The energy that flows out of our body through Yog asana, pranayam and bandh is stopped and taken in. bandh means to stop, controlling. These bandhs are very helpful in pranayam. Pranayam is incomplete without these bandhs. Here the different bandhs are being described.
Jalandhar Bandh:
Sit in Padmasana or Siddhasana and breath in. keep the hands on the knees. Bend the chin downwards and try to touch the neck point. This is known as Jalandhar bandh. Focus in between the eyebrows. The chest should be stretched forwards. This bandh controls the network of nerves in the neck area.
Benefits:
It makes the throat sweet, melodious and attractive.
Contraction of throat and closure of Ida and pingla nerves helps the prana or vital life energy to enter sushmana.
It is beneficial in all throat diseases. It should be practiced in case of thyroid and tonsils.
It arouses Vishudhi chakra.
Uddiyan Bandh:
The bandh, which arouses prana and helps it in entering sushmana, is known as Uddiyan Bandh. Stand straight and keep both the hands on the knees. Breath out and relax the stomach. Do Jalandhar bandh and raise the chest slightly upwards. Contract the stomach inside as much as possible. Breathe in and repeat the above procedure. Practice it three times in the beginning. The practice should be increased gradually. This bandh can be done sitting in Padmasana or Siddhasana.
Benefits:
It cures all stomach related problems.
It arouses the prana and purifies the Manipur chakra or solar Plexus.
Moolbandh:
Sit in Siddhasana or Padmasana and doBahya or Abhyantar Kumbhak, pull up the rectum and genitals. In this bandh the area below the navel gets contracted. This bandh should be done with Bahya Kumbhak. Some practitioners do it for several hours very easily. It should be practiced for long hours under the guidance of a qualified Yog teacher.
Benefits:
The apana vayu moves up and synchronizes with prana or vital life energy. It arouses the Mooladhar chakra or Pelvic Plexus and arouses the kundalini.
It cures constipation and piles and increases digestive fire.
It helps in upward movement of semen and it is very important for following celibacy.
Mahabandh:
Sit in Padmasana or any meditative pose and do all the three bandhs at a time. This is known as Mahabandh. All the benefits mentioned above are obtained with its practice. All these three bandhs are applied in case of Kumbhak.
Benefits:
The prana move upwards.
It purifies the semen and increases strength.
Mahabandh helps in the convergence of Ida, Pingla and sushmana.
Right posture for pranayam:
The spine should be absolutely straight at the time of practicing pranayam. Sit in any meditative pose like Siddhasana, Padmasana, Sukhasana, Vajrasana etc. If you cannot sit in any asana, then sit straight on a chair and practice pranayam. The spine should be straight; it should not bend at any place. Nowadays, we see people practicing pranayam in any posture, walking, or standing position. But this is not correct. This could be very harmful at some point of time. Pranayam arouses the vital life energy and all the centers related to the spine. Therefore, it is necessary to sit straight while practicing pranayam. Practicing pranayam in a sitting position helps in concentration.
