Bandha (yoga)
The earliest textual mention of mūla bandha is in the 12th century Shaiva Natha text Gorakṣaśataka which defines it as a yogic technique to achieve mastery of breath and to awaken the goddess Kuṇḍalinī.[8] Mula Bandha (Sanskrit: मूल बंध) is from Mūla, meaning variously root, base,[9] beginning, foundation,[10] origin or cause.[3] Gorakṣhaśataka defines mūla bandha as: [The yogi] forces the downward-moving apāna breath to move upwards by means of contraction.Gorakṣaśataka[11]Iyengar defines Mūla Bandha as "A posture where the body from the anus to the navel is contracted and lifted up and towards the spine".[20] This bandha is performed by extending the neck and elevating the sternum (breastbone) before dropping the head so that the chin may rest on the chest.
sushumnaSanskritkriyāHatha Yogaperineumabdomenrib cageGorakṣaśatakaKuṇḍalinīGorakṣhaśatakaprāṇanaḍiIyengarsphincterthe muscle equidistant between the twopelvic floorpubo-coccygeal (PC) muscleBandhaprāṇassternumKundaliniKapalabhatiMulabandhasanaMallinson, JamesSingleton, MarkRoots of Yogasacred-texts.comWayback MachineYoga MagazineBihar School of YogaSwami KuvalayanandaIyengar, B. K. S.Light on YogaThorsonsOxford University PressWhite, David GordonPrinceton University PressPenguin BooksMonier-Williams, MonierUniversity of CologneRamaswami, SrivatsaWhite, DavidSubtle bodyThree bodiesFive sheathsChakraHinduismThree YogasKarma yogaBhakti yogaJnana yogaRāja yogaPhilosophyBhagavad GitaYoga Sutras of PatanjaliYoga VasisthaYoga YajnavalkyaEight limbsNiyamaLotus positionPranayamaPratyaharaDhāraṇāDhyanaSamadhiMantraPranavaSurat ShabdAghor YogaMahamudraViparita KaraniKumbhakaSama vrittiShatkarmasDhautiBhastrikaTratakaSādhanāTantraYoginiSiddhiMahasiddhaShaiva SiddhantaLaya YogaSexual YogaAmaraugha PrabodhaAmritasiddhiBahr al-HayatHathabhyasapaddhatiHatha RatnavaliHatha Yoga PradipikaGheranda SamhitaJoga PradipikaShiva SamhitaSritattvanidhiVasishtha SamhitaVimanarcanakalpaYogasopana PurvacatuskaBuddhismTheravadaSamathaSamadhi (Buddhism)VipassanaAnapanasatiVisuddhimaggaMahayanaYogacharaTendaiVajrayanaSahajayanaDevata yogaYantra yogaSix Yogas of NaropaKarmamudraMahayogaAnuyogaAtiyogaTangmiShingonModernAs exerciseDownward dogStanding asanasList of asanasDrishtiSun Salutation