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EXPERT
om
Carrie-Anne Fields
Carrie-Anne founded My Health Yoga in 1998 to specialise in yoga,
counselling and healing. She has a degree in psychology and is
certified in yoga, acupuncture, kinesiology, reiki and Ka Huna
Bodywork. Carrie-Anne is an accredited Level 3 Senior Yoga Teacher
and represents Australia as a board member of the World
Movement for Yoga and Ayurveda.I’m really fascinated with the bandhas and the idea of using them to increase energy. I’ve also read that
some yogis believe that their practice really developed once they learned how to use the bandhas. My
problem is that I’m not sure how or when to use them. Do I engage the bandhas at the beginning of a
class and strive to keep them engaged the whole way through? Do I breathe in and engage the bandhas, and
breathe out to release? Should I engage the bandhas during meditation? What about in everyday life? I think I
can feel the energy running up my spine when I engage the bandhas in a yoga sequence, but I don’t know
what to do next. Thank you so much for your guidance — I’m loving it all. Joanne
Hi Joanne, such an insightful question!
Over time you can learn to ‘seal’ the bandhas in
throughout your entire asana practice (both on
the inhalation and exhalation) but let them go in
Savasana. You can have the bandhas subtly
employed for seated meditation to help you sit
upright and prevent soreness in the lower back
and shoulders. And, yes! You can absolutely use
them in everyday life — in fact, an experienced
yogi always ‘stands tall’ with poise as the
bandhas (and hence the chakras and kundalini
energy) are firing up the spine. This keeps you
energetically ‘switched on’ and assists you to be
physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually
stable. I can sense that you are employing the
bandhas correctly as you mention feeling the
energy in the spine. Bandhas can seem elusive
as it’s an energy seal, but it sounds like you have
found the magic key. So thrilled you are having
these experiences, insights and deep questions.
A
Our asana and philosophy expert Carrie-Anne Fields answers all your yogi questions.
Ask the EXPERT
THE BANDHAS
Mula Bandha is an energy seal or lock activated by drawing up from the
perineum to the navel centre, like ‘zipping up’ your lower core — do this
for the front, back and internal body. This Bandha will also awaken base
and sacral chakras. Uddiyana Bandha is known as ‘flying bird’, so imagine
the flying up action from the solar plexus in behind the heart centre —
switching on solar plexus and heart chakra. Jalandhara Bandha is the
throat lock that awakens when you energetically draw your throat
back towards your neck, sending the energy to the top of the head.
You will feel throat, third eye and crown chakras open.Got a question for Carrie? Send them to [email protected]