Mula bandha in the asana's

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi, I recently read that while doing the asana’s that you should slightly activate the ‘Mula bandha’/root lock, I tried this and it worked. However, the reason for this post is that. I thought that all of the asana’s should be performed with no tension in the body at all. Therefore, can any one explain to me the reason for this contradiction? Or have I misinterpreted the meaning of the authors words, upon this matter. And also should this activation of the root lock, be only performed in certain poses and not others?

Thanking you in advance for your advice.

#2

I think there’s a difference between tension in the body and contracting muscles. If you think about any pose - from Side Crow to Tree - you have to contract muscles to perform them properly, or else you’d just be “hanging out”. (I honestly don’t think I could ‘hang out’ in Side Crow though :grin: ) The mula bandha is just another contraction of muscles, but it should not add stress or tension to the body.

When I read your question I thought about the translation of asana (a comfortable or easy position). So the idea is that you can meditate, breath - join the mind and body - in any position, comfortably.

I hope that made sense! Great question, btw!

#3

I agree that even when we are total relaxed. The human body needs to keep expanding and contracting to keep things flowing around. So we are never truly without some tension/expansion. However, I didn’t know if this contraction of muscles/ Bandhas was for the more experienced student when they have learned to fully relaxed. Then you can add these locks/contractions to the body. As I originally thought that these locks/Bandhas where to put more pressure on the lungs in the breathing exercise, so making the lungs work harder. By restricting the downward expansion of the lungs, so forcing the lungs to expand in different direction. Rather than as I originally thought as an aid to the stability of the posture. Still thanks for you reply, and it is something for me to think out. LOL:D

#4

Namaste Y-Y

In classical yoga, bandhas was traditionally viewed as mudras and it was only later that bandhas was given a space of their own in the yoga curriculum. So I would like to go back to that classical root of bandhas to explain my understanding and personal experience of these powerful mudras.

Mudras are described by Swami Satyananda as “subtle physical movements which alter mood, attitude and perceptions and which deepen awareness and concentration.” Seen in the light of his description of a mudra I would like to apply this to bandhas as this has been how I was taught by my own teacher and what I have come to experience the bandhas to be, “subtle physical movements” which have a great effect energetically on the physical body as well as the subtle bodies.

I have been taught to teach the bandhas separately from asanas just after pranayama and before relaxation and meditation. My own teacher felt that it was important to feel each bandha and its affect on the granthis and on the physical as well as subtle bodies as intense as you can, without having to worry about the asana you are in. Just one thing I would like to mention here is that my own teacher only started to teach the bandhas to me after about 5 years of practice. Whenever I asked about it, she always said wait, your are not ready yet.

However, you can perform the bandhas while in certain asanas as well, but I think you have to go back here to the style of yoga you practice and see how they prescribe it or to your teacher and hear what he/she has to say, what is their understanding. Performing the bandhas while in asana might be something that you would attempt much later in your yoga practice, I myself have only recently started to combine mudra while in asana, but I am not very satisfied with the lack of effect I experience, so I have stopped doing it while in asana and focus on a separate bandha practice again.

Hope this helps.

#5

Uddiyana bandha channels prana ‘flying upwards’,helping to purify & oopen the body (beyond the physical posturing- i.e conscious control diirected from within), promoting better alignement i guess through tying the subtle with the physical,and causing psycho-physical and neurological changes.

Mulabandha would i suppose do the same.

Some styles of hatha yoga emphasize the use of bandhas to protect the body and provide safegurads like ashtanga vinyasa yoga.It can also help to produce the intense purifying sweat this style is known for.Independently contracting the perineum and the anus can be achevied with a little practice. It is probably best to observe when bandha wants to occur spontaneously,then the nudging can begin towards conscious employment.The energy body stimulated, and the physical body opened, eventuall flowering of consciousness can result with dilligent practice.

Bandhas will stablize your asana , provide core ssafety & support, and chaneel the prana most effectively but if it’s not happening i would’nt force it.

