Mula Bandha: Shala Teaching
Shala teaching by Diana Christinson, Pacific Ashtanga Yoga
MULA BANDHA
HOMEWORK: AGNI SARA
3 sets of 5 breaths daily.
Our conference this week is a continuation of the Pranayama practice. We’ve been going over the breath and going deeper into the breath talking about the vayus.
Our conference this week is a continuation of the Pranayama practice. We’ve been going over the breath and going deeper into the breath talking about the vayus.
What are the vayus?
Currents
Yes, the currents. We’ve been referring to them as currents and last week we used the beautiful analogy of the bathtub. So we’ve moved from the currents and trying to use the breath to move through the different arenas of the body and edges of the body. In order to do that we literally have to lock the prana in. I always grab my stomach when I say that because it has to happen in the central area.
So, the First lock we studies was uddiyana bandha, which was
1. Pulling the lower abdominal in.
2. Keeping them drawn in.
3. Hollowing the belly during your practice.
Which has its physiological benefits but also the energetic benefits of holding it in so we can move it around.
This week we are going to study the ever elusive Mula Bandha, which is located in the perineal area.
The perineal muscles, (if you’re an ashtangi or if you’ve studied with me you’ve must have heard that word in your sleep like perineal, perineum, lift your pelvic floor). So this is right at the base (Pilates people refer to it as the bathroom muscle, which is a helpful way to think of it). We need to contract these muscles in order to hold the prana in.
Yes, the currents. We’ve been referring to them as currents and last week we used the beautiful analogy of the bathtub. So we’ve moved from the currents and trying to use the breath to move through the different arenas of the body and edges of the body. In order to do that we literally have to lock the prana in. I always grab my stomach when I say that because it has to happen in the central area.
So, the First lock we studies was uddiyana bandha, which was
1. Pulling the lower abdominal in.
2. Keeping them drawn in.
3. Hollowing the belly during your practice.
Which has its physiological benefits but also the energetic benefits of holding it in so we can move it around.
This week we are going to study the ever elusive Mula Bandha, which is located in the perineal area.
The perineal muscles, (if you’re an ashtangi or if you’ve studied with me you’ve must have heard that word in your sleep like perineal, perineum, lift your pelvic floor). So this is right at the base (Pilates people refer to it as the bathroom muscle, which is a helpful way to think of it). We need to contract these muscles in order to hold the prana in.
There are two things I want to talk about:
One is obviously this is also good physiologically for the physical body if your perineal muscles are strong. Why?
We see other cultures that don’t have as many issues with that because they sit differently and they are utilizing those muscles more than we are. So it is really important in our yoga practice to physiologically have strong perineum muscles.
If you go back to my analogy of the bathtub - which I really like, think of the bathtub as the mula bandha as the plug at the very bottom of the tub. If the plug is not sealed well, or not at all, it can’t hold the water. Think of both the bandhas as you pull them up and hold them. It’s going to help you hold that basin of water.
Then we have the analogy of pushing the hand through the water so that your hot water, like when we breath it’s not all stuck here. Prana practitioners, we have the sense of pushing that hand around the water in the bathtub so the currents move that hot water throughout the bathtub.
That’s really what we’re trying to do with the different asanas; we twist and do different things and then as we add the breath to it to try and move that through. That’s an advanced pranic practice.
- A strong perineal muscle is good because it helps us age well and be healthy.
- Our elimination system will work well.
- In our culture, we sit in western chairs a lot or in that position a lot and because of it, we don’t utilize those muscles and they become weak. We don’t ever think about them.
- As we age we have problems with being able to hold that area.
We see other cultures that don’t have as many issues with that because they sit differently and they are utilizing those muscles more than we are. So it is really important in our yoga practice to physiologically have strong perineum muscles.
If you go back to my analogy of the bathtub - which I really like, think of the bathtub as the mula bandha as the plug at the very bottom of the tub. If the plug is not sealed well, or not at all, it can’t hold the water. Think of both the bandhas as you pull them up and hold them. It’s going to help you hold that basin of water.
Then we have the analogy of pushing the hand through the water so that your hot water, like when we breath it’s not all stuck here. Prana practitioners, we have the sense of pushing that hand around the water in the bathtub so the currents move that hot water throughout the bathtub.
That’s really what we’re trying to do with the different asanas; we twist and do different things and then as we add the breath to it to try and move that through. That’s an advanced pranic practice.
Uddiyana Bandha is pretty easy
So what we find in my students over the years is that uddiyana bandha is pretty easy. I mean it can be if you strengthen those muscles, we can see those muscles, even when I’m teaching.
The other day, I was looking down the side of the room and it was in a pose and I could see everyone's bellies were hanging out. It was a little frustrating because I feel like I say all the time, “uddiyana bandha, uddiyana bandha, pull your belly up, pull your belly up.” Then I saw everyone lift their bellies, and it was shocking and also made me happy. I realize you can (pull your belly up), the problem is we forget. The more we remember and the more we practice, the more we have cellular memory, and the muscles are obviously stronger.
The other day, I was looking down the side of the room and it was in a pose and I could see everyone's bellies were hanging out. It was a little frustrating because I feel like I say all the time, “uddiyana bandha, uddiyana bandha, pull your belly up, pull your belly up.” Then I saw everyone lift their bellies, and it was shocking and also made me happy. I realize you can (pull your belly up), the problem is we forget. The more we remember and the more we practice, the more we have cellular memory, and the muscles are obviously stronger.
