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Activate your bandhas

Direct your energy by activating your internal locks

The Bandhas

If you are a regular to our Kundalini Yoga classes, you may recognise with the following cues after each exercise: “Take a deep inhale. Hold, suspend your breath. Engage your pelvic floor. Pull your naval up and in. Chest is lifted. Chin tucked into your chest. Eye gaze rolled up to the center of your forehead.” If you’ve ever wondered why we do this, this article will provide an explanation of bandhas and why we activate them in class.

There are 4 types of body locks

Bandhas overview

When practicing Kundalini Yoga, it’s important to understand that each body lock has a specific function based on its location. These body locks are activated to move energy in a particular direction. The goal is to create an energetic loop circulating up the Sushumna Nadi and down the Vagus nerve.

Mula Bandha

Root lock at your pelvic bowl & base of the spine

Jalandhara Bandha

Chin & neck lock

Uddiyana Bandha

Naval & Diaphragm lift

Maha Bandha

All three locks applied at the same time

Root Lock

1. Mula Bandha

Purpose

This technique seals the energy flow in the spine, preventing the downward movement of the Apana and pulling the energy up towards the naval region.

How to do it

Activate the muscles from the pubic bone to the tailbone, drawing in the perineum towards your abdomen. Engage the lower abdominal muscles and pull them towards the spine. It's a very subtle motion, similar to the action of stopping urination or performing kegel exercises.

Naval lock

2. Uddiyana Bandha

Purpose

This technique magnifies the pull of energy up to the heart centre. This intensifies and moves the energy up with more force than just the Mula Bandha on its own.

How to do it


"Uddiyana" means to rise or fly in Sanskrit, and you are doing that with the diaphragm. Expand your rib cage and chest, and keep your spine straight. While doing this, activate your abdominal muscles and move your belly button towards the spine and upward towards the rib cage. By doing this, a cavity is created in the abdomen as it lifts towards your chest and diaphragm.

Neck lock

3. Jalandhara Bandha

Purpose

This technique blocks the upward flow of energy by sealing the upper end of the spinal column. This prevents prana from moving up, restricting the flow of energy through the Ida and Pingala energetic channels, and keeping the energy contained.

How to do it

Tuck your chin into your chest. Keep the back of the neck is long and straight. Push your head back, as if you are standing against a wall with a straight spine all the way up to the top of your head.

All locks applied

4. Maha Bandha

Purpose

When both the upward and downward flow are restricted, heat and friction occur in the energetic channel. This activates the energy through the Sushumna Nadi (the central channel), allowing it to move up to the crown of the head and activate the vagus nerve. The activation of the vagus nerve creates a downward spinal loop. As a result, this creates an unobstructed pathway for energy to freely flow up and down the spinal column.

How to do it

Engage your pelvic floor (mula bandha). Pull your naval up and in (uddiyana bandha). Tuck your chin into your chest (jalandhara bandha). Eye gaze rolled up (activating that upward central channel energetic movement).

The bandhas are there to help elevate your Kundalini practice.

Incorporating the activation of the bandhas in your practice can lead to a noticeable change. Whether you practice Kundalini yoga, hatha, vinyasa or incorporate it in your daily life, activating the body locks can help you contain your energy, feel present and energized. It can also help shift the way you feel and show up daily. The bandhas act as internal locks that give you control over your energy and enable you to direct it where you want it to go. Try incorporating this technique to see if it works for you.

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Natalie

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Published by
Natalie
2 years ago

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