Moola Meditation

[Nathen Paisley]

Mulabandha, the root lock, is an important yoga practice, but one that is often tucked into the back pages of yoga manuals. The Sanskrit word mula refers to the root of a plant or tree. As in English, root can also mean the foot or base of an object, or the origin of a thing (the root of the problem). Here, mula indicates the base of the torso, the perineum, and it is associated with the muladhara chakra, lowest of the energy centers along the spine.

Yoga adepts describe three practices used to restrain the outward flow of energy and unite it with the upward flow of sushumna. In uddiyana bandha, the stomach lock, the breath is exhaled and the abdomen is sucked in toward the spine. This activates energy at the navel center. In jalandhara bandha, the chin lock, the chin is drawn down to the base of the throat, forcefully blocking the normal passage of energy through ida and pingala there. The third practice is mula bandha, in which muscles are tightly contracted at the center of the perineum. Contraction of these muscles is said to affect the nervous, circulatory, respiratory, and endocrine systems, and most important, the system of internal energy, or prana.

Mula bandha is associated with the center of the perineum. In men, mula bandha results from contractions of the muscles surrounding the perineal body, which lies midway between the anus and the genitals. Some texts suggest that by applying light pressure beneath this area (sitting on a soft, rolled sock or a specially designed cushion) contraction can be stimulated. Postures in which pressure is applied by sitting on the heel of one foot have also been described. For women, the contraction of mula bandha is said to be felt not at the perineal body, but at the area surrounding the base of the cervix. As in men, a soft cushion at the center of the perineum is said to stimulate the lock.

Since it is often difficult to isolate the contractions in this area, developing awareness of mula bandha is a matter of daily practice. It should not be rushed, because working slowly and gradually allows muscles to strengthen at the same time that mental discrimination is developing. An obstacle to practice is that the muscles of the perineum tend to work together, and frequently when one contracts they all contract. In addition, it is quite easy to inadvertently tense respiratory muscles along with the perineal muscles, and unnecessary sympathetic tension may occur in other areas of the body as well. It takes careful attention and regular practice to sort this out.

Next, contract all the muscles of the perineum and hold to your comfortable capacity. While the tension is being maintained, continue to breathe slowly and smoothly. Sense the area around the anus, then move to the central contraction at the perineal body or cervix, and finally examine the contraction in the urogenital area. Tighten each area as you focus on it, feeling the sensations there. Then release the entire contraction slowly, and relax.

Now coordinate contractions of the entire perineum with the breath. Inhaling, contract the perineum, and exhaling slowly release the tension. Time the contractions so that they coincide with the breath. Jerkiness or loss of control can be gradually reduced over time. During this practice, begin to focus on the central region of the perineum, giving special attention to sensations that will be associated with mula bandha. Repeat this exercise 25 times.

Finally, when you are ready, center your attention on the center of the perineum, and contract the muscles there tightly with minimal involvement of the anal and urogenital areas. This is the initial version of mula bandha, and it will take some time to accomplish it. There is no hurry, and it is better to prolong the practice rather than rush it.

Once the contraction can be held without affecting the breath, other sympathetic muscle tensions are relaxed, and you will be able to comfortably hold mula bandha for some time. Then it can be employed during pranayama exercises and meditation.

At the beginning of this article we puzzled over two meanings for the word bandha. One translation characterized bandha as a lock to dam the flow of energy, and another depicted it as a bridge to unite energies. As you do the practices described here you may find that these seemingly contradictory meanings now make internal sense. Mula bandha has the effect of restraining energy at the perineum; in this sense it is stabilizing and calming. It also has the effect of gently enhancing the energy of concentration. It is as if a radio dial has been adjusted properly so that the voice of consciousness can speak more clearly.

A variety of physical benefits have been attributed to mula bandha. It has been suggested that through this practice unstable menstrual periods can be regulated, respiration rate lowered, heart rate and blood pressure reduced, sympathetic arousal calmed, digestion improved, and urogenital functioning harmonized. These effects are noted by adepts in yoga, but there seems as yet to have been little scientific research to investigate them. More important for yogis, through the practice of mula bandha the direction of the downward-moving energies located in the root chakra and the upward-moving energies located at the heart chakra are said to be reversed and the energies united. This internal union leads to the expansion of awareness.

