Mula means root and Bandha means lock in Sanskrit. This action is believed to control the flow of energy moving outwards and therefore creates stability in the lower body. In addition, it helps in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles and improves bladder control as the Mula Bandha is similar to a kegel exercise.
What is Mula Bandha
Mula bandha is a hatha yoga exercise that involves contracting the pelvic floor muscles. In Sanskrit, the word mula means “root, base, bottom, or bottom,” and bandha means “lock, hold, or close,” so the exercise is often called the root or bottom lock.
Mula bandha is mentioned in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a 15th-century treatise on yoga. The West learned about it in the 20th century from modern yoga teachers such as Iyengar and Jois. However, Indian masters describe the lower lock differently.
For example, in the book “Yoga Mala” by the founder of Ashtanga Yoga Jois, mula bandha is described as pulling the anus towards the navel . And in the book of another teacher, Iyengar, mula bandha is called tension of the muscles located between the genitals and the anus.
In a modern Indian study, scientists also described mula bandha as a contraction of the muscles of the urogenital triangle. That is, the entire perineum, not just the anal sphincter.
In yoga, mula bandha is suggested to be performed to create a reliable base for asanas, to make the body lighter, more fluid and mobile. And also to control the flow of apana energy , which, as yogis believe, travels through the body, and to cleanse the energy shell. However, the lower lock can also be useful for those who do not believe in subtle energies and chakras.
Is it beneficial to do mula bandha
There are not many studies on mula bandha. We were able to find only two experiments, one of which was published in a not very high-quality scientific journal.
Both studies show that 12 weeks of regularly practicing mula bandha twice daily strengthens the pelvic floor muscles in adult women.
And this is not surprising, since the descriptions of the lower lock in both scientific works coincide with the rules for performing Kegel exercises – a well -studied and effective training of the pelvic floor muscles.
Thus, mula bandha can strengthen muscles, help with urinary incontinence and prolapse of internal organs in women, and also improve their sex life .
Such training can be useful for men, too. In one study, 40% of participants with erectile dysfunction fully regained their erections after pelvic floor muscle training, and 35.5% had some improvement.
Apparently, it was not for nothing that Iyengar warned about the dangers of performing mula bandha correctly in his book “Pranayama. The Art of Breathing”.
Even the correct performance of Mula Bandha is fraught with danger. It increases the sexual holding power, which the practitioner is tempted to abuse. If he yields to this temptation, all his dormant desires may awaken and become deadly, like a sleeping snake disturbed by a stick.
Although in the same study with men suffering from erectile dysfunction , 24.5% of participants did not have any improvement. So you shouldn’t rely entirely on training.
How to do mula bandha correctly
Follow a few steps.
1. Sit on the floor. You can fold your legs in a Turkish style, simply crossing your ankles in front of you, or try a more challenging pose called siddhasana. Bend one leg at the knee and press your heel to your groin. Then bend the other leg and place your foot on the shin of the first leg, turning the sole toward the ceiling. Tuck your toes into the space between your shin and thigh.
Straighten your back, place your hands on your knees, palms down. If you have difficulty maintaining the position, try placing a rolled-up blanket under your pelvis.
2. Exhale, and as you inhale, squeeze the perineal muscles and pull them up towards the navel. Hold the tension for a few seconds, holding your breath.
Start with 3-5 seconds and as your muscles strengthen, increase the squeeze time to 8-10 seconds.
3. Exhale and completely relax the pelvic floor muscles. Rest for 4-5 seconds and repeat. Do 8-10 such cycles.
If you have trouble feeling your pelvic floor muscles, try imagining that you are trying to hold back your urine. At that moment, you are tensing the right muscles.
Who should not do mula bandha
The pelvic floor muscles should not be strained in the following diseases and conditions:
- Trauma to the pelvic floor muscles, such as from childbirth or surgery. You can only start exercising after healing.
- Myofascial pelvic pain. This is a condition in which a person experiences pain due to spasms of the pelvic floor muscles.
Also, you shouldn’t do the root lock if you don’t feel the muscles that are being strained during the process and instead strain your abdominal muscles, buttocks, or thighs.
In this case, it is better to consult a gynecologist or urologist so that a specialist can check the pelvic floor muscles and monitor the exercise.
How often to do mula bandha
You can do the lower lock every day. In studies on the benefits of this practice for women, participants practiced twice a day, and Kegel exercises are generally recommended to be done three times a day, if possible.
So you can do the root lock at every yoga session and even separately from the class. For example, while riding public transport or waiting for your turn at the store.
