and notice how it brings you back to your center. Use the
Dirgha breath when you are feeling pressure and strain to
circulate the life force throughout your body. Be con-
scious of your breath, and your awareness will stay cen-
tered in the midst of turbulence. According to yoga, this
is the true value of pranayama.
THEBANDHAS—EMBRACINGYOUR
VITALENERGY
The word bandhameans “to hold, lock, or embrace.”
These potent practices train you to direct your prana, or
vital energy, to different centers of your body. Bandhas
provide direct demonstration of the Law of Dharma as you
witness the immediate reactions in your body to specific
actions you take.
The basic principle with each bandha is first to
accumulate energy in an area of your physiology, then
release it. This process of building a force and then
unleashing it discharges obstacles from the pathways of
energy circulation. Like Traditional Chinese Medicine,
yoga envisions the body/mind as a network of energetic
channels through which life force flows. These pathways
are known as srotas and nadis. Srotas are circulatory
channels in the physical body, whereas nadis exist in the
subtle body. Health and vitality are dependent upon life
energy flowing freely through the physical and subtle
biological passageways.
JALANDHARABANDHA—CHINLOCK
Sitting comfortably with your legs crossed in front of you,
take a deep breath. While exhaling, bring your chin to
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