You Want to Know What Inspires Me?

You Want to Know What Inspires Me? by David Garrigues

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/07/you-want-to-know-what-inspires-me/

David Garrigues

Vayus from the book Ashtanga Yoga by Lino Miele

VAYUS
Vayu means "air" but it does not refer only to the gross element of air
and its chemical properties. It also lefers to 'Pranic air’. Prana Vayu
moves through the body in a wave like motion and can be likened to
the electromagnetic field. where the energy is in constant motion.
The Vayu in the body is divided into fiive elementary parts (Pancha
Maha). They are ‘Pranaa Vayu'. 'Udana Vayu', ‘Samana Vayu', 'Apana
Vayu’ and 'Vyana Vayu'.

Prana Vayu pervades the region from the larynxx (throat) to the
diaphram.It is the force by which the breath is drawn into the body
(inhalation). The function of this vayu is Pranic absorption, it directs
all the other vayus in the body.

UdanaVayu pervades the region rom the throat upwards to the head.
lt controls organs above the throat, eyes, nose, ears and brain. All
sensory receptors are activated by the vayu. Through it we are con-
cious of the outer world.

SamanaVayu pervades the region between the heart and the navel. It
controls the digestuve system and all digestive functions‘ "Rasa" the
essence of food is assimilated and carried to the entire body. It also
activates the heart and circulatoly system.

Apana Vayu pervades the region below the navel. It governs all
downward moving impulses of elimination: menstruation and child
birth,urinaton,excretion of wastes and semen from the male. lt also
governs exhalation.

Vyana Vayu pervades the entire body. It govern the circulatory
system and through it, the muscles and joints. It is responsible for
erect posture. movement and coordination.

Ultimate drishti. ~ Toni Romero

Sri K.Pattabhi Jois decía que tras años y años de practicar en un momento dado ver a dios era posible. Ese es el “Atman Drishti”. La mirada ya pierde por completo la calidad focal, porque es absorbida por completo hacia el interior para reflejar hacia el exterior la unión del observador y el objeto que realiza la acción de observar. Me parece que llegado a ese punto las cadenas se rompen y permiten dejar conocer la divinidad que hay dentro de uno que es solamente parte de todo el cosmos que nos rodea. Vamos a mirar con persistencia y compasión, quizás un día encontrar a dios en todos los lugares sea posible.

Toni Romero

Sharath’s Moscow Workshop Broadcast July 28 (7-9am Moscow Time)

http://ashtangamoscow.com/

July 28 (7-9am Moscow Time)

Ashtanga vinyasa mix Toni Romero

Guru Purnima Sri K Pattabhi Jois birthday celebration

Sri K Pattabhi Jois "Guruji" photos

Sri K Pattabhi Jois Biography

Mental ill and moola bandha from the book moola bandha the master key

Moola bandha is therefore an important tool in the
treatment of physical diseases of the lower abdomen e.g.
digestive ailments and sexual disorders. Because the body
and mind are inextricably interlinked, ‘as in the body, so in
the mind,’ an effect on one cannot pass unnoticed by the
other. Accordingly, moola bandha has the immediate effect
of creating a deep sense of mental relaxation, thereby
relieving most mental and psychosomatic disorders which
are the direct or indirect effect of stress, tension and anxiety.
As a mental relaxant, moola bandha has been found
extremely useful in the treatment of such mental disorders
A as depression, neurosis, some phobias, hysteria and mania.
Little experimental evidence exists to substantiate the elfects
of moola bandha on psychosis. However, because of its
effects on the brain and by virtue of the fact that moola
bandha is effective in the treatment of both mania and
depression, it has proved useful in correcting the extreme
moods characteristic of manic-depressive psychosis, and in
some cases of schizophrenia, especially in the early stages.

Dropping into asana (Richard Freeman Studio Talk, April 14, 2013) // Dharma Talk with Richard Freeman "Ganesh’s Secret: The Obstacles to Yoga"

Dropping into asana (Richard Freeman Studio Talk, April 14, 2013)
Dharma Talk with Richard Freeman "Ganesh’s Secret: The Obstacles to Yoga"

