Mulabandhasana
The name is from the Sanskrit मुल mūla, "root, base";[1] बंधा bāndha, "lock";[1] and आसन āsana, meaning "posture, seat".The body is balanced by the arms stretched straight down to the ground behind the back, the shoulder blades pressed together.[3] The Sivananda Yoga centres, describing it as "advanced breathing",[4] claim, as Iyengar does,[3] that retaining the breath, contracting the anal sphincter, and tightening the abdominal muscles in Mula Bandha (hence the name bandha or lock) prevents the escape of apana, enabling it to rise up the body to join with prana.[4] In Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Mulabandhasana is in the fourth series of asanas; it is claimed to activate the root chakra, the muladhara.[5] The central figure in the Pashupati seal from the Indus Valley civilization of c. 2500 BC appears to be sitting in Mulabandhasana, and hence identified as a prototype of the god Śiva.
Sanskrithatha yogaBaddha KonasanaB. K. S. IyengarLight on YogaMula BandhabandhaspranayamaSivananda YogaAshtanga Vinyasa YogachakramuladharaPashupati sealIndus Valley civilizationPaśupatiKundalini energyKapalbhati PranayamaGorakshasanaUddiyana bandhaMcEvilley, ThomasIyengar, B. K. S.Light on Yoga: Yoga DipikaMittra, DharmaAsanasDrishtiSun SalutationVinyasaYoga as exerciseYoga as therapyAnjaneyasana (crescent moon)Bidalasana (cat)/Bitilasana (cow)Bhujangasana (cobra)Chakrasana (wheel) or Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward bow)Viparita Dandasana (inverted staff)Kapotasana (pigeon)Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (king pigeon)Ushtrasana (camel)Ashtavakrasana (8-angled)Bakasana (crane) or Kakasana (crow)Koundinyasana (the sage Kaundinya)Kukkutasana (cockerel)Mayurasana (peacock)Tittibhasana (firefly)Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog)Adho Mukha Vrkshasana (handstand)Halasana (plough)Sarvangasana (shoulderstand)Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge)Shirshasana (headstand)Viparita Karani (legs up the wall)Vrischikasana (scorpion)Anantasana (Vishnu's couch)Ashtanga Namaskara (eight-limbed)Bhekasana (frog)Chaturanga Dandasana (low plank)Dhanurasana (bow)Jathara Parivartanasana (belly twist)Makarasana (crocodile)Matsyasana (fish)Shalabhasana (locust)Shavasana (corpse)Vasishtasana (side plank)Yoganidrasana (yogic sleep)MeditationBaddha Konasana (cobbler)Gomukhasana (cow face)Gorakshasana (cowherd)Padmasana (lotus)Siddhasana (accomplished)Simhasana (lion)Vajrasana (thunderbolt)Bharadvajasana (the sage Bharadvaja)Marichyasana (the sage Marichi)Matsyendrasana (the sage Matsyendra, lord of the fishes)Pashasana (noose)Akarna Dhanurasana (shooting bow)Balasana (child)Garbha Pindasana (embryo in womb)Hanumanasana (monkey)Kraunchasana (heron)Kurmasana (tortoise)Malasana (garland)Mandukasana (frog)Navasana (boat)Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend)Samakonasana (split)Virasana (hero)StandingParighasana (gate)Parshvottanasana (intense side stretch)Prasarita Padottanasana (wide stance forward bend)Tadasana (mountain)Trikonasana (triangle)Utkatasana (powerful)Uttanasana (standing forward bend)Utthita Parshvakonasana (sideways)Virabhadrasana (warrior)Ardha Chandrasana (half moon)Durvasasana (the sage Durvasa)Garudasana (eagle)Natarajasana (lord of the dance)Utthita Padangusthasana (standing big toe hold)Vrikshasana (tree)List of asanasStanding asanasDownward dogLotus positionMeditation seatsTree poseWarriorNamasteVinyāsaHasta VinyasasTeacher trainingBritish Wheel of YogaEuropean Union of YogaAndré Van LysebethYoga AllianceTherapyYoga using propsAccessible yogaTrauma-sensitive yogaRestorative YogaYoga nidraInternational Association of Yoga Therapists • Richard MillerJanice Gates