I am a little surprised that mahamudra is not stressed more in AYP even though I read a prior post wherein Yogani explained that it is primarily covered with other mudras and asanas.
I was taught and have experienced that when both nostrils are clear (ida and pingala nerves) and the breath is subsequently equalized that the shushumna is “open.” This morning I awoke and my right passage way was blocked. Despite several attempts to clear it I could not do so and settled into spinal pranayama anyway. I was distracted by the blockage and new I was going struggle a bit through the session. As I was following the AYP “method” this morning I was going to stick to that but I knew that in over 8 years of yoga I have never once NOT totally cleared my nasal passages by practicing mahamudra. Within 30 seconds of entering mahamudra pingala was cleared and the breath was flowing freely through both passages. I had a very nice session that otherwise may not have been so.
Again never ever has this mudra failed to clear up my nasal passages by balancing ida and pingala in over 8 years of practicing yoga. This happens frequently enough for me to see at least this value to mahamudra and wonder why it is not stressed more as it is helpful, not time consuming and a very prominent piece of other systems with many claims.
What form of mahamudra do you do? Are you talking about an asana, a series of them, or the mental practice?
It’s in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
I am talking about the mahamudra as practiced in kriya yoga. Spinal breathing pranayama, yonimudra, navi kriya, paravastha (deep inner silence “meditation”), kechari mudra and others are all parts of kriya yoga as well. It can be characterized as a series of asanas as you put it.
Hi Billeejack:
Maha mudra is a great practice, and is included in the AYP Easy Lessons book in the asana instructions, along with other postures covering the same principles of practice in different ways. Also, mudras, bandhas and kumbhaka used in AYP sitting practices stimulate these same principles … and not to forget siddhasana.
In the beginning, it was decided not to focus the AYP lessons on asanas very much, because it has been done so many times before by others. Instead, the focus in the lessons has been on building an effective integration of powerful sitting practices, which has not been done much before. But none of this is to reduce the importance of asanas in the over all mix – only to promote a balance.
The Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas book coming out in September will continue with this theme – balancing a full range of practices for best results.
In AYP we do not think in terms of a “magic bullet.” We think in terms of a barrage. 
The guru is in you.
Yogani said:
In AYP we do not think in terms of a “magic bullet.” We think in terms of a barrage.
Good one! Or ‘In AYP we do not think in terms of a “magic bullet.” We think in terms of a barrage of the most magical bullets’.
Thank you sir…I look forward to the book.