Click about name

Richard Freeman

Shushumna nadi y los síntomas de las ansiedad

En la tradición del yoga sitúan shushumna nadi en el centro del cuerpo como un canal vacio en el cuerpo sutil, donde la energía kundalini al ser despertada asciende hasta más allá del séptimo chakra a través de los siete chackras y perforando los tres granthis (Brahma, Visnú, Shiva) o nudos que obstruyen los diferentes niveles de conciencia.
En el Hatha yoga Pradipika dice:
“When the Brahma granthi (in the heart) is pierced
through by Prânâyâma, then a sort of happiness is
experienced in the vacuum of the heart, and the anâhat
sounds, like various tinkling sounds of ornaments, are
heard in the body. In the ârambha, a Yogî's body becomes divine, glowing,
healthy, and emits a divine smell. The whole of his heart
becomes void. In the second stage, the airs are united into one and
begin moving in the middle channel. The Yogî's posture
becomes firm, and he becomes wise like a god. By this means the Visnu knot (in the throat) is pierced
which is indicated by highest pleasure experienced, And
then the Bherî sound (like the beating of a kettle drain)
is evolved in the vacuum in the throat. In the third stage, the sound of a drum is known to arise
in tie Sûnya between the eyebrows, and then the Vâyu
goes to the mahâśûnya, which is the home of all the
siddhîs. Conquering, then, the pleasures of the mind, ecstacy is
spontaneously produced which is devoid of evils, pains,
old age, disease, hunger and sleep. When the Rudra granthi is pierced and the air enters the
seat of the Lord (the space between the eyebrows), then
the perfect sound like that of a flute is produced. The union of the mind and the sound is called the
RâjaYoga. The (real) Yogî becomes the creator and
destroyer of the universe, like God.”
Tomando ahora en consideración la ansiedad como una alteración del prana producida por la oscilación de pensamientos irracionales atados a sensaciones o vivencias pasadas que provocan una extensa lista de manifestaciones físicas de ese proceso interna de inestabilidad. Hay una curiosa coincidencia con el mapeo del nadi central y los chackras.
En referencia a eso Osho comento que Buddha jamás había hablado de kundalini, chackras, porque sus canales energéticos internos era tan limpios que simplemente jamás lo sintió. En ese contexto, se puede interpretar que cuando puedes expresar físicamente la sensación de un chackra representa, tal vez, un

Toni Romero

bloqueo en la movilidad de este. Si situamos esta teoría paralelamente al recorrido de las expresiones ansiosas desde el suelo pélvico hasta la coronilla de la cabeza tenemos un curioso camino ascendente. Desde la simple incomodidad cuando uno está nervioso y va al wc diversas veces antes de salir de casa, no por necesidad física, sino por una sensación psicosomática en la zona genital-pélvica. Ese es un tejido muy sensible a las fluctuaciones del prana y el apana, ya que se sitúa como si fuera el tapón de salida y subida de la energía sutil. Otra sensación muy común en el dolor en la barriga, el corazón acelerado, sensación de nudo en la garganta-paladar, dolor de cabeza y lo que sería y en el último chackra pensamientos de pérdida de control o muerte. Si se observa el dibujo donde tradicionalmente se sitúa los siete chackras se verá una curiosa coincidencia con esa sintomatología.

La inteligencia del miedo . ~ Toni Romero

El miedo controlado puede ser una excelente vara para ir mesurando las posibilidades de uno mismo e ir explorando las fronteras externas e internas. Como el niño que aprende a andar y cae una y otra vez el dolor a veces te ayuda a corregir, a endurecerte y obligarte a ir paso a paso en una escalera lógica de evolución. Las prisas no son buenas, menos cuando tratas con formas de energía que hace millones de años que

Toni Romero

existen. Aunque hayan sufrido miles de transformaciones, todo ese poder de vida lleva mucho tiempo dando vueltas en el universo hasta forma tu ser. Hay una inteligencia implícita que debe ser escuchada, hay un maestro dentro de cada uno de nosotros que nos puede guiar mejor que todos los libros o consejos que puedan darte. Como decía Lao Tse, conocer a los demás es sabiduría. Conocerse uno mismo es sabiduría superior. Por ese motivo en la práctica es bueno escuchar el cuerpo, ir dejando que las energías que habitan dentro de cada uno de nuestras células sea liberada una a una y nos permita ir tomando consciencia de la propia capacidad.

Bandhas and granthis From the book Moola bandha the master key

To further understand bandhas we must extend our
view so as to see them not only as locks but also as removers
of locks or blockages, in the form of physical and mental
impurities. According to the scriptures there are granthis or
psychic knots, located at mooladhara, anahata and ajna
chakras. Granthis represent blockages in man’s awareness
of himself at the different levels of consciousness; they
obscure the true image of man’: essential nature. Tradi-
tionally, bandhas were prescribed as one of the most effective
means of untying these knots or blockages, existing as
tension, anxieties, repressions and unresolved conflicts,
thereby allowing us to rediscover our true nature.
The force generated from the bandhas may be likened
to that of increased pressure in a tube. Imagine a piece of
tubing resting vertically to the ground. This tube represents
sushumna nadi (the main pranic energy channel which
runs up the spine).
1. Moola bandha represents the sealing of the lowest portion
of the tube, thus preventing the downward motion of
prana. It stimulates energy in mooladhara, awakening
kundalini shakti.
2. jalandhan handha seals off the top portion of the tube.
Prana is now locked within this tube.
3. Uddiyana bandha completes maha bandha. It further
increases pranic pressure by stimulating the solar plexus
(manipura chakra), filling and expanding the closed tube.
Thus, when maha bandha is performed, prana is
compressed in sushumna. The locks prevent its downward
and upward movement at the same time stimulating energy.
Release of the bandhas flushes prana through the whole
body, and as prana is by nature vital, life-giving energy, the
body is relaxed, toned and rejuvenated. The granthis can
then be pierced and untied. expanding consciousness.

