When I do my practice and engage mula bandha after about 4 minutes I feel the need to release air from my lower intestines, so I drop the bandha. I think I may be loosing the strength of the bandha, but I am not sure. Should I hold it or not?
Namaste,
George
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hi George,Thank you for such a sophisticated question. From what
you have told me, I think I know what is happening, but
cannot be absolutely sure. Please use your own best intuitive
judgment, and leave competition with yourself aside. Holding
a bandha for 4 minutes is already quite and accomplishment.
When you progress in yogic techniques such as asana,
pranayama
and bhandas, it should be through cultivation, not force.
A blend of 50% will and determination and 50% gracious allowing
is the best formula. You'll need to put the agenda of progressing
aside and work more sensitively.
Now for your individual experience: what may be happening
is that while engaging the lock of mula bandha, compression
of parts of the intestinal tract is created, because you
are also contracting the abdominal muscles.
Although this is not a bad thing, because it both tones
the muscles and allows you to move gas along the tract that
was formerly inert, strictly speaking engaging mula bhanda
involves only contraction of the perineum. This tiny muscle
is located for men between the anus and scrotum. (Women
have an even stronger way of lifting the pelvic floor in
mula bhanda. They contract the cervix.) When we are
unpracticed at mula bhanda it is natural to engage
many other muscles. As you progress, work to isolate the
tiny perineum muscle.
If I were in your situation, I would allow the gas to be
expelled and simply re-engage mula bhanda when if feels
comfortable to do so. Your body is giving you a strong signal
as to what it needs to do: release gas. Please allow me
to stress again that nothing in yoga should ever be forced.
I do not believe you "lose the strength", as you
put it.
Here is some additional information on mula bhanda:
· The purpose of bhanda practice is to circulate
shakti, or energy, which prevents it from dissipating.
· To make the most of the bhanda practice engage
all three of them:
1. jalandara bandha (chin pressed into the chest
at the thyroid),
2. uddiyana bandha (holding the breath after full
exhale, engage the muscles of the abdomen up under the ribcage)
3. mula bandha (contraction of the perineum or cervix)
Om Shanti,
Yogi Marlon