The bandhas

Yogashala den haag

The heart of yoga: bandhas

Everybody interested in yoga as awareness training and its particular difference from other forms of movement will eventually get to hear about the bandhas. The knowledge and insights that you will gain in the exploration of the application of the bandhas will add a new dimension to your yoga practice.

The impact of the bandhas gives yoga its deeper meaning. It is the essence and subtlety of the integration of the bandhas in yoga posture practice that can bring about the deeply calming and satisfying experience of wholeness through connection.

I’m highly specialised in teaching one-on-one trajectories for the sake of completeness of someone’s yoga practice. Oftentimes this involves the implementation of the bandhas. My intention is to also contribute to the de-mystification of this so often misunderstood important yoga technique based on the clarity and transparency I bring to my teachings. This also applies to Ujjayi breath in its relation to the bandhas.

What are the bandhas?

The bandhas are one of the 5 yoga “techniques”.
With respect to the 5 elements, every technique represents one of them:

  • fire – bandhas
  • ether – drushti
  • air – pranayama
  • water- vinyasa
  • earth – asana.

How to define them

Each specific bandha has its own function, and yet they are intrinsically one. The bandhas are the foundation to bring about the experience of the body as a whole in yoga practice.

In doing so, their application and impact leads to the presence of yoga in its definition as ‘unity’.

Your awareness for body parts as the realisation of duality transforms into the awareness of wholeness as non-duality.

Applying the bandhas

Mula ~, Uddiyana ~ and Jalandhara bandha are the most essential bandhas and applied to the trunk. I will teach you each individual bandha. Using this as a foundation, we will then explore the inextricable link between these three bandhas and clarify their interconnection.

The three essential bandhas are accompanied and supported by the bandhas of the limbs: hasta and pada bandha.

Learning the application of the bandhas and their refinement will enable you to feel the deeper impact that it will have on your yoga practice.

It is the subtlety of their application that will leave you with the unique feeling after a yoga practice. This does not refer to an adrenaline-rush but to the stillness and the recognition of a deep calm as an expression of your being.

Their impact

By applying the 3 essential bandhas, Ujjayi breath is established. Its quality is subtle and soft; hardly audible for anyone except the person breathing it.

Furthermore, the impact of the bandhas is diverse. Their most obvious trait is the impact they have on the anatomy around the chest, belly and back. They act as a support for specific areas of the body, especially of the spine.

I am happy to additionally clarify for you the physiological, neurological, energetic and spiritual impact of the correct application of the bandhas.

Learning step-by-step

A complete introduction to the bandhas primarily rests on active breath-related explorations and theoretical and practical clarification of a number of physical actions applied to postures. These actions are the heart of the integrity in yoga.

The repetition of the applied physical actions finally leads to embodiment. So that you eventually know about the structural invitation of the bandhas in every posture, as far as appropriate, or necessary.

Step 1

You will learn to feel the three essential bandhas based on the breath. I will teach you appropriate breathing techniques, i.e. mock inhalation and the extension of in- and exhalation with integrity.Each technique will reveal the physical experience of each bandha to you.

The three separate experiences allow for them to be integrated all at once which is the application of the three essential bandhas in the trunk.

The effort required leads to an easy recognition of the impact and their interconnection as they are absolutely and inextricably linked with each other.

Step 2

The dimension of the bandhas also reaches into the hands, arms, feet and legs – hasta and pada bandha. This again requires the continuous application of specific physical actions mentioned before. Through repetition and embodiment we will eventually apply the essential bandhas together with hasta and pada bandha.

Finally you will experience the whole of the body as bandha: Sarvangabandha.

To deepen the practical experience, an accessible yoga posture practice with movement and stillness will be your playground for implementing what you learned so far.

Learn from me

Learning the application, refinement and integration of the bandhas is a highly fulfilling process. I appreciate the interest of and love sharing with inspired people. You can contact me through our contact page (click the button below), or call me/send a WhatsApp message to 06 237 387 51.

I am looking forward to meeting and teaching you!
Anke