SHIRSHASANA From the book Yoga Mala by Sri K Pattabhi Jois

While coming from the 6th to the 7th vinyasa of the first Surya Namaskara and doing puraka, sit on theknees, lock the fingers together and place the elbows on the floor; this is the 7th vinyasa. Then, doingrechaka and then puraka, place the crown of the head on the floor, interlocked hands cupping the back ofthe head and, doing rechaka and puraka again, straighten the legs and, keeping them together andstraight, lift them up with the power of the arms, tighten the body, point the toes, and keep the bodyerect using the strength of the arms; this is the 8th vinyasa, during which rechaka and puraka should bedone slowly and as many times as possible. Then, doing rechaka slowly, bring the feet back down ontothe floor, rest with the buttocks on the heels and the head on the floor for two minutes. Next, doingpuraka and then rechaka, jump back into the 4th vinyasa of the first Surya Namaskara; this is the 9thvinyasa. The next vinyasas are as those described above.Aspirants should note that merely putting the head down and legs up, and then standing upside downis not Shirshasana; very simply, this is wrong. Indeed, no one should be deluded into thinking thatShirshasana is an easy asana. The proper method for it must be carefully learned. For example, the entirebody must stand upside down on the strength of the arms alone. If the full bodily burden is carried by

Toni Romero Headstand

thehead, the circulation of the blood from the heart, which is flowing properly to the limbs, will be preventedfrom making its way to the subtle nadis in the crown of the head, which is pressed to the floor. Then,following the descent from the state of the asana, there is the possibility that the subtle nadis in the braincould become spoiled by the inrush of blood when the head is lifted. This could impede bodily andintellectual growth, and lead to delusions, mental abnormalities, illness, or a shortened life. Aspirantsshould therefore practice this asana knowledgeably and with great care. Some people, ignorant of theproper method, practice Shirshasana after seeing it in a book or photograph, and so subject themselvesto numerous problems, and even inspire fear in others who practice the asana correctly, as I havewitnessed from my own experience. I have also come across situations in which many ailments resultingfrom the improper practice of this asana have been cured by an aspirant’s learning the method properly.Thus, let me repeat again that aspirants should take great care with Shirshasana.Some say that practitioners should stay in this asana for only two to five minutes; otherwise, harmcould come to them. It must be stressed, however, that this is not correct, as the following scripturalsaying attests: “Yama matram vashe nityam [We can dwell in (Shirshasana) for three hours].” This is aview supported by experienced and learned people well-versed in the scriptures. It is also the right one.One yama equals three hours. To be able to stay in Shirshasana for three hours, an aspirant should beginby practicing it first for five, then ten, and then fifteen minutes, that is, he should gradually increase thetime in the state of Shirshasana by increments of five minutes. In this way and by force of slowlypracticing over many days, months, and years, an aspirant should be able to stay in the asana for a fullthree hours. Practiced in this way, Shirshasana will nourish the body, sense organs, mind, and intellect,and thereby promote their evolution. However, if an aspirant stays in the state of Shirshasana for one tofive minutes, or even less than a minute, he will not get the specified benefits.In Shirshasana’s state, both the lower abdomen and the anus should be taken in fully and held tightly—in other words, mula bandha should be done. In addition, the entire body should be kept erect andrechaka and puraka performed deeply, without kumbhaka.BENEFITSThrough the practice of Shirshasana, the subtle nadis of the head—that is, those related to the brain andsense organs, such as the eyes—are purified by an inflow of warm blood, and the power of memory isincreased. Eye disease is destroyed, the eyes glow, and long-sightedness improves. The five senseorgans, too, become purified. Moreover—and by means of this asana only—the bindu that results fromthe transformation of food into blood and is preserved through pure food and fresh air (both of which areneeded for the body’s survival) is able to reach the sahasrara chakra (the seventh and highest chakra,where spiritual illumination occurs). Knowledgeable people regard the attenuation of amrita bindu asdeath and its preservation as life. It is better, therefore, to preserve it. As long as there is pure bindu inour bodies, fresh youthfulness will be manifest in us. As experience demonstrates again and again,practicing without fail for a long time not only endows the body with power and brightness, but increasesintellectual power. This is affirmed by the yoga shastra: “Maranam bindu patena / Jivanam bindudharanat / Tasmat sarvaprayatnena / Bindu dharanam abhyaset [Loss of bindu is death / and thepreservation of it, life / So, by all means / is the holding of bindu to be preserved].”To repeat, with bindu’s loss comes death; with its retention, life. Thus men should practice to preserveit with all their might. And preserving bindu is what Shirshasana does. Yet no amount of writing canconvey the utility of this asana. An aspirant can only enjoy its happiness through its practice. It isimpossible to try to describe the sweetness of sugar. Only by tasting sugar can the experience of itssweetness be had, even for Brahma [God]. Just as people feel the sweetness of sugar by eating it, so toowill they experience the happiness of this asana by practicing it.As I mentioned earlier, there are differences of opinion about the practice of Shirshasana and otheryogasanas. According to some, delusions and other afflictions result from the over-practice ofShirshasana, and it may also weaken the heart. Indeed, it is claimed that it is harmful to practice for anyamount of time. This, at least, is the theory propounded in books written by publicity-hungry people whomay or may not practice yoga, or who call themselves yogis out of some attachment to the yogic science.And, to some extent, their words are true, at least for those who think they are practicing Shirshasanawhen they put their heads down on the floor and their legs up in the air whenever the fancy strikes them.Not surprisingly, such theories create great fear in people who have the zeal, godly devotion, and desireto practice yoga, and those that advance them gain names for themselves and great fame. After all,when someone achieves something others have not, can fame not come as a result? But there are nogrounds for such wrongheaded notions whatsoever. Indeed, if there were any danger in yoga, peoplelong ago would have lost interest in the science, become indifferent to its practice, and declared itssayings, the sayings of the greatest of the great yogis, such as Patanjali, to be a bundle of myths.

