Yoga BLOG

Mula Bandha: How to keep your energies circulating In yoga, three power centers of the body are defined: the bandhas. The word bandha, translated from Sanskrit, means something like "lock" or "seal." Bandhas are central bodily locks that have a special function: They direct, regulate, and preserve the body's energy. Through yoga postures and breathing exercises, prana, the life force, is activated. It should serve your body as optimally as possible—by activating your bandhas, you contribute to this optimal use. In yoga language, this activation is called "setting bandhas." Setting occurs through finely measured muscle contractions. The highest bandha in the body is the Jalandhara Bandha, the neck lock . The abdominal contraction is called Uddiyana Bandha . And Mula Bandha stands for the root lock, the pelvic floor contraction. The contractions should not be understood as the strongest possible contractions, but rather as precisely coordinated and targeted muscle contractions that can only be used beneficially through experience and persistent practice. Mula Bandha can give you support Mula Bandha addresses the root chakra , the pelvic floor in the perineal region between the anus and genitals. The pelvic floor consists of the perineal muscles as the outer layer, the urogenital diaphragm (diaphragm) in the middle layer, and the pelvic diaphragm in the inner layer. Activating the pelvic diaphragm, as the muscular connection between the pubic bone and coccyx, is of utmost importance in Mula Bandha. When performed correctly, the root closure can provide a stable foundation for your spine. It thus creates a reliable foundation for all healthy postures. It can also powerfully support yoga breathing exercises. In Hatha Yoga, the root area in particular is considered a body area that provides you with security and support, not only in a physical sense. Regular practice of Mula Bandha prevents your body's energy from flowing downward. The energies rise within you with undiminished strength. This can have a revitalizing effect and fill you with energy and zest for life. If you practice Mula Bandhas regularly, you can experience further physical and mental benefits. Root locking can stabilize your sacroiliac joint and prevent inflammation in this area. Mula Bandha can also help with incontinence and pain during intercourse. It is considered to promote circulation and potency, as well as calm the autonomic nervous system and relax your mind. However, contraindications are also described in connection with Mula Bandha. It should be avoided in cases of acute inflammation in the pelvis, coccyx injuries, and after pelvic floor surgery. Likewise, women who are pregnant or have recently given birth are advised not to practice root locking. Finely dose contractions Mula Bandha can be practiced standing or in a meditation position. Many instructions advise beginners to imagine they urgently need to go to the toilet and cannot. This is certainly a good analogy to get an idea of which muscle groups you should contract during Mula Bandha. By tensing the pelvic floor muscles, you draw your pelvic floor inward and upward. At the same time, the lower back lengthens, and the tailbone and sacrum are drawn downward in the countermovement. Experienced yoga teachers say that as you practice Mula Bandha, the feeling for the contraction becomes increasingly finer and more precisely measured. There are also exercise instructions that combine the establishment of the root lock with the yoga breathing technique of Pranayama. By combining breath and contraction, you may develop an even more precise understanding of this locking technique. Mula Bandha and Pranayama In the meditation position, exhale fully and deeply. As you do so, visualize your pelvic floor as a triangular surface (some say: a taut cloth). At the end of your exhalation, feel the pelvic floor (the cloth, the triangular surface) bulge outward. As you inhale, continue to hold this bulge. In this way, your breathing practice naturally connects you with the correctly measured pelvic floor contraction—a seamless combination of breathing practice and Mula Bandha. Image © dimol / 123rf.com