The bandhas are a powerful and advanced part of Yoga practice. They are often thought of as more of a concept than a purely physical application. With the Sanskrit word ‘Bandha’ translating to ‘bind’ or ‘seal’ they are used to seal energy into the energetic spinal column of the body (shushumna Nadi) and move energy upwards towards the crown of the head (sahasrara chakra).

I know what you’re thinking… I have to think about internal alignment as well now?! – Aah!

Some good news – the Bandhas will develop overtime as you become more practiced and expanded. As you develop awareness of body alignment and expansion within the postures, they start to come naturally as more of an ‘awareness’ than a physical feeling in the body. It’s good to have an introductory understanding of them though, so that as you progress with your practice, you can start to recognise and integrate them into your practice and life.

The Bandhas each have a physical space in the body; they also each describe a more metaphysical idea of the energy movement in which they are involved.  Below is a bit of information on each of the main three Bandhas, as well as Maha Bandha (the big poppa) which unites all three;

Mula Bandha (moo-la ban-dar)

Mula Bandha is the root seal and is located at the base of the body, in the same energetic space as Muladhara (the root chakra). Think of Mula Bandha as the lock or seal that absorbs energy from the earth or ‘below’ and draws it up into the body, sealing it into the central energetic channel (Shushumna Nadi).

Where?

In the ancient scripts, Mula Bandha is described as a feeling or awareness as opposed to a specific physical action. In Yoga classes nowadays you’ll be instructed to ‘draw up the pelvic floor’ which can be helpful for awakening the energy in the bottom of our bodies, however the original application of the root seal has been lost in time. Instead of actively engaging the pelvic floor instead focus the attention on the end of the exhale and notice the natural toning in of the pelvic floor as the diaphragm rises. Over time this toning will become more noticeable as your awareness attunes.

Benefits?

Retaining energy inside the body as you practice encourages that energy to grow exponentially – helping you to feel lighter in poses such as balances, inversions and arm balances, hold poses for longer without fatigue and take these benefits forwards into our lives. The root seal stops us from feeling sluggish and keeps our energies grounded as we move forwards and upwards.

Uddiyana Bandha (oo-dee-yana ban-dar)

The next seal is located around the centre of the torso, around the diaphragm.  Uddiyana translates from Sanskrit to ‘fly up’, or to rise up. This seal is all about the rising energy, it’s a strong and powerful bandha to engage and involves the internal organs drawing upwards – stomach, diaphragm – as well as your energy.

Where?

Have a feel around the bottom of the ribcage. At the end of an exhale try drawing the navel up and inside the ribcage, it might feel a little odd at first but with some practice you’ll get the feel of it! Practicing Kapala Bhati breath will help with the toning in of the inner abdominal muscles for a stronger bandha practice.

Benefits?

Uddiyana Bandha creates a soft massage for the deep internal muscles of the lower back and abdomen. It stimulates the digestive system, and so can increase metabolism, tone the abdominal organs and can be used as a remedy for stomach and digestive complaints.

Jalandhara Bandha (jal-an-dara ban-dar)

Jalandhara Bandha is the throat seal (Jal meaning throat; dharan meaning flow or stream) which controls the flow of energy to the head – it’s the top seal, the opposite end of mula bandha’s root seal, retaining energy within the space of the body and stopping it from flowing upwards and outwards into the cosmic universe.

Where?

Once an awareness is built around Mula Bandha and Uddiyana Bandha the throat lock will begin to appear. A subtle contraction of the back of the throat during practice of the ujjayi breath will help to stimulate this awareness. In practice of Uddiyana Bandha the throat seal is automatically engaged also – becoming aware of this engagement takes time and practice.

Benefits?

Jalandhara Bandha helps to regulate the circulatory and respiratory systems. The pressure on the throat helps to balance the thyroid and metabolism as well as improving mental relaxation and providing stress and anger relief. It is also usually used in conjunction with Khapala Bhati (breath of fire/skull shining breath) and not on it’s own. Legend and myth used to tell of practitioners who would go mad through not applying the correct awareness of Jalandhara Bandha when practicing powerful pranayama. The retention of energy within the upper spheres of the body helps us to improve focus and mental clarity for meditation preparation.

Finally, we come to MAHA BANDHA, the ultimate energy seal and the mother of all. Maha Bandha is the uniting force that draws the three bandhas into our awareness. Practice and time will see Maha Bandha appear within our own spheres of practice.

Keep practicing, time holds all magic and mystery.