing the air from about a cubit away from the nostrils, and swallow the saliva. Press the upper air downward. As the air reaches the navel, forcefully draw the lower air upward [towards the navel, uniting the upper and lower air]. Then, with a wrathful gaze directed above the crown of the head, fix your eyes on the dark, empty space, allowing not even the slightest movement of the eyes. As you maintain this focused gaze [and mind], the luminous nature of the mind, free from all conceptual thought, will manifest as the emptiness, clearly perceived.
When the breath is perfectly held within, four outer yogic signs of Night Yoga may appear:
– a bluish, billowing form like smoke,
– a shimmering image like a mirage,
– a red, glimmering spark like a firefly,
– and a steady red glow, like a burning butter lamp.
Once the four visionary signs of Night Yoga arise as marks of accomplishment,
you may then enter the practice of Day Yoga.
2. Day Yoga
Place:
The place should be a wide field, such as a meadow, where it is warm and there is no cold breeze.
Posture:
The posture is the same as described above.
Gaze:
The gaze is the same as described above—wrathful gaze—directed upward toward the cloudless sky above the crown of the head. In the morning, face west and gaze into the clear sky. At noon, turn south. In the evening, face east and maintain the same steady gaze.
Kumbhaka Breathing:
As a result of the breath being perfectly held within—using the same technique as described above—there will arise the direct perception of mind, free from all conceptual elaboration, which appears as emptiness in the form of the Dharmakāya.
When the breath is perfectly held within, the six outer yogic signs associated with Day Yoga may manifest:
– a reddish light, like fire;
– a red circle, like the sun;
– a white circle, like the moon;
– a black form, akin to darkness;
– zigzagging light, like lightning;
– and a whitish globule or circle (bindu).
Types of gaze [Eyes positions] in Shadanga yoga practice
Uṣṇīṣacakravartī (Wrathful Gaze):
Look upward, above the crown of your head.Amṛtakuṇḍalī:
Look straight ahead, at the level of the eyebrows.Peaceful Gaze:
Look downward, toward the tip of your nose.
While practicing these gazes—especially in the beginning—you may experience discomfort such as pain in the eye sockets, a burning sensation, or tears forming in the eyes. These difficulties arise as the practitioner begins the process of disciplining the five senses, particularly the eyes, which are being trained [to control the vayu and mind].
During the process of disciplining the senses, if the mind begins to wander toward external objects, direct your full awareness to the object it has wandered to. By doing so with steady intent, the mind will naturally settle and pacify into a state of emptiness. If, instead, the mind becomes dull or heavy, gently refresh your awareness and apply effort to hold both the upper and lower vāyu forcefully. This breathing technique helps the mind return to its natural, clear state. It is said to heal all diseases, with the exception of physical wounds. This also helps the cold-diseases. This kumbhaka not only generates inner heat but can also produce a cooling effect within the body. This is evident in the case of many Kalachakra Shadanga yogis in India, who practice to generate coolness even amidst the intense summer heat.
If any physical discomfort or issues arise from these practices, engage in physical yogic exercises (trulkhors). These movements help to clear such difficulties. At the end of the practice, avoid standing up abruptly or with force. Instead, rise slowly and mindfully. Conclude by dedicating the merit of your practice to the welfare of all sentient beings.
How This One Session Embodies the Six Limbs of Yoga (Shadanga Yoga)
1. Pratyāhāra:
Through the wrathful gaze (Uṣṇīṣacakravartī dṛṣṭi), the various conceptual thoughts that arise from external sensory objects withdraw into pristine consciousness.
2. Dhyāna:
Remaining in single-pointed awareness—without distraction from that pristine consciousness—is dhyāna.
3. Prāṇāyāma:
Conquering the ten vāyus—the five primary and five secondary vāyus—through kumbhaka is prāṇāyāma.
4. Dhāraṇā:
When the movement of vāyu outside ceases, and the vāyu of pristine consciousness enters the central channel, this is dhāraṇā.
5. Smṛti:
The manifestation of pristine consciousness, embodying the nonduality of emptiness and bliss, within you is smṛti.
6. Samādhi:
Samādhi is the arising of innumerable qualities through the direct experience of emptiness, and helping sentient beings in countless ways.
The Duration of Accomplishing Shadanga Yoga for Different Practitioners
For those with the highest mental faculties, it takes approximately six months to accomplish. For those with middling faculties, it may take about one year. Practitioners with the lowest mental faculties may attain the siddhi of Mahamudra during the Bardo stage.