Bhoochari Mudra (Gazing Into Nothingness)

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Bhoochari Mudra (gazing into nothingness) is a mana mudra (head mudras).

How To Do Bhoochari Mudra (Gazing Into Nothingness)

Sit in any comfortable meditation asana with the head and spine straight and the hands in chin or jnana mudra. Close the eyes and relax the whole body.
Open the eyes and raise the right hand in front of the face.
The elbow should point to the side of the body.
Hold the hand horizontally, palm down, with the fingers together.
The side of the thumb should be in contact with the top of the upper lip.
Focus the eyes on the tip of the little finger and gaze at it intently for a minute or so, without blinking or flickering the eyes.
Try to maintain continuous awareness of the little fingertip. After a minute or so, lower the hand. Continue to gaze into the place where the little finger was, without blinking.
Become fully engrossed in this point of nothingness. Simultaneously, be aware of any thought processes. When the focus dissipates, raise the hand and again concentrate on the tip of the little finger. After some time lower the hand and continue to gaze intently into the space, the nothingness.
Be aware of space only; there should be no registration of outer events in the field of conscious perception. Continue the practice for 5 to I 0 minutes.

People suffering from glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy or those who have just had cataract surgery, lens implant or other eye operations should not perform bhoochari mudra without the guidance of a competent teacher.

Bhoochari mudra develops the power of concentration and memory. It tranquillizes and introverts the mind and is particularly beneficial for calming anger and stress. It develops mental stability and the state of thoughtlessness. It helps to awaken ajna chakra and induce meditative states. It takes the practitioner into the psychic and spiritual planes of consciousness.

Bhoochari mudra should be practised in a meditative asana. It is best performed facing a blank wall or an open space, such as the sky or a body of still water. This ensures that there are no visual obstructions to distract the attention.

Bhoochari mudra may be performed as a preparation for meditation and as a meditation technique in its own right. It belongs to a group of techniques featuring gazing at an external focal point as a means to achieve dharana or the meditative state of relaxed concentration. It is allied to ruzsikagra drishti and shambhavi mudras, all three being forms of trataka.