Shri K. Pattabhi Jois (Guruji)

http://kpjayi.org/biographies/k-pattabhi-jois

Childhood

Yogacharaya Shri K. Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) was born on the full moon of July 1915, in Kowshika, a small hamlet located 150 kilometers from Mysore in the southern state of Karnataka. His father was an astrologer and a priest in the village of nearly seventy families. Guruji was the middle of nine children, and from the age of five, like most Brahmin boys, began to study the Vedas and Hindu rituals. At 12, he attended a yoga demonstration at his middle school that inspired him to learn more about the ancient practice. He was so

excited about this new discovery, he arose early the next morning to meet the impressive yogi he had seen, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, one of the most distinguished yogis of the 20th Century.

After questioning Guruji, Krishnamcharya agreed to take him on as his student, and for the next two years, unbeknownst to his family, Guruji practiced under the great yogi’s strict and demanding tutelage every day before school, walking five kilometers early in the morning to reach Krishnamacharya’s house. He was ambitious in his studies and driven to expand his knowledge of yoga. When he would read the Ramayana and other holy books on the veranda of his house, his family members would say, “Oh, look at the great pundit. Why are you wasting your time with books? Go tend to the cows!”

Mysore

When Guruji turned fourteen, he was given the Brahmin thread initiation – the ceremony in which a Brahmin boy becomes a man and is initiated into the spiritual life. Soon after the significant ceremony, and with two rupees in his pocket, Guruji secretly ran away from home to seek Sanskrit study at the Sanskrit University of Mysore. After getting off the train, he went straight to the admissions department, showed his thread as proof of being Brahmin [this would gain him free admission], and was accepted to the school. He dutifully attended classes and his studies, and continued his yoga practice, even giving demonstrations that secured him food privileges at the university mess. With little money, life in the beginning was difficult for Guruji, who also begged for food at Brahmin houses. It was three years before he wrote to his father to tell him where he was and what he was doing.

In 1932, he attended a yoga demonstration at the university and was pleased to discover that the yogi on stage was his guru, Sri Krishnamacharya. Having lost touched after Guruji left Kowshika, they recommenced their relationship in Mysore, which lasted twenty-five years.

The Maharaja

During this time, Mysore’s Maharaja, Sri Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar, fell suddenly ill. Informed of a remarkable yogi who might help him where all others had failed, he sent for Krishnamacharya, who cured him through yoga. In gratitude, the Maharaja established a Yoga shala for him on the palace grounds, and sent him, along with model students like Guruji, around the country to perform demonstrations, study texts, and research other yoga schools and styles. Some one hundred students were schooled at the palace yoga shala.

The Maharaja was especially fond of Guruji and would call him to the palace at four in the morning to perform yoga demonstrations. In 1937, he ordered Guruji to teach yoga at the Sanskrit University, in spite of

his desires to remain a student. Guruji established its first yoga department, which he directed until his retirement in 1973. The department was permanently closed after that.