At the least, with regular practice of mula bandha you will become more certain of the place where muscle contractions converge. This is the location of the muladhara chakra, the root from which energy is said to permeate the human body and mind. When this energy is calm and secure, life itself is more relaxed.

Mula Bandha stimulates both the sensory-motor and the autonomic nervous systems in the pelvic region. When Mula Bandha is performed, pelvic stimulation activates parasympathetic fibers emerging from the spinal cord. Parasympathetic fibers emerge from the cervical (neck) and sacral (pelvic) areas only, while sympathetic fibers emerge from the thoracic (upper back) and lumbar (lower back) areas.

I spent a lot of time looking at diagrams, concentrating and trying to find and feel something special. I would do all of these practices that I would read about on how to find and search for Mula Bandha. When I stopped trying so hard and just focused on building energy, and bringing awareness to the area of Mula Bandha is when I started to understand and actually feel changes in my practice. Just like everything, when you LET GO things COME TOGETHER!

What Mula Bandha is is the bond between the Citta (mind) and the feeling patterns of the breath. When you finish an exhale, there is a natural toning at the center of the pelvic floor. When you inhale, the center of the pelvic floor starts to lift slightly. When you bring your attention to the pause at the end of your exhale, that is Mula Bandha (source)

Monica is a lover of all things yoga, a pescatarian, an avid coffee drinker, and never gets sick of soup and noodle dishes. She practices yoga daily, and is a creative & marketing recruiter in Orlando, FL. She likes to challenge the strict rules of yoga, and makes it accessible for everyone - especially people who suffer from daily life and work stress.

Mula Bhanda, when you look at the anatomy of the pelvic floor, it tends to take out some of the mystery. I have created a workshop called Whats up down there, where we build these muscles out of clay.

Well hello there! I'm Monica. I'm a yoga & meditation junkie. I teach yoga practices that are quick and effective for the busy person who just needs a few minutes of quiet time in their day. Click around and you'll find quick meditation tips for calming the mind to simple stretches to relieve stress and tension. If you are sick of being intimidated by yoga or just confused by all of the different styles out there - then this page is for you. Yoga helps me daily & I know it will help you too! I'll show you how! Welcome to The Yogi Movement :)

Swami Buddhananda worked in Australia with psychiatric and physiologically disturbed patients for a number of years. Realizing the limitations of medication and traditional psychotherapy, his search to effectively integrate the mind and body led him to yoga and Swami Satyananda. He gained profound insight into the mechanics of the mind, depression, and neurosis as well as the yogic techniques to alleviate much of this suffering. The insight resulted in this book. This is the only book written on moola bandha.

However, he points that there is a great difference in the effect of involuntary contraction and voluntary contraction. There are detailed diagrams and instructions to help the beginner as well as the advanced practitioners. As a teacher of this caliber is hard to find, this book is most helpful.

It is possible that through the practice of moola bandha immense sexual energy will be generated. Then this energy must find a positive means of expression. The sadhaka begins to perform vajroli mudra so that it may be rechannelled upwards into the sushumna. Others find an expression for this energy through working, painting, writing, inventing and so on. Whatever the avenue of expression, this vital energy, or ojas, should not be lost or wasted in idle sensual enjoyment. Ultimately, ojas is the majestic unfoldment of the most highly-refined consciousness. Whether it reaches its final culmination in the sahasrara or remains bound by the wall of mooladhara is a decision that exemplifies a turning point to spiritual life.

Moola bandha, and all bandhas in general, are a powerful means of relaxing the body and mind. They relax the mental tenseness that we see mirrored in various personalities as phobia, mania, hysteria, depression and anxiety.

Moola bandha is a psychic practice which manipulates the pranic body, specially apana, by contracting mooladhara chakra. It sends energy up to ajna and sahasrara chakras directly and stimulates all the other chakras as it travels through sushumna. By combining physical contraction with mental awareness and visualisation, we can then heighten our sensitivity on the psychic plane.

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