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VoidSensationCenteringVerse 79intermediate

The Space of the Armpits

Sit with the arms gently bent, and rest the mind in the open space of the armpits; peace comes by dissolution.

Source verse · Verse 79
उपविश्यासने सम्यग्बाहू कृत्वार्धकुञ्चितौ। कक्षव्योम्नि मनः कुर्वञ्छममायाति तल्लयात्॥
upaviśyāsane samyag bāhū kṛtvārdhakuñcitau | kakṣavyomni manaḥ kurvañ chamam āyāti tallayāt
Sit with the arms gently bent, and rest the mind in the open space of the armpits; peace comes by dissolution.
▶ Practice this technique10 / 15 min · eyes closed

How to practice

  1. 1Sit upright and let both arms bend gently, slightly away from the body.
  2. 2Bring awareness to the hollow, open space within each armpit (kakṣa-vyoman).
  3. 3Rest the mind in that quiet, enclosed emptiness — an unexpected inner space.
  4. 4As the mind dissolves into that space, let a settled peace come. Rest there.
Practice note. An unusual but real doorway: the armpit-space is a small, sheltered emptiness the mind can sink into. Keep the shoulders and arms relaxed.

Terms in this technique

ākāśa
Space, ether; the open expanse, inner and outer.
śūnya
Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.
laya
Dissolution, absorption; the merging of attention into its source.
madhya
The middle, the centre, the gap between two states — a key VBT doorway.

Sources consulted

  • Jaideva Singh, Vijñānabhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization (Motilal Banarsidass, 1979)
  • Bettina Bäumer, Vijñâna Bhairava: The Practice of Centering Awareness (Indica Books, 2011)
  • Swami Lakshmanjoo, Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization (Universal Shaiva Fellowship, 2007)
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