Vajroli Mudra – Meaning, Procedure, Benefits

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S
‘Vajroli’ the term is derived from the word vajra which means thunderbolt / lightening. Vajra also means the weapon of Lord Indra, the king of Gods. It is also the name of a Nadi i.e. energy channel located in the spine. This nadi controls the uro-genital system.
Read – Mudra – The Science Of Gesture: Benefits, Types, How To Practice

Meaning

Mudra = gesture / attitude / seal / mark / pose

Vajroli Mudra is a yogic practice. It is meant to improve health of the reproductive system and requires the yogi to preserve his semen. This is achieved either by learning not to release it or if released by drawing it up through his urethra from the vagina of a woman. It is also practiced to sublimate the sexual energy and to speed up the evolutionary process. It also controls the process of ejaculation. It is said that a yogi who is accomplished and has mastered this gesture would not lose even a drop of semen, even during sexual intercourse. It is one of the 10 gestures explained in Hatha Yoga Pradeepika treatise.
Read – Hatha Yoga and Shat Karmas: Benefits, Precautions

Procedure

According to a yogic treatise Shatkarma Sangraha, this mudra is practiced in 7 levels.  The initial stages aim at strengthening the muscles of the genito-urinary system. When mastered, the practitioner will be capable of sucking the fluids through his penis into the urinary bladder. For us, it is enough that we understand the preliminary practices. This knowledge would suffice to maintain the health of the sexual system and control the mechanism of ejaculation.
Read – Health Benefits Of Yoga: Mind And Body

1^st stage –

Practice 1

• Seating – Sit in any comfortable asana like Sukhasana i.e. easy pose, Vajrasana i.e. diamond pose or Padmasana i.e. lotus pose. This can either be practiced by sitting on the mat or on the chair.
• Breathe normally.
• Keep your spine straight.
• Pulling up the muscles around the root of penis – Focus your attention to the root of the penis, the pubic area. Pull the muscles of the root of penis upwards towards the navel. These muscles are located around the urethral sphincter. Hold for couple of seconds and release the pull. This counts as round 1.
• Mechanism – During this attempt, the muscles around the pubic bones and urinary tract are pulled upwards and inwards. It is a similar feel when you try to hold back the urge of urine.
• How many times – You may start with 15-20 rounds of practice to start with and gradually go up to 108 times rounds at a stretch. Keep your breathing normal during the entire length of practice.
  Read – Yogasana – Spiritual, Physical And Mental Benefits, Classification

Practice 2

Rotating the muscles around root of penis – In the second practice take your attention to the root of penis. Now try to make clockwise rotations of the muscles around the root. Following this, do as many anti-clockwise rotations. Each way you can practice 108 rounds as you master the practice.

2^nd stage –

Practice 1

• This stage is similar to stage 1 of practice except that in this stage external retention of breath is done i.e. bahya kumbhaka.
• Sit in any comfortable posture and exhale totally.
• Perform Uddiyana Bandha i.e. the abdominal lock. In this, the abdominal muscles should be pulled inwards and upwards towards the spine.
• Following this do Jalandhara Bandha i.e. chin lock. This helps you in retaining the breath outside. Make sure of holding the breath outside during the entire practice.
• Concentrate on the muscles around the root of penis, pull them upwards, and hold them for couple of minutes and then release. Do as many rounds as you are comfortable.
• When you are exhausted release the abdominal and chin locks.
• Breathe normally.

Practice 2                                                   

Take your attention to the base of the penis. Exhale completely. Perform abdominal and chin locks. Rotate the muscles around the root of penis clockwise starting with 10 rotations. Later do as many anti-clockwise rotations. Do it as much as is possible to you and do not over strain. When exhausted release the locks and breathe normally.
Read – Tips To Enhance Effect Of Mudra, 5 Mudra Groups, Rules Of Hasta Mudra

3^rd Stage –

This is a difficult pose and is done in a particular asana like naukasana i.e. boat pose.

• Lie down in corpse pose i.e. shavasana.
• Breathe normally and relax.
• Lift both legs keeping them straight.
• Raise your trunk above the ground. Now your body takes a V-shape.
• This pose puts lot of pressure on the abdominal muscles.
• Place both arms on the floor for support.
• Breathe normally and relax.

Now perform the practices in stage 1. Moving the muscles around your penis in this pose will be much more difficult. You should do both practice 1 and 2 mentioned in 1^st stage. When you get exhausted in both practices, come back to the lying position and relax.

