Closing the 7 Gates

The word Shanmukhi comes from:

• Shat: meaning 6
• Mukhi: gates or faces

Shanmukhi Mudra involves directing our awareness within by closing the 6 gates /sealing off

• the ears
• the eyes
• the nose

and then

• the mouth

The practice is also known as the locked source pose, the attitude of the great goddess, the gesture of inner focusing and the gesture of equipoise.

Benefits of the Mudra:

Physically:

• The energy and heat from the hands stimulate and relax the nerves of the face

Mentally:

• It introverts our awareness
  So if you have a tendency for introversion then this practice might not be suitable but in our busy lives it may just give us time to settle and tune into what’s inside in the here and now!!!

Spiritually:

• It induces a state of pratyahara – known as sense withdrawal so our energies aren’t scattered but we can stay centred and calm and connected.

???? How to:

• Come to sit comfortably
• Take a few moments to connect with breaths and body
• Raise the arms with the elbows outwards
• Close the ears with the thumbs
• Close the eyes with the index fingers
• Close the nostrils with the longest finger
• Close the mouth and place the ring fingers at the edge
• Place the little fingers below the lips
• Take an inhalation
• Close the nostril with the longest fingers and retain the breath comfortably
• To Exhale: Release the pressure from the fingers on the nostrils and exhale slowly
• If the exhale is gushing out the retention is too long for your current capacity
• Continue for approximately 5-10 rounds and build up over a period of months

Awareness:

Physical:

• On synchronising the breaths with the hand mudra

Spiritual:

• On either
  • Bindu – Soft spot at top back of head
  • Ajna – Third eye or
  • Anahata – Heart centre

????Practice note:

• Listen within: If you don’t normally listen within you may not hear anything at first and it may take you time to connect and hear the subtle sounds within.
• When you do hear a sound, focus on it and if you continue to practice your sensitivity levels will develop to the more subtle sounds.