The Maharajah died in 1940, bringing an end to Krishnamacharya’s long patronage. By the time the esteemed teacher left for Madras in 1954, he had only three remaining, very dedicated students: Guruji, his friend C. Mahadev Bhatt, and Keshavamurthy. Guruji was the only one who considered teaching his life’s work, and carried on Krishnamacharya’s legacy in Mysore.

Family

While Guruji was studying with Krishnamacharya, a young and strong-willed girl began to attend his yoga demonstrations at the Sanskrit University, accompanied by her father, a Sanskrit scholar. One day, after one of the demonstrations, Savitramma, who was only fourteen at the time, announced to her father, “I want that man in marriage.” Agreeably, her father approached the 18-year-old Guruji and invited him to their home in the village of Nanjangud, twenty kilometers away. Guruji respectably accepted. After learning more about the young yogi and his Brahmin and family background, Savitramma’s father agreed to the union, as did Guruji’s father despite the couple’s horoscope report of unsuitability. “Suitable or not, I want to marry him,” declared Savitramma, who later came to be affectionately known as Amma [mother]. They were married that year in a love match on the fourth day after the full moon of June 1933, Amma’s birthday.

After the wedding, Amma returned to her family and Guruji to his room at the University. They didn’t see each other for three to four years, until 1940, when Amma joined her husband in Mysore to begin their life

together. They had three children – Manju, Saraswathi and Ramesh – each who became great yoga teachers themselves. Amma was Guruji’s first yoga student, and was also given a teaching certificate by Krishnamacharya. Amma was like a mother to Guruji’s students, both Western and Indian; her presence cherished as much as his. She was kind and loving, always ready with an invite for coffee or an encouraging word. Because she was also well-versed in Sanskrit, she was often nearby to correct Guruji’s mistakes or remind him of a forgotten Sanskrit verse – much to the amusement of all present. She passed away suddenly in 1997. Her loss was devastating to the entire family, as well as to the family of yoga students.

Teaching

Life during the early years was not easy. Although Guruji had a yoga teaching position at the Sanskrit University, his ten-rupee-a-month salary was barely adequate to maintain a family of five. [Their circumstances eased somewhat in the mid-fifties when he became a professor.] In 1948, Guruji established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in their tiny two-room home in Lakshmipuram with a view toward experimenting with the curative aspects of yoga. Many local officials, from police chiefs to constables and doctors, practiced with him. Local physicians even sent their patients to Guruji to help with the treatment of diabetes, heart and blood pressure problems and a variety of other ailments.

In 1964, Guruji added an extension to the back of his house, consisting of a yoga hall that held twelve students, and a resting room upstairs. That same year, a Belgian named Andre van Lysbeth arrived at the AYRI on the recommendation of Swami Purnananda, a former student of Guruji’s. For two months, Guruji

taught this foreigner the primary and intermediate asanas. Soon after, Van Lysbeth wrote a book called Pranayama in which Guruji’s photo appeared, and introduced the Ashtanga master to the Europeans. They eventually became the first Westerners to seek him out and study in Mysore. Americans followed soon after in 1971.

Guruji had already traveled widely in India with Krishnamacharya and with Amma, meeting yogis, debating with scholars and giving yoga demonstrations. He met with Swami Sivananda, and the Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram, and befriended Swami Kulyananda and Swami Gitananda, both renowned for their scientific research in yoga. Guruji’s ashtanga had extended throughout India, but didn’t reach the overseas community until 1973 (the very same year he retired from the Sanskrit University), when he was invited to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The following year he went to Encinitas, California, the first of many teaching trips abroad, including France, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, England and Australia.

Over the next twenty years, word of Pattabhi Jois and ashtanga yoga slowly spread across the globe, and the number of students coming to Mysore steadily increased. In 1998, Guruji shifted his residence to Gokulam, a suburb of Mysore, but continued teaching from the Lakshmipuram institute. By then, he was receiving more international students than the small room could handle, so he began construction of a much larger hall, just opposite his house in Gokulam. The new shala officially opened in 2002, with several days of pujas and ceremonies. Four years later, his dream of opening a school in the United States was realized with the launch of an institute in Islamorada, Florida. Guruji conducted the opening ceremonies there in 2006, which served as his final trip abroad.

The Passing of the Lineage

In 2007, Guruji became gravely ill, bouncing back just enough to teach a bit more yoga. By the end of the following year, after seven decades of continuous teaching, he had gradually retired from his daily classes, leaving the institute in the capable hands of his daughter Saraswathi and grandson Sharath.

