Moola bandha question for the ladies

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

The past few weeks I am busy preparing my fundamentals class, who are now quite advanced, for bandhas. As I explained moola bandha to a mainly female class last night and after practicing moola bandha for a few rounds one of the ladies asked me if I can describe to the class where and what she is supposed to feel. I was lost for a description and words!

As a male I can exactly explain and describe where and what you should feel when you do moola bandha in a male body, but I absolutely have no idea exactly where and what ladies should feel or experience initially. I could speak from theory and illustrations in books, but no real experience. I could tell them from first hand expereince what you should experience spiritually, but I was still lost for a description about what they should feel physically in a female body.

Another lady in the class said it feel to her like she was doing Kegel exercises, this is an exercise ladies do after birth to strenghten their bladder reflex, again as a male I have no idea how Kegel exercise feels or where it has an effect in the female body.

This is a kind request to the [B][I]many knowledgeable ladies and female teachers on this forum[/I][/B] to please shed some light on this matter for me as I would like to go back and give meaningful feedback to the ladies in my class.

#2

In the meditative posture, upon application of the root bandha the practitioner should be able to feel prana grow in strength.

#3

Hi Scales,

Thanks for the reply, but that doesn’t answer my question at all. I am specifically interested in what ladies feel on the pure physical level.

#4

Perineum is actually located between the anus and vagina. I suggest sitting on a tennis ball or on your heel in that area between the anus and vagina (labia) and practice with isolating the contraction in that area. Inward and up. I have found, for most women this is quite difficult for some reason. It does take practice. The awareness moves up, in women to the mooladhara charka.

Kegel exercises, I believe, you move the pelvic floor. It’s not as isolated.

Hope this helps!

#5

[QUOTE=Pandara;35436]The past few weeks I am busy preparing my fundamentals class, who are now quite advanced, for bandhas. As I explained moola bandha to a mainly female class last night and after practicing moola bandha for a few rounds one of the ladies asked me if I can describe to the class where and what she is supposed to feel. I was lost for a description and words!

As a male I can exactly explain and describe where and what you should feel when you do moola bandha in a male body, but I absolutely have no idea exactly where and what ladies should feel or experience initially. I could speak from theory and illustrations in books, but no real experience. I could tell them from first hand expereince what you should experience spiritually, but I was still lost for a description about what they should feel physically in a female body.

Another lady in the class said it feel to her like she was doing Kegel exercises, this is an exercise ladies do after birth to strenghten their bladder reflex, again as a male I have no idea how Kegel exercise feels or where it has an effect in the female body.

This is a kind request to the [B][I]many knowledgeable ladies and female teachers on this forum[/I][/B] to please shed some light on this matter for me as I would like to go back and give meaningful feedback to the ladies in my class.[/QUOTE]

Well, even being a woman it is hard to find words to explain it to other women:) actually there are three type of molabandha for female.
I’d say that molabandha:
-similar to kegel exercise

  • the feel as you want to stop the flow of the urine
    -contract vaginal muscles (kegel)
  • stop the bad gas coming out
  • kinda lift the clitoris in the direction of the navel (the most complicated)
#6

Ladies,

Thanks for the replies, will try to assimilate this to my clss as meaningful as possible.

#7

Along the lines of what CityMonk said…

-I’ve had teachers describe it as pretending you have to go to the bathroom and have to hold it

#8

[QUOTE=lotusgirl;35470]Perineum is actually located between the anus and vagina. I suggest sitting on a tennis ball or on your heel in that area between the anus and vagina (labia) and practice with isolating the contraction in that area. Inward and up. I have found, for most women this is quite difficult for some reason. It does take practice. The awareness moves up, in women to the mooladhara charka.

Kegel exercises, I believe, you move the pelvic floor. It’s not as isolated.

Hope this helps![/QUOTE]

Good one for the class, just say Kegel and they will understand. In my experience, the Kegel is a more gross motion. There are good explanation to this is David’s Life book jivamukti yoga.

#9

I have found the book moola bandha the master key. by “bihar school of yoga” to be descriptive of differences between men and women on a physical level

#10

Hi All,

Had my class again last night and shared with them all what you have shared with me. Big thanks to everybody, the ladies do understand now and some even started to share what they felt when they did the Kegel exercises after the birth of a child and how that compare to moola bandha. :slight_smile:

#11

Isn’t it great when you see that 'lightbulb" turn on and then the dialogue begins? Glad we were able to assist you with this!

