Shiva samhita chapter IV,1-5

1. First with a strong inspiration fix the mind in the adhar lotus. Then engage in contracting the Yoni, which
is situated in the perineal space.
2. There let him contemplate that the God of love resides in that Brahma Yoni and that he is beautiful like
Bandhuk flower (Pentapetes pheanicia)-- brilliant as tens of millions of suns, and cool as tens of millions of
moons. Above this (Yoni) is a small and subtle flame, whose form is intelligence. Then let him imagine that

a union takes place there between himself and that flame (the Siva and Sakti).
3. (Then imagine that) – There go up through the sushumna vessel, three bodies in their due order (i.e., the
etheric, the astral and the mental bodies). There is emitted in every chakra the nectar, the characteristic of
which is great bliss. Its colour is whitish rosey (pink), full of splendor, showering down in jets the immortal
fluid. Let him drink this wine of immortality which is divine, and then again enter the Kula (i.e., perineal
space.)
Note. While these subtle bodies go up, they drink at every stage this nectar, called Kulamrita.
4. Then let him go again to the Kula through the practice of mantrayoga (i.e., pranayama). This Yoni has
been called by me in the Tantras as equal to life.
5. Again let him be absorbed in that Yoni, where dwells the fire of death – the nature of Shiva, &c. Thus has
been described by me the method of practicing the great Yoni-mudra. From success in its practice, there is
nothing which cannot be accomplished.

Richard Freeman video library

Yoga Taravali&Yoga Sutras sanskrit audio

Yoga Taravali (full text) by Sri Shankaracharya

Buscando Mula bandha Toni Romero

That which is the root of all beings,

that root which bonds all of the mind

(all thought and experience)

That is Mula bandha, which should always be served

La llama de la inteligencia, Dibujo del Libro "The mirror of yoga"

(attended to) and which is fit  for rajayogins.
Sri Shankaracharya

Mula bandha es la puerta que pasa de lo físico a lo sutil. Aprender a entender toda esa inteligencia lleva años y para comprender, estas simples notas son producto del aprendizaje de diversas fuentes y la práctica diaria, con toda la humildad espero que les sirva de utilidad a las personas que lo lean.

El primer paso es tratar de crear mula bandha en el sentido corporal. El hatha yoga pradipika entre otros textos clásicos nombras mula bandha como la presión del talón directamente en el perineum.

Posturas como siddhasana son un buen punto de partida para empezar a sentir esa zona entre los genitales y ano (suelo pélvico). La intención es crear una tensión y levantar ese grupo muscular hacia arriba, como si se tratara de una llama que se enciende justo en ese punto intermedio y asciende hacia arriba. Al principio parece casi imposible, ya que al tratar de contraer esa zona es casi instintivo y más fácil que sea el ano (aswini mudra). 

Para distinguir diversos tonos musculares es recomendable practicar el ejercicio de Kegel, en el cual al orinar e interrumpir la acción se activa lo que se llama músculo PC. De este

modo podemos delimitar dos puntos de partida frontal pc y trasero ano. Si tratamos de visualizar un rombo en la zona y añadimos el glúteo derecho e izquierdo tenemos cuatro esquinas que dibujan la superficie en bruto donde el suelo pélvico es contraído. Al principio para tratar de asegurar la implicación de mula bandha es recomendable tratar de contraer los tres puntos (pc, ano y centro del suelo pélvico) e intentar visualizar como los glúteos derecho e izquierdo tratan de acercarse para asegurar un compacto grupo muscular como punto de partida. A través de la práctica la intención es refinar una y otra vez para poder  diseccionar el rombo en secciones cada vez más pequeña y precisas. Es como si estás en la playa y tratas de tomar un manado de arena del suelo y al hacerlo procuras tener la máxima cantidad y con el tiempo se vuelve algo tan exacto como si recogieras un hilo que tratas de levantar.

Una vez localizado el punto entremedio del ano y los genitales, es interesante observar que al sentir mula bandha haciendo ascender apana, el ano está sin tensión.

