Kundalini Yoga bandhas: Uddiyana bandh

 


The name of this lock - uddiyana - comes from a Sankrit word meaning "Fly up". It is not the physical anatomy which "flies up" but the energy in the lower abdomen. The diaphragm forms a barrier between the upper thorax and the lower abdomen. It is a physical muscular barrier as well as an energy barrier. In rhythm with the breath, the movement of the diaphragm muscle fluctuates the polarity of the energy in the middle of the body. This action is regulated by the "U" nerve, a plexus under the 8th or 9th thoratic vertebra. The barrier is also a psychological one. The functions that go on below the barrier are more unconscious and reactive and the functions that occur above it are more conscious and more flexible. The uddiyana bandh crosses this mid-body barrier. It vertically integrates the emotional qualities and allows circulation of he pranic energy into the central channel, the sushmuna.

To apply Diaphragm Lock: 1. Never do uddiyana bandh on a full stomach. 2. Aplly this lock only with the breath fully exhaled. 3. Sit comfortably. Inhale deeply, then exhale completely, expelling all the breath out. 4. Pull the entire abdominal region, especially the area above the Navel Point, upward and back towards the spine. The Navel Point itself does not contract, though it is pulled upward from above. 5. Never collapse the chest downward when you apply this lock. Lift the chest. 6. Gently press the lower thoracic and lumbar spine forward. 7. Keep the lift strongly applied for 10 to 60 seconds according to your undurance. Do not strain. Hold the lock with an inner mood of equilibrium and calm. 8. Release the lock by relaxing the abdomen and gradually inhaling. At this time, do not release the Neck Lock or raise the chin. 9. You can also practice this in a standing position. For many people this makes it easier to isolate the muscles that are involved. Stand straight with the feet spread shoulder-width apart. Bend forward slightly with the hands on the knees. Lift the chest slightly then apply the lock. Feel the full upward pull of the abdomen from below as well as from above the navel.

What the Diaphragm Lock achieves: 1. Whether it is applied sitting or standing, this lock directly massages the intestines and the heart muscle. 2. It stimulates cleansing, and is associated with youthfulness and the slowing of all degeneretive aging processes. 3. Uddiyana band helps to enhance and preserve the energies from the solar center at the solar plexus. As you pull the lock, the fire element is strengthened and the Heart Chakra is opened. Kindness, compassion, and patience becomes more accessible to you.

Kundalini Yoga bandhas

(*) updated May 9"2013

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