Mula Bandha
Mula Bandha is a yoga phenomenon. If you have attended a yoga class, you most likely have heard the teacher say, "apply mula bandha" or "apply the locks" or “lift the pelvic floor”. Do you ever wonder what this means or how to do it? Often a teacher mentions mula bandha but never really elaborates. Some teachers avoid explaining mula bandha in detail because they find talking about the pelvic floor anatomy may embarrass the class or themselves.
Any embarrassment we may feel as teachers or may cause to you, as students will surely be worth it in the long run, due to the importance of applying this technique. It will also become easier to talk about and listen about mula bandha, for all of us, as the weeks and months progress. Talking about mula bandha can even add a few laughs to our busy day, as we transform ourselves through the practice and teach ourselves not to take things so seriously all the time.
Simply put, mula bandha is the energetic root lock, which allows a yogi to perform challenging tasks with grace and ease. Lock refers to a muscle contraction that is held. In Sanskrit, "mula" means root and "bandha" means a lock. Physically, as well as subtly, mula bandha is a technique for containing and channelling the energy associated with the muladhara (root) chakra.
The muladhara (root) chakra is located at the base of the spine. Its landmarks are the tailbone in the back and the symphysis pubis (pubic bone) in the front. This chakra is the base of the chakra system and relates to our contact with the earth and our ability to be grounded. It represents the stage of our consciousness where basic survival needs are met. These include eating, drinking, sleeping, and our health, making a living and feeling safe and secure.
"Mula" also refers to the root of all actions and at the root of any action there is a thought. As we begin to refine our thoughts, our actions themselves become refined. Mula bandha is said to cut through brahma granthi, the energetic knot of our resistance to change, which also lies in mula-dhara (root) chakra.
On the physical level, practicing mula bandha creates a physical awareness at the base of the spine. This is where the supportive musculature of the pelvis is housed. This increased awareness increases the stability of the pelvis and therefore, creates a more stable spinal structure for our bodies. Thus, mula bandha creates a safe base of support for movements of the whole spine and the whole body.
Practicing mula bandha strengthens and teaches the importance of creating a solid foundation to support any and all movements, whether in a yoga class or with day-to-day activities and even for rest and repose. It helps with our neutral alignment, posture and general wellness. It will help us if we suffer from any back discomfort by helping to unload the strain from our overworked backs if we are not using enough abdominal action. Mula Bandha is majic for the back!
Mula bandha also lifts and compresses the intestines and lower abdominal region. This creates a solid foundation for the lungs to help make it possible to increase or decrease the pressure inside the torso. This will help with ease of movement. Mula bandha can create light and fluid movements of the body, when it is knowingly applied. The body can move more mobile and free. Over time, as we work on applying mula bandha in our practice, it can become less muscular and more subtle and energetic.
More technically, mula bandha is contraction of the musculature of the pelvic floor. Primarily, the pelvis is a bony structure supported with ligaments that bind the bones together. The pelvis contains muscle fibers and fascia (connective tissue), as well. These tissues intersect and overlap in complex ways. This is necessary physically, to support our organs and holds them up inside the body. Otherwise, prolapse (falling down) can occur. Some teachers describe the pelvic floor musculature like a triangular tent that lifts or holds everything up in place.
Stage 1
The first and most superficial physical level of mula bandha relates to the contraction of the anal sphincter. The proper movement at this level is to contract the anal sphincter up and into the body. This isolation of the anal sphincter contraction is not mula bandha; it is called ashvini (dawn horse) mudra. Contracting the anal sphincter helps us understand the deeper layers of mula bandha. Ligaments from the tip of the spine connect to the anal sphincter muscle; when you contract it, you draw mula-dhara chakra upward, as in mula bandha. Eventually, with mula bandha applied correctly, the anus will soften and lift into the body. At first, you'll probably unconsciously contract other muscles of the pelvic floor along with the anal sphincter.
Stage 2
The second step in the refinement of your mula bandha is to sort out some of these other unconscious contractions and make them conscious. The second physical level of mula bandha involves isolating the contraction of the perineum (the region between the anus and the genitals) and perineal body (which extends inward from the perineum and is the insertion point for eight muscles of the pelvic floor)—without contracting the anal sphincter. In order to feel the perineum, press the space between the anus and genitals. Or, better yet, sit for a few minutes with a tennis ball or the heel of your foot placed in the space between the anus and genitals. Alternate between anal and perineal contractions until you can feel the difference. Janusirsasana C is a great posture to practice this with. A lot of times, this postures is left out of classes due to the embarrassment factor!
With some experience, you will find that you can refine your experience of mula bandha by moving deeper into the pelvis through the isolation of the perineum. This refinement carries the contraction of the bandha inward and upward, giving you a physical experience of the yogic process of moving from external to internal awareness.
Stage 3
The contraction of mula bandha on the third physical level, the deepest, is similar to the Kegel exercises that women practice after pregnancy in order to correct urinary incontinence and strengthen the vaginal walls. These exercises are taught by using the “Elevator Analogy”, a feeling of lifting and lowering the elevator within the lower abdominal cavity. To find this level of mula bandha, practice beginning to urinate and then using your muscles to stop the flow. The isolated contraction of the muscles that control the flow of urine is actually vajroli or sahajoli mudra. For full mula bandha, you must also lift the pelvic diaphragm, mostly by contracting the muscles called the levator ani. This diaphragm is the innermost layer of the pelvic floor, a sling of muscles that extends from the symphysis pubis to the tailbone and supports the upper half of the vagina, the uterus, the bladder, the prostate, and the rectum. Besides supporting all these organs, the pelvic diaphragm also helps regulate the bowel.
As you learn to apply mula bandha and engage this deep internal contraction, you will feel the lift under the bladder, vagina and uterus (or prostate), and rectum. Relax the surface muscles and feel this contraction deep inside, at the base of the abdomen. Don't use any extra muscles to isolate this contraction of the pelvic diaphragm. With practice, you will discover that it is possible to lift the floor of the pelvis deep inside without contracting either the anus or the exterior layers of the perineum.
As you progress with your practice of mula bandha, it begins to bring the body and mind together in a heightened awareness and state of higher consciousness. It will become a natural part of your everyday life. It is one example why yoga is not just an exercise but also a way of life.Good luck with your practice. Even if you don’t feel like anything is happening at first, keep at it. Remember mula bandha. One day, it will be yours.