#12

[QUOTE=CityMonk;36537] There are good explanation to this is David’s Life book jivamukti yoga.[/QUOTE]

here it is:

The most superficial action (beginner) of mulabandha correcponds to the instruction “contract your anus”…in actual anal sphincter cintraction is not mula bandha but a cousin called ASHWINI MUDRA…
The intermidiate contraction of mulabandha involves the isolation of peremium (external portion) and perenial body (internal portion). This refinement carries the contaration invard and upward. YOu should feel the difference between contraction of perrenium, perennnium and anus and anus alone.
The deepest contraction of mulabandha to the physical sensation such as stop and urime flow and squize the vagina walls. This contraction doe not involve anal sphincter or perenium. You will discover that it is possible to lift pelvic flor without contracting the anus.

#13

Contracting the muscles that control the flow of urine is actually called vajroli mudra.

In addition to what CityMonk sites, when you perform moola bandha correctly, it is all internal. It is actually the contracting the muscles around the cervix. So as stated above, you start off external and end up internal. It is very subtle.

#14

[LEFT]I’ve found it helpful to distinguish between:-
[B]1)[/B][U] Ashwini mudra[/U]- contraction of anal sphnicter
[B]2)[/B][U]Mulabandha [/U]- In males ,contraction of the perineum or perineal body as they say.
In women ,some sources locate the seat of mulabhanda or muldahara chakra(root nerve plexus) as being at the cervix( so in & up , just at the mouth of the vaginal walls,before the uterus)In males i locate it roughly about 1 inch/1cm from the middle of the perineum.A diagram of the location ,side-angle,(Cervix- See No.12) would be helpful of course.The neck of the uterus-cervix[B].[/B][/LEFT]
[B]3)[/B][U]Vajroli mudra[/U] - comtraction of the muscles involved in peeing, urethra(base of penis) site is located at the pubis.Or, in women it may go by the name of [U]Sahajoli Yoni Mudra[/U].

I tend to see 2) & 3) useful in activating swadisthana chakra and it’s field, the 2nd chakra after muladhara or root.There is sometimes some equivocation between muldhara and swadistahana being connected to sexual feelings ,impulses etc. Swadisthana is sometimes also associated with fantasy (think Mickey Mouse,disney land,sexual fantasy etc)

It is useful to be able to distinguish all 3, at least on paper.Then you can start working on isolating them separately.I’ve tend to imagined kegel or pelvic floor-exercises as activating the whole pelvic floor, pulling upwards .

The bandhas or mudras( the texts do sometimes name bandhas as a sub-set of mudras) can be employed on a subtle level. In fact subtle is how they tend to function when the nervous system has opened and our neurobiology,physcial & spiritual, is functioning at a higher level ,and more refined. At that level of the mudras can even occur automatically.If one’s just starting out in oga it’s a good idea, and a iwise one, to just be on a look-out for that. Especially the developments and the sudden changes that can follow openings.

Perhaps their locations are energetically similar or same if not anatomically so on the gross level…

What you want to do is locate mentally after using more physical mudras.Then you’ve got it at the subtler level.The bandhas and mudras help to stimulate.They effectively set up feedback loops in the neural and pyschic(i.e subtle & energetic) circuitry.So you function at a higher optimal level,physcially, mentally,spiritually and so on.

How does it feel energetically is your best guide,of coourse?

#15

[U]Correction[/U] from above post.

Where it reads :-

[quote=core789;37156]
I tend to see 2) & 3) useful in activating swadisthana chakra and it’s field, the 2nd chakra after muladhara or root.[/quote]

Should read 1) & 3)…i.e ashwini mudra and vajroli mudra/sahaja yoni mudra.

These should both help stimulate swadhisthana chakra; contraction sends physical & energetic shockwaves or micro-vibrations around and towards the chakra/psycho-energetic centre…If you try a couple of repeated rhythmic contractions and releases interspersed by say roughly 1 sec. intervals(ashwini mudra; the rhythm is what helps,defines;the smoothness,the control) in any stable but comfortable meditative asana during your yoga session…I do vajroli mudra slightly differentlly; i aim or try to hold it 10-20 secs then release for same period ,10-20 secs (or if you can;no big deal if you can’t, really)and done alternately for say 5 mins tops.These both work on swadhisthana.

BTW, the swadisthana usually corresponds to the sacral plexus; and this chakra is often located just above the tailbone say 2-3 inches, just where the sacrum meets the start of the spine,so the top of the sacrum*, say 1 cm inwards precisely,possibly slightly more.Up to an inch would’nt be way off.The trick is in the feeling,the sensing and then the mental contractions can follow.

And see or witness the results unfold and accumulate over time with progressive dedicated sadhana.