Guruji passed away at home in Mysore on May 18th, 2009 at the age of 93. His death came as a tragic loss

to the worldwide yoga community. His entire life was an endeavor to imbue his students with commitment, consistency and integrity – and to actualize in his own life the conduct of a householder yogi. It is by virtue of his undying faith and enthusiasm that the practice that he learned from Krishnamacharya has remained alive. And thus, by his devotion to the daily teaching of yoga, his legendary works will remain alive too.

Mula bandha, Uddiyana Bandha from the book Ashtanga yoga practice and philosophy Gregor Maehle

The term bandha is related to the English word “bonding.” We bond breath, movement, and awareness together. The first bandha is called Mula Bandha,which translates as “root lock.” The root referred to here is the root of the spine, the pelvic floor or, more precisely, the center of the pelvic floor, the perineum.The perineum is the muscular body between the anus and the genitals. By slightly contracting the pubo-coccygeal (PC) muscle, which goes from the pubic bone to the tailbone (coccyx), we create an energetic seal that locks prana into the body and so prevents it from leaking out at the base of the spine.Mula Bandha is said to move prana into the central channel, called sushumna, which is the subtle equivalent of the spine.Locating the PC muscle might be difficult at first.It has been suggested that one should tighten the anus, or alternatively contract the muscle that one would use to stop urination, but these indications are not entirely accurate: Mula

