The Bandhas Bandha = lock or seal Physiologically the bandhas correspond to key muscle groups in the trunk: the pelvic floor, the diaphragm, the deep flexors of the neck. These key areas can influence the curves of the spine and are intimately related to the action of breathing.
Cautions • Actively exploring bandhas is an advanced yoga practice as it requires an intimate understanding and felt sense of the response of the body to breathing • When we work with minimum tension in asana practice the bandhas will often draw on gently and unselfconsciously without our interference
Mula Bandha Blandine Calais Germain, The Female Pelvis The above images from Franklin, Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery
Superficial layer of pelvic floor muscles Deep Layer of Pelvic Floor muscles Images from Blandine Calais Germain, The Female Pelvis
Uddiyana Bandha ‘The diaphragm’, from Germain, Anatomy of Movement ‘the abdominal bag’, from Germain, The Female Pelvis From David Coulter, the Anatomy of Hatha Yoga
Contraindications for Uddiyana Bandha • inflammatory conditions of the gut - diverticulitis, chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis (but can be helpful for IBS and other digestive disorders) • pregnancy • if the practice causes or increases discomfort during menstruation • For further detail see supporting document on the LYTTG website entitled ‘Uddiyana Bandha’ in Documents/ Teaching; see also Pete Blackaby, Intelligent Yoga , p166 - 167
Jalandhara Bandha Corresponds to the deep flexors of the neck: rectus captious anterior and longus coli - ‘As they act, the agonists at the back of the skull, rectus capitus posterior and the sub-occipital muscles, will relax’, Pete Blackaby, Intelligent Yoga, p107
Maha Mudra • All three bandhas can be drawn on in this pose. • To draw on uddiyana bandha the belly must be relaxed. It is important therefore to adapt this pose to minimise tension.
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