AustralianYogaJournal-May2018

48

may/june 2018

yogajournal.com.au

1

Bandhas

practice

ACCESSING EACH BANDHA takes

repetitive focus, so don’t be discouraged if

you don’t feel it on the first try. Just as you

need to practice a difficult asana many

times before you can access the full pose,

fine-tuning your attention to feel the

bandhas takes time. This basic sequence

is a great starting point, and sooner or later

you will experience an aha moment

when you feel the bandhas in your body.

Pada Bandha

& Mula Bandha

1 TADASANA Mountain Pose

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.

Lightly draw your thigh muscles up. Inhale

and lengthen your spine and your sides

with a neutral pelvis. This is a great pose to

begin your bandha practice, because there

aren’t many other actions to think about—

you can focus mostly on feeling the energy.

Spread your toes. On an exhalation, release

the outer edges of your feet, starting at the

base of your toes and moving to your heels

without collapsing your arches. Inhale and

feel a gentle lift up from the soft centres of

the soles of your feet for Pada Bandha. Allow

that energy to move up through your legs.

Now direct your attention to Mula Bandha:

On an exhalation, release your pubic

bone, tailbone, sitting bones, and the

circumference of your pelvic floor muscles (a

conscious, soft release to the earth without

pressing or pushing down). At the end of

your exhalation, feel the centre of your

pelvic floor, above your perineum, lifting

effortlessly. On an inhalation, feel the energy

flow farther up. Hold the pose for at least

5 breaths, connecting with the feeling of

energy moving up your central channel.