Bandha is neither of these two muscles but located right between them.These suggestions have their value, however, offering some guidance until we become more sensitive and are able to isolate the PC muscle more precisely.For females it is essential not to mistake Mula Bandha for a contraction of the cervix. This con -traction tends to occur especially during strenuous activity. Should a woman do this on a daily basis when engaged in two hours of yoga practice, she could experience difficulty in giving birth.In the beginning we employ mainly a gross muscular lock, which works mainly on the gross body. Through practice we shift to an energetic lock,which works more on the subtle or pranic body.When mastered, Mula Bandha becomes exclusively mental, and works on the causal body.To become familiar with Mula Bandha, sit tall and upright in a comfortable position and focus on slightly contracting the perineum, which is the center of the pelvic floor. With the exhalation, visualize the breath beginning at the nostrils and slowly reaching down through the throat, the chest, and the abdomen until it eventually hooks into the pelvic floor, which contracts slightly. As the inhalation starts, there will be an automatic reaching upward.Since we keep the breath hooked into the pelvic floor through contracting the PC muscle, we create suction and an energetic lift upward through the entire core of the body. This is Mula Bandha. With this movement the first step is taken to arrest the downward flow of life force, which increases with age and invites death, disease, and decay like the withering of a plant, and convert it into an upward flow that promotes growth and further blossoming.Mula Bandha is held throughout the entire breathing cycle and during the whole practice. Every posture needs to grow out of its root. This is only finally released during deep relaxation in complete surrender.The second bandha is Uddiyana Bandha. It is sometimes confused with Uddiyana, one of the shat karmas or six actions, also called kriyas, of Hatha Yoga. This Uddiyana is a preparation for nauli, the stomach roll.Nauli is practiced by sucking the entire abdominal content up into the thoracic cavity. It is done only during breath retention (kumbhaka), and it is very different from the technique practiced in VinyasaYoga. The Uddiyana Bandha of Vinyasa Yoga is a much gentler exercise. It consists of lightly contracting the transverse abdominis muscle, which runs horizontally across the abdomen and is used to draw the abdominal contents in against the spine.To successfully switch on Uddiyana Bandha, it is important to isolate the upper transverse abdominismuscle from the lower part and use only the part below the navel. Doing other wise impinges on the free movement of the diaphragm. If the movement of the diaphragm is restricted for a long time, aggressive,boastful, egotistical, and macho tendencies can develop in the psyche. This is not endorsed by traditional teaching, however. Shankara and Patanjali provideus with the following explanations. True posture,according to Shankara, is that which lead seffortlessly to meditation on Brahman and not to pain and self-torture. Patanjali says that asana is perfected when meditation on the infinite (ananta) is achieved through the releasing of excess effort.Some have claimed that Ashtanga Yoga is warrior yoga, and that warriors used it to psych themselves up for battle. This is a very sad misunderstanding.Those who have had a true experience of the practice will have come away feeling tired and happy —and definitely not psyched up for battle. Rather, one feels more like hugging one’s enemy and, incomplete surrender, handing them whatever they demand — perhaps even imparting genuine adviceas to how to enjoy life and not waste it with suchbstupidities as aggression and warfare. There is no warrior yoga. War and yoga exclude each otherbecause the first yogic commandment is ahimsa —nonviolence.Richard Freeman says that Uddiyana Bandha is infact only a slight suction inward just above thepubic bone. The more subtle Uddiyana Bandha becomes, the more blissful, peaceful, childlike, and innocent becomes the character of the practitioner.I suggest starting by firming the abdominal wall below the navel and then, as awareness increases with years of practice, allow Uddiyana Bandha to slide downward. Again, the more subtle it becomes,the more influence Uddiyana Bandha will have on th esubtle body.As I have mentioned in the previous section, a lot of emphasis has been placed on abdominal breathingin our culture in the last forty years. This has its place in the performing arts — especially dance and theater — and for therapy. It is certainly helpful for singers and actors, and for someone undergoing psychotherapy. Abdominal breathing, with complete relaxation of the abdominal wall, is recommended a suseful when ever we want to connect to our emotionsand bring them to the fore. In the New Age movementin particular, emotions are seen as something sacred that one needs to follow and live out. Abdomina lbreathing is a good idea whenever one wants to intensify one’s emotions.In many other situations, though, it is not helpful to heighten one’s emotions. After all, emotions are only a form of the mind. To be emotional means to react to a present situation according to a past conditioning.For example, if I am rejected in a certain situation that is new to me, I will feel hurt. If i find my self in a similar situation again, I will become emotional even before any new hurt has been inflicted. I will emote “hurt” before I actually feel it. An emotion is a conserved feeling that arises because the original feeling has left a subconscious imprint in the mind. Patanjali calls this imprint samskara. The theory that being emotional is being more authentic is flawed, since an emotional person is as much in the past as a person who is constantly“in his or her head.”Besides the fact that it makes one emotional,constant abdominal breathing also has negativ ephysical repercussions. It leads to sagging, collapsing abdominal organs with enlarged, weak blood vessels and stagnant blood. Then follow a lack of oxygen supply, a decrease in vitality, and eventually the development of chronic disease.If the lower abdominal wall is kept firm and the upper wall is relaxed, the diaphragm moves up and down freely and the whole abdomen functions like the combustion chamber of an engine, with thediaphragm as the piston. This produces a strong oscillation of intra-abdominal blood pressure, and it is exactly this mechanism that produces healthy abdominal organs. When the diaphragm moves down and the abdominal wall is held, the pressure in the combustion chamber will rise. When the diaphragm moves up, all the blood is sucked out of the abdomen and blood pressure drops. This strong oscillation of abdominal blood pressure constantly massages the internal organs and leads to strong,healthy tissue.We look now at the subtle mechanics of Uddiyana Bandha. Uddiyana means flying up. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that, because of Uddiyana Bandha, the great bird of prana flies up incessantly through the sushumna. Sushumna is the central energy channel,which lies, albeit in the subtle body, roughly in front of the spine and originates at the perineum. It terminates within the head — some sources say at the highest point of the head, but more often it is described as ending where the head is joined to the spine. The sushumna is usually dormant. It is accompanied by two other nadis (energy channels), which wind around it like the snakes of the caduceus.These are the lunar (ida) and solar (pingala) channels.There are certain parallels between solar and lunar energy channels on the one hand and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems on the other, but we cannot say that the one is the other.The Hatha Yoga Pradipika explains that prana should be directed into sushumna by closing the ida and
pingala. The same text states that, by practicing MulaBandha, prana will enter sushumna. In a later stanza of the text a great truth is revealed: time (which we perceive as the fluctuation of night and day) is produced by the sun and moon.In other words, it is the illusion of time that prevents us from recognizing deep reality (Brahman), which is timeless and is fabricated by the moment of inner breath (prana) int he pingala (solar) and ida (lunar) energy channels.The stanza goes on to reveal the key to all physical yoga, which is that the sushumna devours time.In other words, if prana is made to enter the centralchannel it will devour time, which is itself a creation of the fluctuating mind and which keeps us from abiding in deep reality, the timeless consciousness(Brahman). Time is the operating system of th ehuman mind; to go beyond time is to go beyond mind. This is possible when the great bird of prana flies up in sushumna, and sushumna devours time.For this the use of Mula and Uddiyana Bandha is prescribed.Even the great Shankara says that Mula Bandha should always be practiced, since it is fit for raja yogins. In other words, even raja yogins — those who practice mind suspension and who are sometimes disparaging about Hatha yogins and their preoccupation with their bodies—should take up the practice of Mula Bandha, since it leads to going beyond mind.If we remember now Patanjali’s definition of yoga being the suspension of mind, we begin to understand the importance of Mula and Uddiyana Bandha.

