Since most people are content to live only in the lower chakras, their experience is this world is confined to the gross. They cannot meditate or cogitate: "Who am I? Where do I come from? Where do I go?" One becomes a human being only when these questions begin to be asked, and this happens only when the Kundalini has awakened. Till then, the intellect is used only for the getting of food, sleep, and sensual enjoyments. Awaking of the Kundalini means that your vibratory level goes up. At that time sensual experiences become dull and boring; you no longer need drinking, smoking, gambling, etc. It makes no sense to you because you have discovered that satisfaction, peace and happiness are within. Your peace and joy will increase proportionately as this is realized. What ordinary people consider as happiness, is for you nothing but pain. When the experience comes, it means that Kundalini has awakened. Once the Kundalini is awakened, the fear of death also slowly disappears. Now you know that there is no birth, no death. You find disease vanishing automatically. This is because disease is caused by gross vibrations, by believing that you get happiness from the vibrations of these lower senses. These things will disappear automatically when the Kundalini is awakened. But don't look for a serpent to come up and hit you. Don't think: "Oh, my Kundalini has reached the third chakra, the fourth chakra, now it is only two more inches to the fifth chakra." That's not the way the Kundalini is awakened. In actuality, it is the aura condition that changes as the vibratory rate increases. This highest stage, called God Consciousness, is where the Shakti vibrates with Siva. The lowest stage of Shakti is the experience we get in association with matter. Matter is gross. For example, when your senses come in contact with ice cream, you get an experience of Shakti; it vibrates at a very low level. All of our fives senses are Shakti, but they vibrate only when they come in contact with objects, with matter. The ordinary human experience is very close to animal experience and perhaps even worse, because we become very clever at using the intellect to satisfy the senses: how to alter the natural flavor of food by cooking and spicing, using sex for physical rather emotional, mental or spiritual needs, how to combine it alcohol drinks. In this processes, all the senses are brought into action - that is why there is unhappiness and pain in all of us. That pain has brought you to this point. The yogi assuming the Padmasana posture, should draw in the prana through the Ida or the left nostril, and having retained it as long as he can, exhale it through Pingala or the right nostril. Again inhaling the prana through the Pingala, he should perform kumbhaka (retention) as laid down in the books, and should again slowly exhale it through the Ida. He should perform puraka (inhalation) through the same nostril by which he performed rechaka (exhalation), and having restrained the breath to the utmost, until he is covered with perspiration or until his body shakes, should exhale it slowly and never fast, as that would diminish the energy of the body. Draw in the prana by the Ida and exhale it by the Pingala. Again, draw it in through the Pingala, and having retained it as long as you can, exhale it through the Ida. The yogi who has perfected himself in yama by practicing pranayama through the right and left, gets his nadis purified in not less that three months. Hrim, Bham, Sam, Sham, Pham, Sam and Ksham. Sit on the ground by spreading the legs forward. Then place the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh. Place the hands on the knee-joints. You can make a finger-lock and keep the locked hands over the left ankle. This is very convenient for some persons. Or you can place the left hand over the left knee and then place the right hand over the right knee with the palm facing upwards and the index finger touching the middle portion of the thumb (chin-mudra). Contract the throat and press the chin firmly against the breast (four inches from the heart). This is Jalandhara bandha, and destroys old age and death. It is called Jalandhara bandha because it tightens the nadis and stops the downward course of the nectar flowing from the hole in the palate. This bandha destroys the pains arising in the throat. When the Jalandhara bandha is assumed and the throat contracted, no drop of the nectar falls into the gastric fire, and the breath does not go in the wrong way, i.e. in the space between the nadis. By the firm contract of the throat, the two nadis are deadened. Here in the throat is situated the middle chakra, the Vishuddha. This binds firmly the sixteen adharas or vital centers. When the tongue is turned back into the hole in the skull and the eye fixed firmly between the eyebrows, this is Khechari. By cutting the tongue and shaking and milking it, you should increase its length until it touches the eyebrow. Then the Khechari mudra succeeds. Then turning the tongue, he should make it enter the place at the junction of the three nadis: the hold in the palate. This is called the Khechari mudra. The yogi that remains even for half an hour with his tongue turned upwards is freed from diseases, old age and death. To him who knows the Khechari mudra there is no disease, death, intellectual torpor, sleep, hunger, thirst, or clouding or the intellect. He who knows Khechari mudra is not affected by any disease. He is not affected by any karma, and time has no power over him. This mudra is called Khechari by siddhas because the mind and the tongue remain of the time being in the akasha. Here Maha mudra is described: Pressing the anus with the left heel and stretching out the right leg, take hold of the toes with your hand. Then practice the Jalandhara bandha and draw the breath through the Sushumna. Then the Kundalini becomes straight, just as a coiled snake when struck by a rod suddenly straightens itself like the stick. Then the two other nadis becomes dead, because the breath goes out of them. Then one should breathe out very slowly and never quickly. This has been declared to be Mahamudra by the great siddhas. This Maha mudra destroys death and such painful factors as the great kleshas. As it had been given out by the great siddhas, it is called Maha mudra or the great mudra, for it's excellence. Nasti mudrasamam kinchit Siddhidam Kshitimandale "There is nothing in this world like Mudras for giving success" - Kundalini Yoga by Sivananda