Prana vayu y apana vayu son dos los vayus que forman el PRANA como grupo genérico y traducido como energía vital. 

Prana vayu se mueve hacia arriba, se encuentra en la zona pectoral y su punto central en el centro del tórax cuando la calidad postural del torso es firme, abierta, con los hombros hacía atrás. Al inhalar al máximo, el tórax se expande y crece, esa es la fase más pránica de la respiración.

Apana vayu para complementar se mueve hacía abajo se encuentra en la zona inferior del cuerpo. Su punto matriz en el centro del suelo pélvico. Precisamente al exhalar, los músculos abdominales se contraen, el tórax se cierra. Prana es como volar hacia el cielo y apana como arraigar en la tierra. De ahí la importancia de mula (raíz) bandha (sello).  Su función es revertir el movimiento de apana y hacerlo ascender.  De ese modo a la altura del hueso púbico prana y apana se presionan el uno al otro. Algunas versiones dicen que el calor que desprender esa fricción mata la serpiente enroscada kundalini que obstaculiza la entrada del nadi central y entonces prana puede ascender libremente y llevar la energía Shakti para unirse a la consciencia universal Shiva. Hay diversas variaciones del proceso según el linaje, no me voy a extender ya que es un tema muy extenso.

Volviendo a prana y apana. Una buena forma de sentir la contracción que se produce en el suelo pélvico es tratar exhalar completamente, pero manteniendo el tórax abierto como en la inhalación para mantener la calidad residual de la inhalación (postural y energéticamente) al exhalar y al llegar al punto que a se ha expulsado el aire tratar de emitir con el resto un último soplo por la nariz que hace "puff". En ese momento si diriges tu atención con mucha delicadez y práctica sentirás una leve contracción entre el ano y los genitales. Entonces tratas de mantener ese tono suavemente y muy sutil al inhalar conservando la calidad residual de la exhalación en la inhalación. Llevando la atención de la inhalación como una fina llama que nace desde el suelo pélvico y asciende por el canal medio del cuerpo hacia arriba.

" Ofreciendo el aliento inhalado en aquel aliento que se exhala, y ofreciendo el aliento que se exhala en aquel que se inhala, el yogui netraliza estos dos alientos; de este modo libera el prana del corazón y lo pone bajo control"Bhagavad Gita

La segunda fase de mula bandha, que en Ashtanga yoga llaman "uddiyana bandha" (no confundir con uddiyana bandha kriya que solamente es posible durante la completa exhalación  con retención vacío de aire bahya kumbhaka) es la continuación de mula

bandha y consiste es una ligera retracción hacía atrás (hacía dentro) del muro abdominal, pero solamente a la altura del hueso púbica, no contrayendo más arriba para dejar total libertad al diafragma para poder ascender  y descender. Es decir al inhalar y exhalar la barriga está inmóvil, la parte lumbar se levanta, esa mini contracción es mantenida durante

Uddiyana bandha

todo el ciclo respiratorio, pero la parte superior abdominal no está tensa. Una manera fácil de ver la correcta aplicación los bandhas es verificar el suelo pélvico y la parte abdominal encima del hueso púbico ya que es muy difícil contraer uno sin que el otro no responda automáticamente.

Puesto que el tono muscular a nivel abdominal es mucho más fácil de manipular en un principio que el tejido del suelo pélvico. Es de gran utilidad partir de algunos ejercicios para ayudar a sentir la contracción que produce mula bandha. 

Sentado en padmasana (postura ideal ya que toda la parte inferior suelo

pélvico, cóccix conectan con el suelo) manteniendo una postura firme y con la espalda recta,  situado unos palillos o la punta de los dedos  a la altura de la pelvis y sintiendo como al inhalar esa franja abdominal es retraída hacía atrás mientras que los glúteos imaginariamente son llevados hacía abajo y luego al exhalar completamente y expulsando el último "puff" de aire, descrito anteriormente es fácil poder manipular los bandhas.

