Mula Bandha and Uddhiyana Bandha: Keys to Core Integration in Yoga Asana

Healthy Aging

The original texts of hatha yoga cite the bandhas as being crucial to having a fruitful yoga practice. The bandhas are simple yet powerful muscular actions in the area of the pelvic floor (mula bandha), lower abdominals (uddiyana bandha), head, neck and shoulders (jalandhara bandha). Their original significance centered around pranayama and the movement of subtle energy during meditation: but contemporary understanding of the body on the model of ‘tensegrity’ makes clear how vital these actions are in asana practice as well, for everyday physical well-being.

The bandhas are actions distinctive to yoga, which play an important role in aligning the gravity centers of the body during yoga asanas, providing optimal strength, and promoting the stability and health of the pelvis, sacrum and spine. And it remains true that in pranayama and meditation, the bandhas support greater and more extended periods of stillness and concentration.

Learn the actions and effects of each of the bandhas physically and energetically, and how to develop more awareness of the bandhas in your body. The focus of the workshop is to develop the use of the bandhas as keys to strength and core integration with a special focus on mula bandha and uddiyana bandha.

What You Will Learn

  • The energetic and physiological significance of the bandhas in the practice of yoga asana
  • How to feel and engage the bandhas
  • Simple exercises to support your practice of the bandhas
  • How to integrate the powerfully supportive qualities of these bandhas in your yoga asana practice
  • The anatomy of the ‘Bandha Sutras, i.e. fascial ‘bands’ that form the basis of the ‘bandhas’ and which are keys to the health of the core. We will consider some common postural distortions and compensations, and their impact upon health, including not only spinal and joint problems, but matters of breath, the circulatory system, and lymphatic circulation.

This Course Also Includes:

  • Yoga practice with Doug: Enjoy a 40-minute audio yoga practice with Doug in which he guides you through a practice detailing how to feel the bandhas in your body and the actions required to integrate them as part of your yoga asana practice.
  • Recordings of All Webinar Sessions: It’s generally acknowledged that many people only retain 10-20 percent of what they learn in a workshop. You will get access to the recordings of both webinar sessions (both MP3 – downloadable and MP4 – streaming online), enabling you to go back and listen to the workshop as many times as you like.
  • Transcripts of Both Sessions: Ever wanted to refer to a certain part of a course? Even the best note takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.

This course qualifies for 3 CEs with Yoga Alliance.

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Doug Keller’s background reflects a lifelong commitment to studying, imbibing and sharing the vast field of knowledge and practice known as yoga. He spent a total of 14 years doing service, practicing, and teaching yoga. 

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