4. BANDHA🔗

BANDHA IS INTERNAL AWAKENING OF THE KUNDALINI SHAKTI. IT IS A SANSKRIT TERM THAT MEANS ‘CONDUCIVE TO’. IT IS THE ACTIVE MAINTENANCE OF A STATE OF CONTRACTION OR PRESSURE IN THE BODY BY THE YOGI, INITIALLY PRACTICED AND EVENTUALLY NATURALLY OCCURRING CONTRACTIONS OF DIFFERENT BODY PARTS. BANDHAS ARE PERFORMED BY MAKING MUSCULAR AND DIAPHRAGM CONTRACTIONS IN SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY THAT PUMP ENERGY INTO DORMANT OR STAGNANT AREAS OF THE BODY.

WITHOUT BANDHAS, ENERGY TENDS TO LEAK OUT, TENDS TO BE BLOCKED, OR DISSIPATED DUE TO OUR LIFESTYLE ETC. HERE BANDHAS ARE THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE DISCONNECTED AREAS OF THE ENERGY CIRCUIT. THIS IS THE REASON THAT THIS PUMPING AND RE-ALIGNMENT OF PRANA (VITAL LIFE ENERGY) AND KUNDALINI SHAKTI (INHERENT POTENTIAL ENERGY), BRINGS TREMENDOUS HEALING AND BALANCING TO THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEMS.

ŚĀSTRA PRAMĀṆA - शास्त्र प्रमाण YOGA CUDAMANY UPANISHAD, VERSE 47

AKASHIC REVELATION THAT YOGIN WHO KNOWS THE UDIYANA, JALANDHARA AND MULA-BANDHA IS THE RECEPTACLE OF LIBERATION.

BANDHAS ARE PRACTISED ALONG WITH MANY ASANAS AND PRANAYAMAS TO BRING THE PRANA SHAKTI ALSO KNOWN AS OUR VITAL ENERGIES UNDER CONTROL. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUDRA AND BANDHA IS THAT THE BANDHA IS PRACTISING A FOCUS, AND MAINTAINING THAT LOCK AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, WHEREAS THE ACTIONS OF CONTRACTING AND RELEASING ARE MORE INDICATIVE OF A MUDRA.

BANDHAS ASSIST IN PUSHING THE KUNDALINI ENERGY UP THE SPINE. THE MUSCULAR CONTRACTIONS HELP PREVENT THE ENERGY FROM FLOWING BACK DOWNWARDS AND GETTING DISSIPATED. THESE BANDHAS GENERATE A CERTAIN FLOW ALONG THE SPINAL COLUMN, WHERE THERE ARE ENERGY POINTS CALLED CHAKRAS WHICH CORRESPOND TO MAJOR REGULATORY GLANDS IN THE BODY AND ALSO SERVE AS STOREHOUSES AND DISTRIBUTION HOUSES FOR PRANA SHAKTI.

KNOWN AS THE ROOT LOCK THAT HAPPENS AND WORKS WITH THE MŪLADHARA CHAKRA. IT IS A CONTRACTION OF THE PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES. PRANIC ENERGY WHICH NORMALLY FLOWS OUT OF THE BODY IS PREVENTED FROM LEAKING AND INSTEAD RAISED TO THE HIGHER CHAKRA ENERGY CENTERS ALONG THE SPINE. LOCKING THIS FLOW OF ENERGY AT THE BASE OF THE SPINE IS REFERRED TO AS YONI BANDHA. MŪLA-BANDHA IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BANDHA AND SHOULD BE MAINTAINED DURING BREATHING EXERCISE. THE BENEFIT IS THAT IT BRINGS PERPETUAL YOUTH.

KNOWN AS THE ABDOMINAL LOCK AND THEREFORE HAPPENS IN AND WORKS WITH THE MANIPURAKA CHAKRA. IT IS PERFORMED BY BRINGING THE NAVEL INWARDS, TOWARDS THE SPINE. THROUGH THIS ACTION, PRANA FLOWS MORE EASILY INTO THE SUSHUMNA NADI, THE CENTRAL ENERGY CHANNEL ALONG THE SPINE WHERE THE KUNDALINI ENERGY CAN MOVE UP THE CHAKRA CENTERS.

KNOWN AS THE THROAT LOCK THEREFOR IT HAPPENS IN AND WORKS WITH THE VISHUDDHI CHAKRA. IT IS PERFORMED BY PRESSING THE CHIN AGAINST THE THROAT BETWEEN THE COLLAR BONES. THIS CAUSES PRESSURE ON THE NECK, WHICH IS THE CENTER OF EXTREME PURITY (VISHUDDHA CHAKRA). THIS ACTION PREVENTS THE NECTAR (AMRITA) AND PRANA SHAKTI FLOWING FROM THE HEAD TO DROP BACK DOWN INTO THE ABDOMEN. MANY PATHWAYS FOR THIS PRANA SHAKTHI, NERVES, AND BLOOD CAPILLARIES PASS THROUGH THE NECK. THIS BANDHA ASSISTS THEIR FUNCTION IN THE AREA OF THE HEAD, THROAT AND SHOULDERS.

KNOWN AS THE TRYANBANDHA, THE COMBINATION OF THE THREE PREVIOUS BANDHAS TOGETHER. IT IS PERFORMED IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER, OR IT HAPPENS AUTOMATICALLY FOR THE MORE ADVANCED YOGI. IT HAS A POWERFUL EFFECT TO AWAKEN THE KUNDALINI SHAKTI, CIRCULATING ENERGY THROUGH ALL THE CHAKRAS, AND PIERCE THROUGH THE PSYCHO/PHYSICAL KNOTS KNOWN AS GRANTHIS. THIS LEADS TO A STRONGER PHYSIOLOGY READY TO RADIATE THE STATE, SPACE AND POWERS OF PARAMAŚIVATTVA!

THE SEVEN CHAKRAS, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH BANDHA ARE:

MŪLADHARA - THE ROOT CHAKRA LOCATED IN THE PERINEUM AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADRENALS.

SWADHISTHANA - CHAKRA LOCATED AT THE LEVEL OF THE PUBIC BONE AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPRO- DUCTIVE ORGANS.

MANIPURAKA - CHAKRA LOCATED AT THE NAVEL AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE PANCREAS AND ADRENALS

ANAHATA - CHAKRA LOCATED AT THE HEART CENTER AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE THYMUS GLAND

VISHUDDHI - CHAKRA LOCATED AT THE THROAT AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE THYROIDS.

AJNA - CHAKRA LOCATED AT THE POINT BETWEEN THE EYEBROWS AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE PINEAL GLAND

SAHASRARA - CHAKRA LOCATED AT THE CROWN OF THE HEAD AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE PITUITARY GLAND

THE CHAKRAS ARE SUBTLE ENERGY CENTERS AND NOT PHYSICAL ORGANS. PERFORMING BANDHAS HELP TO PUSH THE KUNDALINI ENERGY UPWARD THROUGH THE CHAKRAS. THEREBY DISEASES CAN BE CURED AND THE FUNCTION OF THEIR ASSOCIATED PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEMS CAN BE OPTIMIZED.