Hi,
I have a question about locking the bandas during my practice. Am I supposed to lock on the outbreath and relax on the inbreath? Specifically the moola and the utiana bandas are the ones I am asking about.
Thank you for any help with my question.
I think you can “lock” mulabandha during all asanas -it will direct the breath into the chest lungs as opposed to the stomach.
uddiyana should only be locked after exhalations.
I no expert its just what i have researched
But then again i was watching a Davis Sweson Ashtanga dvd where he was keeping both locks engaged during asanas.
I find the when to apply bandas quite confusing - i will try engaging both during my asana practise
Sorry i no help with my two replies:(
Both are locked on inhale and exhale the whole practice! thats a fact 
This will be very hard when you are a beginner. Practice practice practice!
Bandhas are key!
Thank you Jumpers and Pinoy for your help. I don’t get a deep inhalation with Bandas locked but I will just have to play with it until it makes sense. Thanks and Namaste!
These locks are subtle contractions, thats a fact. Dont work too hard to the point of distraction… proper breath is more important… many teachers say proper breathing cultivated over time will lead to proper engagement of bandhas
For me personally, awareness of the bandhas are enough for the subtle contraction needed. although sometimes particularly in more difficult asanas i find better balance by really exagerating the contraction
Hello Everyone,
It happens when it happens.
When teaching about bandha I find the terms “catch” or “hook” equally useful because, I think, it helps to know that while you may contract and hold bandha in a changing variety of ways, as you let go it stays “hooked:” held in place not with muscular contraction, but through control of breath and posture. I think that’s what is meant here by “subtle.” Bandha is not a contraction, but rather a [I]trained response[/I] to contraction.
I hope that helps,
siva
I found this article helpful on explaining the bandhas and breath:
http://www.yoganatomy.com/2011/10/how-breathing-leads-to-bandhas-©-2010/
Yes it is true that you can engage both on inhale and exhale. Engaging on the exhale cycle is generally easier. What I notice from my students is that the attempt to engage on the inhale causes the student to not fully realize the entirety of the inhale cycle and thus affecting the practice in a semi-negative way.
Yogadealer and siva, nice contribution thanks.
Siva, do you “teach” bandhas to newer students? Or do you just make them concentrate on proper breathing?
I see many reputable teachers not teach bandhas at all… and says in time with proper breathing bandhas will happen automatically
Hello Dave,
If I understand your question, you are asking if in your practice you should apply the root and abdominal locks (mulha and uddiyana respectively) on an inhalation or an exhalation. Is that correct?
There are several layers to a reply and these layers depend on the nature of the student and nature of the practice. For this reason it is best to ask your teacher directly as they will know both.
Generally if the question has to be posed in the first place then it is best that the person not be using either. Both tools are very powerful and the misunderstanding and misuse of powerful tools often leads down an unwholesome road.
Both of these locks have a subtle and gross application. Furthermore, many teachers are not properly trained in such things and teach them from a weakened understanding.
Finally, all things in Yoga have to come from a purpose or intention. This begs the “why is the student using mulha or uddiyana in the first place” question. If that doesn’t have a profound answer then again to do it may be folly.
gordon
[QUOTE=pinoyvegasyogi420;75040]Yogadealer and siva, nice contribution thanks.
Siva, do you “teach” bandhas to newer students? Or do you just make them concentrate on proper breathing?
I see many reputable teachers not teach bandhas at all… and says in time with proper breathing bandhas will happen automatically[/QUOTE]
No, I do not, unless the student is already producing it. It’s what I meant by “it happens when it happens?” It’s obvious when it does, and then it can be coached.
Yes, focus on breathing and the contraction are all that are necessary. If it happens at all, it will be by accident. Then if you’re lucky, maybe you can repeat it. When you can repeat it, then you can practice it.
You don’t have to worry about misusing powerful tools or folly, it’s just that “active” effort in this case can be counterproductive: you may actually be preventing the bandha from happening and not know it.
siva
I respectfully request that you not regurgitate my words (verbatim) in your reply. If you don’t care for what I’ve offered the OP or disagree, that’s perfectly fine. But to float my words back up in this manner appears to be disrespectful.
