i first learned of kechari about a year ago (thx, yogani!).. experimentation at that time determined the tip of my tongue could reach just beyond the hard palate

over the course of this past year, i often kept my tongue in this position, pressing upwards into the soft palate.. kechari stage1

i wanted to go further though.. pushed my tongue back, back.. my frenum would hurt for a couple of days after each push. got my hands on a cuticle cutter around christmas and tried taking some snips, but the cutters were dull or i was squeamish.. i made some sloppy ripping cuts that hurt for about a week, and i was then able to touch the epiglottis with the tip of my tongue.. it felt weird.. didn’t know if i liked being able to feel that

forsaking the snipping, i just opted for a good stretch whenever i felt like it, pushing the tongue back with my finger as far as i could

finally got past the epiglottis (left side) and could feel the back of my throat with the tongue, it felt sort of bumpy and often invoked a gag reflex.. no bliss or anything.. wondered what the big deal was anyways

then about a week ago, i arched my tongue in the other direction towards the front of my throat instead and:

*w*o*w*

it stung, my tongue sort of stuck there, the ‘membrane’ yogani talks about swooped down, and i became heavily sexually aroused.. every love interest i’ve ever had, including fantasies of those current, swam in front of my eyes.. heavily erotic

it really was too much, my tongue rasped out of position, and the front of my throat felt like it had been wiped with sandpaper

so i put my tongue up there again.. this time the sexual arousal was muted, but instead i felt a surge of energy forwards around my belly button area.. i felt a lot of emotion, and used spinal breathing pranayama to redirect the energy upwards until it felt more manageable

since that day i’ve practiced stage2 kechari as much as my throat will tolerate.. it slowly seems to be getting used to having my tongue back there

the sexual arousal has abated (is it wrong to feel sad about that?), but the emotional energy is still very much there.. sometimes i feel like throwing up, or crying, or yelling or something, so i just keep centering and channeling all that weird energy upwards with spinal breathing

random people are coming out of the woodwork and want to spend time with me.. not sure if it’s because they feel an energy they like, or if they enjoy being able to talk their heads off — i can’t interject my own comments all the time while in kechari stage2

i’m feeling a lot of bliss tingles throughout my body — much more than just a couple of weeks ago.. i like it fine!

you can learn more about kechari in yogani’s detailed lesson, which is available for free here

i probably don’t know.. so this article features a certain amount of personal speculation

to understand the fourth body, we must first know of the other three:

#1 – the physical body

all of us are familiar with this one.. it’s the body we use to interact in the world of physicality. if you need something lifted, moved, re-ordered, punched, stroked — use this body. corresponds to base/root/muladhara chakra. kundalini/sex energy is stored here.. and an ancient clue as to why religion is uptight about sex. its element is earth.

#2 – the emotional body

women are generally in better tune with this non-physical body than their male counterparts, although not always. much of this has to do with social conditioning, although biology does play a role. emotions run a rich tapestry between love at the center/core/spirit, and fear at the edges of one’s ego. often emotional currents end up rendering a physical response, so bodies #2 and #1 are closely linked. corresponds to sacral/svadisthana chakra, and its element is water.

#3 – the first mental body

ok, to be honest, i’m not sure about this one — it’s a guess. when does a thought spawn an emotion, and when does an emotion drive a thought? men are often more in tune with their mental processes than women, but again, not always. meditation can lead to transcendence of thought, and a distancing from emotional states. passion, zest and anger are here, along with the element of fire. corresponds to the solar plexus/manipura chakra.

#4 – the fourth body

in a word: “love”.. transcends lustful attractions, emotional fixations, and mental gymnastics. activation of this body expands consciousness from ego-centric (i/me) to a unified perspective (us/all). motivations are genuinely pure. bliss currents run up the spine and pulse outwards from the center of the chest down through the fingertips, and perhaps out the top of the head. personal energy is increased, eyes are brighter. there is magic here, perhaps starting with the emotional awareness of others, and the ability to positively affect those emotions in non-local and non-physical ways (i.e., with the breath). corresponds to the heart/anahata chakra, and its element is air.

there is much more detail that could be discussed here, and additional bodies besides.. we’ll save those for another time.

if one wishes to open/activate/develop the fourth body, then pranayama is the tool designed for this purpose. also, deep meditation, to gain perspective and help center the additional energy that is stirred up using pranayama practices.

sitting up
with spine straight
tongue on roof of mouth

phase 1: in thru the nose, 4 seconds
phase 2: hold breath lock, 4 seconds
phase 3: out thru nose, 4 seconds
phase 4: hold vacuum lock, 4 seconds

repeat 4x

the subjective experience
is yours to appreciate
sooner rather than later