#6

My teacher often says mulha banda is 5% physical 95% phsychic. it seems to be a subtle practice that takes most of us many years to come near to understanding.I have heard of a well respected yogi who says he feels he was getting it wrong for twenty years.enjoy the journey

#7

Its all very interesting your comments upon this matter. So would anyone suggest that I not pay much attention to this use of bandhas in my daily practice? As I would class myself as a complete beginner, so not yet ready for this practice. As “Pandara” said that it was 5 yrs before they where ready to perform this type of movement.
However, firstly, how do you know when you are ready to apply this to your practice. And secondly is this type of practice for only the hard-core yoga devotee. Yet I have read some ‘Pilates’ books and this is one of the foundations of that system. The slight compression of the stomach etc. While I understand that yoga is not pilates, they seem to me to have much in common to me. But this is what these forums are about the sharing of ideas, so thank you for your time and thoughts.

#8

[quote=yoga-yoda;21186]Its all very interesting your comments upon this matter. So would anyone suggest that I not pay much attention to this use of bandhas in my daily practice? As I would class myself as a complete beginner, so not yet ready for this practice. As “Pandara” said that it was 5 yrs before they where ready to perform this type of movement.
However, firstly, how do you know when you are ready to apply this to your practice. And secondly is this type of practice for only the hard-core yoga devotee. Yet I have read some ‘Pilates’ books and this is one of the foundations of that system. The slight compression of the stomach etc. While I understand that yoga is not pilates, they seem to me to have much in common to me. But this is what these forums are about the sharing of ideas, so thank you for your time and thoughts.[/quote]

Namaste Y-Y,

I would defnitely not attempt it at this early stage and without a teacher. When you feel you are ready, as you don’t have a teacher to gauge you, you’ll have to do it yourself and trust your inner guidance. However, I would recommend that you find a teacher who can take you through it.

It is not a practice for the “hard-core yoga devotee”, but it is definitely a practice for the disciplined and dedicated student who are properly prepared through the wisdom and compassion of his/her teacher and through asana and the other associated yoga practices such as pranayama, pratyahara etc. Again many will differ from me, but I am the old fashioned type who like to think that not everybody who stands over the bonnet of a car looking at the engine is a mechanic, the same with yoga.

About pilates, I would refrain from commenting here as I have very little time for pilates.

Hope this helps. :slight_smile:

#9

I wouldn’t worry about it early on, like most of yoga , one thing leads to another, building up energy in the nervous system and control takes time and good living. I consider myself a journeyman so far as the bandhas. For myself, I’d have to say that if you apply yourself first to correcting your postures insofar as bad habits have caused you to give way to the universal push of gravity, that is to lift your abdominal-pelvic area, engage your psoas muscles, keep your shoulder-blades pushing the chest out and the many other things that eventually become one in the asana, then learning bandhas will come naturally and in it’s time. And it does take time. I’d like to echo what yoga yoda said early here : David Coulter, a Phd. in Micro-anatomy who wrote an award winning book, The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, said that unless you are in the corpse position, flat on your back, your body has to orient itself in space with some contraction; so contraction is almost always necessary . Unnecessary contraction may be a definition for tenseness. Anytime you do a posture correctly you are getting closer to the bandhas. You can engage mula bandha while in the corpse position, which may be the best way to isolate it. Though I try to engage it in most of what I do ; I concentrate hardest in the lotus trying to breath deeply with all 3 locks. Trying to remember that exhalation is most important otherwise the pranayama will do more harm that good. I tried years ago and I wasn’t ready , my exhalation wasn’t full and BP went up, so I quit pranayama at that point. Now I think I may be ready, we’ll see.It’s been a couple of months. So far , so good. Kapalabhati breath rules, namaste

#10

[quote=Pandara;21163]Namaste Y-Y

Mudras are described by Swami Satyananda as “subtle physical movements which alter mood, attitude and perceptions and which deepen awareness and concentration.”
[/quote]

I like this one, made me think.