MOOLA BANDHA (Perineum/Cervix Retraction Lock) in Hath Yoga

 MOOLA BANDHA  (Perineum/Cervix Retraction Lock)
in Hath Yoga

Pressing the perineum/vagina with the heel and contracting the rectum sothat the apana vayu moves upward is moola bandha. By contracting the perineum the downward moving apana vayu is forced togo upward. Yogis call this moola bandha. Press the heel firmly against the rectum and contract forcefully andrepeatedly, so that the vital energy rises. (61-63)

Moola bandha is meant to be used in combination with pranayama practices, kumbhaka, jalandhara and uddiyana bandhas.  When moola bandha is initially practiced there is a tendency to contract the two areas, i.e. the perineum and the anus. Moola bandha takes place in the center of the body, neither in the front nor back. Then mooladhara chakra is directly contacted. Controlled systematic contraction of the perineal body/cervix produces heat in the subtle body and this awakens the potential of kundalini.

Technique 1: Moola Bandha

Stage 1: Sit in any comfortable meditative pose, but preferably siddhasana/siddha yoni asana as they contact mooladhara chakra.

Keep the hands on the knees in either jnana or chin mudra and close the eyes. Make sure the body is completely relaxed and the spine is erect.

For men, the area just inside the perineum has to be contracted, so it is best to concentrate on this area for a few minutes first.

Women should concentrate on the cervix as it is the cervix and vaginal muscles which have to be contracted. After a few minutes of concentration start to gradually contract and release the muscles of the perineum/cervix. Contraction will last for a few seconds.

Keep the breath normal. Contract and release up to twenty times.

Stage 2: Prepare yourself as for the previous practice. Contract the muscles of the perineum/cervix and hold. Continue to breathe normally, do not hold the breath. Hold the contraction for as long as possible, then release. Practice up to twenty times.

Stage 3: Contraction should start off gently and only partially. Contract just a little and hold without releasing. Then contract a little more.

Continue like this, gradually increasing the tension and contraction ten times, until full contraction is reached. Hold the full contraction for as long as possible and try to breathe normally.

Technique 2: Moola Bandha with breath retention

Practice moola bandha in conjunction with jalandhara bandha and internal or external retention. Sitting erect, inhale deeply through the nose. Hold the breath and perform jalandhara bandha.

Now practice stage 3. Before exhaling, release moola bandha then jalandhara. When thehead is straight exhale slowly. The same sequence can be done with external retention.

Technique 3: Moola Bandha with uddiyana bandha

With external kumbhaka and jalandhara bandha, practice five rounds of Technique 1 (stage 2). Then practice five rounds of Technique 1 (stage 3). Now add uddiyana bandha to the practice.

Do five rounds of stage 2, then five rounds of stage 3. It takes months of practice to become fully acquainted with moola bandha and years to perfect it. The greatest difficulty is overcoming the tendency to contract all the muscles of the urinary/excretory complex. 

It takes a lot of practice before one can isolate the different muscles in this area and control them so that movement only takes place in the area associated with mooladhara chakra.

Benefits

By performing moola bandha and thereby controlling the release of the sex hormones and the sexual impulses, a constant flow of nectar is induced from bindu visarga. The bindu visarga is the highest manifestation of consciousness in the individual. This is experienced as transcendental sound. By controlling bindu visarga, you are controlling creation within the microcosmos.

All the practices which unite the two opposite forces, prana and apana, generate and release immense heat in the body. This increases the metabolic rate for a short period, and as a result, elimination and degeneration are decreased; absorption and assimilation improve, and the nervous system, blood circulation and brain functions are greatly stimulated. The mind becomes alert, sensual desires and the need for sleep decrease, and even during the dream state, there is greater awareness. 

When kundalini is awakened the whole central nervous system becomes active and charged with energy. Energy passes from the firingof one neuron to the next and the chains of nerve fibers straighten withthe force of the energy.  The normal amount of energy which passes through the central nervous system is of a low frequency compared to that of kundalini. Most of our energy flows outwards through the sense organs. Throughthe practice of moola bandha, that same energy can be redirectedupwards to the higher brain centers which normally do not receive much of a charge.