Those of you that know me have heard about my first yoga class.
I arrived with basketball shorts down to my knees and old XL Stussy T-shirt.
Models pranced painlessly on their mats while crunchies with closed eyes made lamaaz jot down sounds in the background.
Half way through class I faked a cramp for escape with some dignity.
Oh, and I had shot a double espresso before hand to help me sweat.
Needless to say disaster.
But luckily life, and people, evolve.
Mula Bandha:In a way Mula Bandha is the easiest bandha to explain.
In Sanskrit mula means root, and thus Mula Bandha is the root lock.
Now dont freak out!
Remember, I thought all this was hogwash too.
But the truth is, that Mula Bandha should be held throughout your entire yoga practice.
Thats right – the whole hour or hour and a half.
It has also been shown to relieve constipation and depression.
Uddiyana Bandha:Moving up from mula bandha we have the second bandha, Uddiyana.
In Sanskrit uddiyana means to fly up, or to rise up.
To find Uddiyana Bandha start standing up tall, feet about a meter apart.
Inhale through your nose and reach your arms up alongside your ears.
Exhale out of your mouth and fold forward placing your hands just above your knees.
It should feel somewhat like a suctioning back and up of everything on the inside.
It stimulates your digestive juices, thus increasing your metabolism, and tones your overworked abdominal organs.
It also balances the adrenal system, relieving stress, lethargy and tension.
In Sanskrit jal means throat, jalan means net, and dharan means stream or flow.
Place the palm of your hands on your knees.
To exit lift your chin, inhale the remainder of capacity into your lungs, and exhale.
The pressure on the throat helps to balance the thyroid and metabolism.
Maha Bandha:This the big Kahuna.
Maha in Sanskrit means great, and Maha Bandha is the combination of all three aforementioned bandhas.
Inhale fully through your nose, and exhale completely through your nose.
Squeeze squeeze squeeze until every last drop is out.
Without inhaling engage Mula Bandha, then find Uddiyana Bandha.
Inhale a tiny bit and lift your chest, and from there engage Jalandhara Bandha.
Retain, pressing your palms down, as long as possible.
When you have had enough, lift your head, inhale fully, and release all the bandhas.
Maha Bandha gives the benefits of all three bandhas and regulates the entire endocrine system.
So lock em all up and watch how your yoga practice, and your body, will take off!
For at home classes that introduce the bandhas to you in a simple, approachable way, check outI.AM.YOU.
