Yoga Cudamani Upanishad

Yoga Cu?ama?i Upani?ad belongs to Samaveda tradition. It is an invaluable yogic text for a sincere and dedicated yoga practitioner. A complete guideline is presented in it for gaining spiritual wisdom through yoga sadhana (spiritual practice). In the beginning, the text describes the six limbs of yoga that are asana, pra?ayama, pratyahara, dhara?a, dhyana and Samadhi. With the objective of attaining perfection in yoga, it describes various topics directly related to the theory and practice of yoga.
The main topics described in this text are essential knowledge of the body elements, knowledge of the six cakras (energy centers), sixteen adharas (foundations), three lak?yas (aims), visualization of light at yonisthana, pranic channels, location of pranic channels, circulation of vital energy in the pranic pathways and their functions, momentum of jiva (embodied self) along with pra?a. The text further explains the exploration of ajapa gayatri, penetration of the door to liberation by ku??alini, the three bandhas, khecari mudra, sign of vajroli, nature of mahamudra, process of the pra?ava japa, oneness of pra?ava and Brahma, meaning of the pra?ava and its syllables, practice of the turiya o?kara, pra?ava and ha?sa sadhana and pranava japa for self-realization.
Finally, the text discusses the victory over prana, pra?ava mantra sadhana, perfection in pra?ayama by the purification of the nadis (pra?ic channels/pathways), the specific result of perfection and harmony from each limb of yoga, and the expression of nada (the spontaneous unstruck sound) through the practice of sa?mukhi mudra, practice of pra?ayama, practice of controlling pra?a, pra?a the destroyer of all diseases, and withdrawing of senses from their respective sense-objects.