Ahamkara and the myth of Rama from the book "The mirror of yoga" by Richard Freeman

The next thing that evolves out of buddhi is called ahamkara—the
I-maker or the ego function. Though essential to establishing form and
organisms in this world, it can become the stem of endless suffering and
loneliness. Within the Samkhya system ahamkara is considered to be a
sacred process that occurs within prakrti. It has been called the cit-acit
granthi, the knot that ties together that which is cit or pure conscious-
ness (purusa) with that which is acit or unconsciousness (prakrti). The
knot forms as a mysterious sense of a subjective “If which continuously
collects images, theories, and beliefs about itself as separate from others
and from its environment. It arises from basic ignorance, the confu-
sion of purusa with prakrti. It causes us to quickly create subject-object
relationships in the sense fields by endowing countless small sections of
prakrti with self, thereby pulling objects out of their backgrounds. The
ahamkara, the ego, then accepts or rejects the objects according to its
perceived need to protect and maintain itself as a separate organism,
blocking the inherent flow of information within the buddhi that
would lead to truer perception and insight. This confusion of ego, this
blocking of the intelligence of interdependence, is still ultimately the
gunas acting on the gunas and is every bit as sacred as any of the other
manifestations of prakrti, any other perception or insight, and any of
the other processes of the buddhi. In fact the ego is essential to life
because it allows us to at least temporarily draw boundaries and iden-
tify particular things—this body, this thought, this object— as separate
from everything else.
To understand the importance of ahamkara, imagine it as a seed.
Generally a seed has a hard outer surface, which keeps it separated from
what is outside of its exterior shell. At a certain point, if it is a lucky
seed, it falls into the ground, and with the presence of moisture, the
outer casing begins to soften until it is suficiently supple and becomes porous. At this point there is communication between the inside of the
seed—which has information—and the external environment. It is that
exchange of information that stimulates the growth of the seed so that
transformation, life itself, can begin to occur. Likewise, we have an ego
that is like a shell that allows our potential, the manifestation of our

truest self, to develop. At certain junctures of interaction with others or
with the environment— which are usually points of illumination, trans-
formation, or insight—our ego becomes porous. If we stay present with
the process of change that we are encountering, and if we stay tuned
into the process of the gunas acting on the gunas, then we are carefully
able to let go of those things we identify as ourselves and release the
perceptions that falsely or partially identify others and other things as
separate For us and From each other. In this way we are able to assimi-
late things that lie beyond our immediate system, whether they are out-
side our philosophical system or the physical system of our body. This
assimilation process allows us to experience transformation or growth,
and in witnessing our own process of change there is the possibility of
discovering what we really are deep at the core. Yoga actually makes the
ego Function porous. Periodic letting go of ego positions and images
keeps the Function useful and healthy, allowing insights to occur. Hav-
ing no ego function would mean the death of our physical organism,
but learning to become fluid within our ego system leads to insight. The
ego, the ahamkara, is useful in that it always gives us stuff to let go of. It
is sacred in that when its contracting Function arises in us or in others,
it should be observed as it is.
Another function of the ahamkara is to facilitate a shift offocus away
from pure consciousness by turning the activity of the buddhi outward
in a relentless attempt to create a false self, or a false purusa. This process
is represented in the myth of Rama, in which Rama’s beloved consort
Sita was captured by the demon Ravana, who carried her away to Sri
Lanka. This event set off the yogic cycle of activity that is part of the
ancient epic tale the Ramayana. In the story the demon Ravana is the
ego, the false purusa, who steals the buddhi, or Sita, away from pure
consciousness, Rama, the true purusa. Rama then enlists the son of
the wind god, Hanuman who represents prana, and which cleans and
integrates the buddhi. Hanuman steals Sita back and burns down the
city, which represents the structures around the inflated ego, Ravana.
Ultimately Rama defeats Ravana in an incredible battle, and this defeat
necessitates all of the other events that happen within the story and
which are symbolic of the yoga process. The story should be read by all
students of yoga.

El suelo pélvico como muelle interno.~ Toni Romero

Toni Romero,urdhava Kukkutasana

En el desarollo de la inteligencia musculatur relacionada con el pc se convierto en una toma conciencia de la fuerza interna. El cuerpo se extiendo, estira y se eleva con suma facilidad desde la fuerza interna que produce ese muelle muscular a nivel físico y pránico en el marco sutil. Al producir esa contracción en el plana primero, abre los canales internos para un flujo libre de las fuerza pránica y apánicas dentro del canal central. Uddiyana en el ascensor del cuerpo, al retornar el flujo energético en los canales chackras mueve todo el espacio interno y exterior como las piezas de un reloj extendiendo y replegando el cuerpo desde ese axis que mantiene toda la estabilidad esquelética y muscular.
Una forma muy efectiva de empezar es estudio de mulabhanda es el control muscular al orinar, cerrando y abriendo el paso para ir tomando conciencia de una forma del tejido interno del suelo pélvico. Con un tracción más profunda del Mulabhanda, Uddiyana (una ligera succión del téxido justo encima del "pubic bone") es automáticamente conectada, ya que son dos aspectos inseparables del mismo grupo muscular encadenado uno al otro.