So then we get to Mula Bandha. What happens?
How’s mula bandha going for everybody?
It’s hard.
One of the things is it’s hard to do in the practice so it’s hard to strengthen it within the practice. For most people, what we find is this.
Mula Bandha contracts and then you start to move or you start to breathe your cycles of breath and asana and those muscles start to relax again. So it’s this constant reset. You reset, then they start to relax but you forget about it, so then you're just not in Mula Bandha at all. So I would say for most of us in this room, mula bandha is happening a very small percentage of the time.
One of the places we reset it is vinyasa. Vinyasas are a good opportunity for contractions. If I’m doing my inhale for (inaudible) I lift the pelvic floor and contract the perineum muscles and hopefully I go into it with mula bandha engaged. Hopefully.
One of the things I suggest is that you move into your flexibility slowly because when I see people flop into their flexibility that muscle just releases as well. So if you go slowly, you can keep it tightened all the way through.
Sometimes you’ll actually find you’ll get a little more extension in stuff when you’re really strong in mula bandha.
It’s hard.
One of the things is it’s hard to do in the practice so it’s hard to strengthen it within the practice. For most people, what we find is this.
Mula Bandha contracts and then you start to move or you start to breathe your cycles of breath and asana and those muscles start to relax again. So it’s this constant reset. You reset, then they start to relax but you forget about it, so then you're just not in Mula Bandha at all. So I would say for most of us in this room, mula bandha is happening a very small percentage of the time.
One of the places we reset it is vinyasa. Vinyasas are a good opportunity for contractions. If I’m doing my inhale for (inaudible) I lift the pelvic floor and contract the perineum muscles and hopefully I go into it with mula bandha engaged. Hopefully.
One of the things I suggest is that you move into your flexibility slowly because when I see people flop into their flexibility that muscle just releases as well. So if you go slowly, you can keep it tightened all the way through.
Sometimes you’ll actually find you’ll get a little more extension in stuff when you’re really strong in mula bandha.
HOMEWORK
Homework: 1
Agni Sara is when you pull, we do the hands to the knees, you inhale, exhale, hold, and pull the belly in. If I could give you one thing to do for the rest of your life it would be Agni Sara.
It needs to be on an empty stomach so best to do it in the morning. Best to have a ritual so you don’t start doing it then forget.
How many of you drink coffee or tea in the morning? That is what I would say is the best time to do it, when you're preparing your water for your coffee or tea,
Do 3 sets of 5.
That is my very famous and very successful recipe for Mula Bandha building;
And being healthy the rest of your life with strong perineum muscles.
Then when you find that when you get to your practice you find that those muscles are available because you’ve been strengthening them everyday. You will have that cellular memory too.
Homework: 2
Similar to kegel exercise; contract muscles on the inhale, and then exhale release, contract on the inhale, and exhale release.
Now we’re going to up the ante a little bit:
Inhale - contract - hold- exhale - release.
The next one we are going to inhale-contraction-exhale and take 3 rounds of breath while we are contracting those muscles.
3 rounds of this.
Inhale-stay contracted-exhale, then release.
Homework: 3
Here’s your homework for uddiyana bandha. I suggest you have a ritual around this as well
Do this exercise when at a stop light.
Do this exercise when attending a boring meeting.
Outside of your practice I recommend both of those. It will really serve you in your practice, holding your prana in and moving your prana around but also just keeping our bodies healthy. It’s really, really important.
Agni Sara is when you pull, we do the hands to the knees, you inhale, exhale, hold, and pull the belly in. If I could give you one thing to do for the rest of your life it would be Agni Sara.
It needs to be on an empty stomach so best to do it in the morning. Best to have a ritual so you don’t start doing it then forget.
How many of you drink coffee or tea in the morning? That is what I would say is the best time to do it, when you're preparing your water for your coffee or tea,
Do 3 sets of 5.
That is my very famous and very successful recipe for Mula Bandha building;
And being healthy the rest of your life with strong perineum muscles.
Then when you find that when you get to your practice you find that those muscles are available because you’ve been strengthening them everyday. You will have that cellular memory too.
Homework: 2
Similar to kegel exercise; contract muscles on the inhale, and then exhale release, contract on the inhale, and exhale release.
Now we’re going to up the ante a little bit:
Inhale - contract - hold- exhale - release.
The next one we are going to inhale-contraction-exhale and take 3 rounds of breath while we are contracting those muscles.
3 rounds of this.
Inhale-stay contracted-exhale, then release.
Homework: 3
Here’s your homework for uddiyana bandha. I suggest you have a ritual around this as well
Do this exercise when at a stop light.
Do this exercise when attending a boring meeting.
Outside of your practice I recommend both of those. It will really serve you in your practice, holding your prana in and moving your prana around but also just keeping our bodies healthy. It’s really, really important.
I’m going to end on this note, which was last week as well, once you start doing this advanced work with bandhas and locks and moving the prana around you will find it holds your mind and holds your consciousness. We become really more present in the flow with the practice, what we're doing, but also in our lives too. We’re able more and more to be in that conscious state, and fully aware and present in the things that we’re doing.
Quote of the week from Benjamin Franklin
“While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.”
And that is why we do yoga.
“The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.”
I’m hoping all of you are able to catch some happiness today.
Namaste