Exploring the Bandhas
australian yoga life 2
Exploring the Bandhas
australian yoga life
1
My own interpretation and application of
Mulabandha has been transformative in both
my Ashtanga yoga practice and daily life.
Having had spinal problems and chronic back
pain for most of my life, it has been a
revelation for me to harness and apply the
strength-giving benefits it offers.
Mulabandha is not just for experienced yoga
students. It is not an ‘add-on’ to the practice; it
is one of the building blocks in establishing
sound mind-body movement patterns and is
helpful for beginners commencing their journey
on the road of a life-long yoga practice.
So what is Mulabandha? How do we use it?
What benefits does it offer?
Mulabandha and other bandhas are part of
a larger grouping called mudras, meaning
‘muscle control’, ‘restraint’, ‘seal’ or ‘lock’.
Bandha means to ‘bind’ or ‘bond.’ The word
‘lock’ is particularly relevant because
‘unlocking’ the power of Mulabandha takes
patience, practice and clarity of mind but your
time and effort will be rewarded as your yoga
practice develops over the years.
There are many bandhas and mudras; the
most useful in asana practice and daily
activities is Mulabandha. There is some
confusion about Mulabandha, partly due to
the fact that each yoga system has a slightly
different approach and also because it can be
difficult to define and apply.
In yoga texts, Mulabandha is usually defined
as the activation of the perineum (the soft
tissue area between the anus and the genitals)
and often refers to the more esoteric nature of
controlling energy currents through the body.
This can be hard to quantify, so let’s look at
some specific physical applications and the
associated benefits.
There are two mudras that are closely related
to Mulabandha. They are Ashwini mudra,
activated by contracting the sphincter
muscles of the anus, and Vajroli mudra,
activated by contracting the urethra (similar
to the action of stopping the flow, mid-
stream, when urinating).
It is possible to isolate and control the