Otra manera para las personas que no pueden sentarse en padmasana. Es tumbarse hacia arriba, doblar las piernas y llevar la punta de los dedos en

los mismo puntas del muro abdominal y tratar de sentir la retracción abdominal y la contracción del suelo pélvico sincronizado con la respiración.

Un ejercicio de gran utilidad es uddiyana bandha kriya, al succionar todo el tono muscular hacia atrás y arribar y crear ese vacío interno de aire hace que por la misma fuerza sea

Uddiyana bandha kriya

muy fácil sentir con el tejido del suelo pélvico es traído hacia arriba.

Es infinitamente recomendable el libro moola bandha: The master key.

Finding Mula Bandha, English version

From Aparoksanubhuti by Sri Shankaracharya

"The steps, in order, are described as follows: the control of the senses,

the control of the mind, renunciation, silence, space, time, 

posture, the restraining root (mulabandha), the equipoise of the body,

the firmness of vision, the control of vital forces, the withdrawal of the mind,

concentration, self-contemplation and complete absorption"

*these fifteen steps include the eight steps of Patanjali, but with a reorentation of meaning as will be evident from the following.

From Yoga Taravali by Sri Shankaracharya

I bow to the two lotus feet

of the (plurality of ) Gurus

Which awaken insight into

the happiness of pure Being,

Which are the complete

absorption, the jungle physician,

which eliminate the delusion

caused by the poisonous herb of

Samsara (conditioned existence).

There are 125,000 (meaning,

numberless) methods of laya

(yogic disolution) described

by Lord Siva in the world.

It is my opinion that nada

-anusandhana (pursuit of

“Inner Sound”) into the

deepest samadhi is the best

of all these layas.

With full exhaling, full

inhaling, and retention

of the breath, all of the

nadis are cleaned out. Then

through the anahata cakra

(the heart/ “wheel of the

unstruck sound”) many types

of internal sound are

expressed inside.

Obeisances to you,

Nadanusandhana (also a name

of Siva). The practice of you

gives birth to experience of the

highest truth. By your kindness

and with the internal breath,

may my mind dissolve into the

lotus feet of Visnu.

They say that jalandhara,

uddyiana, and mula bandhas

are deep in the throat, the

abdomen, and the root of the

anus. Having established these

three bandhas all around,

where is the dread of the noose

of time?

By uddiyana, jalandhara, and

mula bandhas the sleeping

serpent wakes up (makes an

about face) turns back, and

enters the susumna (central

channel). Then the coming

and going of the breath ceases.

By constantly squeezing the

Apana Vayu a bright torch

of fire rises up from the

muladhaara. Because of that

heat streams of nectar fall from

the moon (at the root of the

palate) to be drunk by the

fortunate.

The shining of the effulgent Paramatma

totally destroys the darkness of ignorance.

O Wonder! The Awakened One,

who has no fault (no imperfection) in their seeing,

sees not a “thing” in this whole world!

Sri Shankaracharya

Four verse on yoga by Shankaracharya (Mula bandha)

Aparoksanubhuti

I bow to Sri Hari, the supreme bliss, the primary teacher,

the Isvara, the all-pervading cause of all the worlds.

One should know that a real Yoga asana is that
in which meditations flows unceasingly with openness and ease,
and is not that in which happiness is destroyed.

That which is the root of all beings,
that root which bonds all of the mind
(all thought and experience)
That is Mula bandha, which should always be served
(attended to) and which is fit  for rajayogins.

By making the vrtti (present pattern of mind the object of meditation)
still, and then intuiting it to be sacred (the infinite  Brahman), there is
the complete forgetting of the vrtti in the wisdom known as Samadhi.

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.

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.

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.

Mudras internos. ~ Toni Romero

Con el uso de mula y uddiyana bandha se comprime prana y apana en la región de manipura chakra. Con el tiempo y cultivo de las facultades, se va clarificando el camino que atraviesa el foco desde la raíz hasta la coronilla. El cuerpo se vuelve ligero y fuerte y la mente acallada junto con una suave y armónica mirada permite el flujo del pensamiento puro.