Varaha Upanishad quotes

A wise man who has understood the course of nadis and vayus

should, after keeping his neck and body erect with his mouth

closed, contemplate immovably upon Turyaka (Atma) at the

tip of his nose, in the centre of his heart and in the middle of

bindu,

and should see, with a tranquil mind through the

(mental) eyes, the nectar flowing from there. Having closed

the anus and drawn up the vayu and caused it to rise through

(the repetition of) pranava (Om).

He should try to go up by the union of Prana and Apana.

This most important yoga brightens up in the body the path of

siddhis. As a dam across the water serves as an obstacle to the

floods, so it should ever be known by the yogins that the chhaya

of the body is (to jiva). This bandha is said of all nadis.

Through the grace of this bandha, the Devata (goddess) becomes

visible. This bandha of four feet serves as a check to the three

paths. This brightens up the path through which the siddhas

obtained (their siddhis). If with Prana is made to rise up soon

Udana, this bandha checking all nadis goes up. This is called

Samputayoga or Mulabandha. Through the practising of this

yoga, the three bandhas are mastered. By practising day and

night intermittingly or at any convenient time, the vayu will

come under his control. With the control of vayu, agni (the

gastric fire) in the body will increase daily. With the increase

of agni, food, etc., will be easily digested. Should food be

properly digested, there is increase of rasa (essence of food).

With the daily increase of rasa, there is the increase of dhatus

(spiritual substances). With the increase of dhatus, there is the

increase of wisdom in the body. Thus all the sins collected

together during many crores of births are burnt up.

The nadis or psychic passages

Source
*A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya  Swami Satyananda Saraswati

The nadis are pathways along which prana or

bioplasmic energy travels. In acupuncture

these pathways are known as meridians (at

least in modern western terminology). Various

ancient yogis said that there are seventy two

thousand nadis in the psychic body. Others

said the number is in the region of three

hundred and twenty thousand. Whatever the

number, we can definitely say that they are

numerous.

Of these nadis three are particularly important.

They are known as the ida, pingala and

sushumna. The most important one is the

sushumna, which runs within the spine2. It

should not be confused with or identified with

the physical spine that we are normally aware

of. This nadi runs from the region of the

perineum (between the anus and sexual organs)

to the region of the brain. It connects the

mooladhara chakra (chakra meaning pranic

or psychic centre) in the perineum to ajna

(mid-brain) chakra at the top of the spine

passing through various other chakras enroute.

Again these chakras should not be

regarded as physical entities; they are part of

the bioplasmic or pranic body. As such they

are located within but are not of the physical

body.

Emanating from the left side of the mooladhara

chakra and passing through the

intervening chakras in turn in a curving, crisscrossing

path, finally ending up on the left

side of the ajna chakra, is the ida nadi. Emerging

from the right side of the mooladhara chakra

and passing in a similar but opposite sense to

that of the ida nadi, up to the right side of ajna,

is the pingala nadi.

The ida and pingala nadis are the pathways

of the two different aspects of prana. They

represent the two opposite poles of the same

energy. The ida is denoted as being negative

and is also known as the chandra (moon) nadi.

The pingala, on the other hand, is positive and

is often called the surya (sun) nadi. Associated

with these two nadis are various attributes or

qualities.

These two nadis are associated with the two

nostrils: pingala with the right and ida with the

left. The ancient yogis, with their detailed

awareness of the human body, found that the

flow of breath did not pass equally through

each nostril. In fact at any given time it was

more than likely that the flow of air through

one nostril would be greater than the other

nostril. This is an aspect of our body that even

physiologists have never seriously researched.

No one seems to have asked the question:

"Why have we got two nostrils?" There should

be a good reason and perhaps it is directly

related to ida and pingala. Incidentally, the

reader can test this for himself taking care to

remove all mucus from the nose. Merely block

each of the nostrils in turn and you should

find that the flow is greater through one than

the other. If you don't find this to be so, then

try at a later time for occasionally the flows are

equal.

The yogis of antiquity discovered that when

the left nostril had the predominant flow of air

then the pranic flow in ida nadi was also

predominant. And when the right nostril had

the greatest flow the pingala had the greatest

flow of prana. The flow of air through the

nostrils and consequently the pranic flow

continually alternates. Under normal conditions

the flow through the left nostril is

predominant for about an hour and then the

right flow becomes predominant for about an

hour. During changeover from one to the

other, flows are equal and the prana flows

through the sushumna nadi. This generally

lasts for a few minutes. These flows can also be

artificially altered in response to individual

needs. The study of these flows, their meaning

and implications in life is the subject of the

science of swara yoga.

Finding 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 , which should always be servedattended to) and which is fit for rajayogins.

Ganesha Lord of Mula Bandha

~ Sri Shankaracharya

Mula bandha is the gate that moves from the physical to the subtle.