4^th stage –

This stage is for Yogis and advanced practitioners only. You should learn it from an accomplished master. Please don’t attempt doing it all by yourself. If you do it improperly you may injure your urinary tract and also the prostate gland. You may also imbibe urinary infections.

Insert a catheter through your urethra, into the urinary bladder

Make attempts to suck the fluids into the bladder

For this you should use a medical catheter of about 14-18 inches long. Select a size which suits you. Later you may use a specially made elongated S shaped metal catheter of copper, silver or gold.
Read – Prithvi Mudra Method, Benefits

How to pull / draw fluids?

• The practitioner may try to suck the air through the catheter inserted in the bladder initially. This would be possible by complete exhalation and performing Uddiyana Bandha along with Madhya Nauli.
• Following the same techniques, it will be possible to suck fluids which include water, oil, ghee, honey and also mercury. Everything shall be done under guidance of experts. Only advanced practitioners can do this successfully.

 5^th Stage

This stage involves sucking the fluids through the penis into the bladder. Here catheter is not used. This is the toughest step. It is also said that the yogi may practice this with the help of a female partner. He can do this by sucking up his own semen if it is accidentally ejaculated during the practice. He will also be able to suck in the vaginal fluids of his partner through his penis.

We shall not discuss the other two steps since they are beyond the range of practice for an ordinary practitioner.

Time and Duration

• The mudra is best practiced early in the morning and on empty stomach to tap maximum benefits.
• One can perform this gesture for a minimum of 10-15 rounds.

Benefits

• Activates vajra nadi which governs the urinary and genital systems, hence improves the health of these systems
• Improves digestion
• Activation of vajra nadi sublimates sexual energy. This energy moves up and reaches the brain. It helps in improving clarity, intellect and creativity of the practitioner.
• Helps preserving sexual fluids and enables the practitioner to remain sexually young even as he ages
• Helps control premature ejaculation and gain control over the mechanism of ejaculation, by sublimating one’s sexual energy, one will be called as Urdhvaretas i.e. the one having upward movement of semen. This bestows great spiritual and physical benefits. It also helps the yogi to achieve Siddhis and supernatural powers.
• It is an ideal cure for erectile dysfunction
• Helps in awakening Kundalini energy by sublimating sexual energy
• It helps in perfection of Kechari Mudra and consequentially to attain higher stages of consciousness
• Clears sexual blocks in men and enables the practitioner to attain spiritual evolution
• Anyone who can preserve his Bindu i.e. semen can overcome death as well as aging process (Hatha Yoga Pradipika). This can be achieved by religiously practicing Vajroli Mudra. According to Shiva Samhita, it gives Bindu Siddhi i.e. mastery over semen.
• Along with sahajoli and amaroli, it sublimates sexual energy into ojas and kundalini shakti.
• Helps in restoring the sexual energy, sexual fluids, sexual energy and hormones in the body. This subsequently leads to the union of positive and negative poles of energy within one’s own body.
• It helps in elevating sexual life from the sensual plane to the spiritual plane.
• Cures many urinary disorders and disorders of prostate gland
• Calms and increases concentration once the sexual distractions are calmed down
• Gives mastery to experience longer and more intense orgasm
• Activates chakras and enables to obtain great self control
• Enhances sperm count, cures impotence and other sexual dysfunctions
  Read – Analysis Of Effect of Mantras On Health And Nadi

Effect on Chakras

This gesture stimulates the Kundalini energy and has a strong influence on Muladhara Chakra i.e. root chakra. Since the sexual energy is drawn until the Ajna Chakra and hence can be inferred that this gesture has strong influence in balancing all chakras.
Read – Chakra – Kundalini: Introduction, Meaning, Types, Location, Ayurveda View

Impact on the Doshas and Tissues

Seeing the actions and benefits of Vajroli gesture, we can infer that it has a balancing effect on all doshas, especially the lower vayu i.e. apana vayu. Since it helps in preservation of sexual energy in the form of semen tissue, which is a kapha group tissue, it balances kapha. Since it aids good digestion, Vajroli balances pitta. Coming to the tissues, this gesture supports and nurtures mainly the semen tissue and helps in retention of semen and ojas in the body. This consequentially contributes towards maintenance of body-mind-sensual health and to gain immense immunity.
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