Gordon,
You should thank me.
siva
[QUOTE=Dave1;74708]Hi,
I have a question about locking the bandas during my practice. Am I supposed to lock on the outbreath and relax on the inbreath? Specifically the moola and the utiana bandas are the ones I am asking about.
Thank you for any help with my question.[/QUOTE]
Dave, yes, you got it right the moolabandha is easy to engage on the out breath, but you can keep it locked for few breath cycles
Udiana is [I][B]impossible[/B][/I] to engage on the breath in, therefore it must be practiced on the out breath…with or without khumbaka
[QUOTE=CityMonk;75381]
Udiana is [I][B]impossible[/B][/I] to engage on the breath in, therefore it must be practiced on the out breath…with or without khumbaka[/QUOTE]
CM,
It’s not impossible and exactly what you should be striving for, although it’s a reflexive, stabilizing type of engagement, rather than a contraction. You could call it an involuntary action, but that is also misleading, because while you don’t yourself physically contract it, you actuate and control it through other mechanisms.
After contracting uddiyana and mula with exhalation, try sucking it back in and down with the mula as you inhale. Squeeze and hold them together again with exhalation and repeat. Use just a little bit of vacuum pressure to get it started, but then let go and use your abdominal breath, posture and alignment to keep it in place: it’s your root, so that means your whole body is actually involved. It takes a very long time to recognize the sequence, where it begins and ends, just how strong, the right rate, etc.
It’s a never-ending experiment.
siva
[QUOTE=siva;75428]CM,
After contracting uddiyana and mula with exhalation, try sucking it back in and down with the mula as you inhale. Squeeze and hold them together again with exhalation and repeat. Use just a little bit of vacuum pressure to get it started, but then let go and use your abdominal breath, posture and alignment to keep it in place: it’s your root, so that means your whole body is actually involved. It takes a very long time to recognize the sequence, where it begins and ends, just how strong, the right rate, etc.
It’s a never-ending experiment.
siva[/QUOTE]
yes, it is a suction…not inhalation thought? kinda fake inhalation?
[QUOTE=CityMonk;75455]yes, it is a suction…not inhalation thought? kinda fake inhalation?[/QUOTE]
CM,
The suction and inhalation are independent of one another: one follows the other.
You will be surprised to learn how much the alignment of the pelvis and spine, upper body, shoulders, ribs and arms are actually involved in this function. It takes a lot of strength. You are trying to unify all your apana, or downward force, and that means everything. There’s a lot of internal push/pull going on. It’s not easy.
I only try to articulate it for students to help them recognize when it does begin to happen. You will have forgotten all of this by then, but then recall it again when it all clicks.
best of luck,
siva
[QUOTE=siva;75331]No, I do not, unless the student is already producing it. It’s what I meant by “it happens when it happens?” It’s obvious when it does, and then it can be coached.
Yes, focus on breathing and the contraction are all that are necessary. If it happens at all, it will be by accident. Then if you’re lucky, maybe you can repeat it. When you can repeat it, then you can practice it.
You don’t have to worry about misusing powerful tools or folly, it’s just that “active” effort in this case can be counterproductive: you may actually be preventing the bandha from happening and not know it.
siva[/QUOTE]
Hi siva thank you for your contributions to this thread, very informative… in your first paragraph you say “its obvious when it does, then it can be coached”
When is it obvious for you? Is it some specific asanas or movements? Like jumping back to chaturanga, pressing into handstands, or what?
Eventually, when you do see it in a student what do you do to “coach” them as you say?
[QUOTE=Dave1;74708]Hi,
I have a question about locking the bandas during my practice. Am I supposed to lock on the outbreath and relax on the inbreath? Specifically the moola and the utiana bandas are the ones I am asking about.
Thank you for any help with my question.[/QUOTE]
Bandha means lock in Sanskrit. Energy flows through the body much like water does through a canal. The bandhas or locks act similarly to dams or locks in a canal. There are four locks. Mula Bandhas- Root lock. Engage by pulling in the anal sphincter. Uddiyana Bandha- Upward flying energy lock.
Most 2 Bandha
[B]2. Udhyana banda: [/B] Doing mock inhalation expand the chest, sucking in the relaxed abdominal muscle, so that they lie flat over the spine.
[B]3. Moola banda:[/B] Using the left heal,press the premium and keep the right heal above the genitals and contract slowly.