Learning to understand all of this intelligence takes many years. These simple notes are the result of learning from several sources and daily practice. With all the humility, I hope it will be useful to people who read it.

The first point is try to create mula bandha in the physical sense. Hatha Yoga Pradipika and other classical texts define mula bandha as heel pressure directly on the perineum.

Positions like siddhasana are a good starting point to begin to feel the area between the genitals and anus (pelvic floor). The intention is to create a tension in that muscle group and lift it upwards as if it were a flame that lights just that intermediate point and rises. At the beginning, it is near impossible; it is almost instinctive and easier contract the anus (Aswini mudra).

To distinguish different muscle tones, it is recommended to practice Kegel exercises in which you are using what is called the pubococcygeus (PC) muscle. It is the muscle used when the action of urination is interrupted. This allows us define two starting points from the front and back (PC muscle and anus). If we try to visualize a rhomb in this area and add the left and right buttock, then we have four corners that draw the gross surface where the pelvic floor is contracted.

To put mula bandha into practice at first, the recommendation is to contract the three points and try to visualize the left and right gluts coming together into a compact group of muscles. Once you locate the point in between the anus and the genitals, there is an interesting lack of tension in the anus. When you feel mula bandha, the apana is drawn upwards.

Prana vayu and apana vayu are two of the five types of vayu that form the Prana, which is translates to vital energy. As prana vayu moves up into the chest area, the seed point is at the center of the chest. When you take a maximum inhale, the chest expands and grows. This is the most pranic stage of the breath.

Apana vayu moves down the lower body. The seed point is in the center of the pelvic floor. Precisely as you exhale, contract your abdominal muscles while the chest is closed. Prana is like flying in the sky and apana is like a root in the earth. This is the importance of mula (root) bandha (seal). Their function is to reverse the movement of apana and ascend upward. Thus the height of the pubic bone and the prana apana are pressed into each other.

Some versions say that heat kills kundalini and releases it into the entrance of the central nadi (sushumna). Then prana can rise freely and lead Shakti (creative energy) to join the universal consciousness Shiva. There are several variations of the process, depending on different lineages, which I will not extend at this point as it is a very extensive subject.

A good way to feel the contraction that occurs in the pelvic floor when turning to prana and apana is to try exhaling completely, keeping the chest open to maintain the residual quality of inhalation (postural and energetically). During the exhale, reach the point of expelling the air until there is one final breath through the nose. Make a “puff” sound (like Richard Freeman explain in his pranayama course). At that time, if you direct your attention with great delicacy and practice, you will feel a slight contraction between the anus and genitals. Try to keep that soft and subtle tone when inhaling, maintaining residual quality of the out breath in the inhalation. Bring the attention of inhalation as a thin flame that comes from the pelvic floor and rises through Sushumna Nadi.

Other devotees offer as sacrifice the incoming breath of prana in the outgoing breath of apana, and the outgoing breath of apana in the incoming breath of prana, thus arresting the cause of inhalation and exhalation by intent practice of pranayama .

~ The Bhagavad Gita IV:29

The second stage of mula bandha, which Ashtanga Yoga is calling “uddiyana bandha” (not to be confused with uddiyana bandha kriya), is possible during full exhalation retention (bahya Kumbhaka). It is the prolongation of mula bandha. There is a slight backward retraction of the abdominal wall, but only around the pubic bone. Above the diaphragm, there should be complete freedom to go up and down. In other words, when inhaling and exhaling, the belly is steady, the lower back is lifted and the upper abdomen is soft. This mini contraction is maintained throughout the respiratory cycle. An easy way to see the proper application of the mula and uddiyana bandha is to verify the pelvic floor and abdominal area above the pubic bone because it is very difficult to contract one without the other responding.

Since the abdominal muscle tone is much easier to manipulate at first, it is very useful to start some exercises to help you feel the contraction that produces mula bandha. Sit in padmasana (this is ideal because the entire lower pelvic floor and tailbone connects with the ground) while maintaining a firm stance with your back straight. Situate some chopsticks or fingertips to the level of the pelvis and feel the inhale in the abdominal area as it is retracted backwards while the imaginary buttocks are brought downwards. Then exhale completely and expel the last “puff” of air described above. It is easy to manipulate the bandhas.

If some people cannot sit in padmasana, another exercise is to lie down and then bend the legs, bringing the fingertips to the abdominal wall. Try to feel the retraction above the pubic bone as the pelvic floor contraction synchronizes with the breath.

Another useful practice is uddiyana bandha kriya, which is when all of the muscles are sucked back and up. The strength created by the internal vacuum makes it very easy to feel like the pelvic tissue is brought up.

Spanish version
article in elephant journal

Finding Mula Bandha, article in elephant journal

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/10/finding-mula-bandha-toni-romero/

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