Mulabandha

[gartxott]

Hello

What is to be contracted in mulabandha, the central perineal body or anal muscles?

I have read contradictory things in various reputated sources.

Thank you!

[daya]

Hello,

My first yoga teacher taught that the contraction of the muscles of the anus together and up is asvini or aswini mudra.

I was introduced to mula bandha later and that was explained to me as the lift of the perineal muscles.

Aswini mudra is definitely easier to 'grasp' ha! for beginners. Mula bandha requires more subtlety.

I have also noticed many contradictions with the old yoga texts, its only several hundred years of notation we are talking about!

Have an uplifting experience!
Daya

[gartxott]

Hi Daya!

Yes, i have also read that contraction af anal muscles is Aswini Mudra. And Mulabandha that of the central perineal body, that is in my opinion, the bulbocavernosus muscle.

Have you ever heard about having sensations similar to that when one is about to have an orgasm, when practicing mulabandha? I'm quite worried as i'm a bramachari and don't want to lose my bindu.

Thank you!

[Karin]

Hello gartxott & others,

in "Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha" from Swami Satyananda you find:
Moola Bandha: "... Then focus the awareness on the perenial/vaginal region. Contract this region by pulling up the muscles of the pelvic floor ..."
Ashwini Mudra: "... Contract the sphincter muscles of the anus ..."
Vajroli/Sahajoli Mudra: "... This muscle action is similar to holding back an intense urge to urinate. ..."

On the other hand I know that the term Moola Bandha is used for all the three together - my teachers call the M.B. as described above the small M.B.

A beginner usually can't do the three contractions seperated, so usualy you begin with doing all the three together (the big M.B.), teaching to contract anus and genitals.
It often takes a very long time training before you can really do them seperatly.

[Karin]

Originally Posted by gartxott

Have you ever heard about having sensations similar to that when one is about to have an orgasm, when practicing mulabandha? I'm quite worried as i'm a bramachari and don't want to lose my bindu.
Thank you!

Well, its playing around with sexual energy ...
How could you loose your Bindu? Were did you heard about this things?
Don't be too serious and enjoy life!

I would suggest you to watch this movie:
Yoga of Heart -- The Healing Power of Intimate Connection Introduction - Google Video
Mark Whitwell explains on a wonderful what Yoga is about.

Hari Om Tat Sat !

[gartxott]

Hi Karin!

Thanks for the reply. I have that book, i think that Satyananda perfectly knows about what he speaks of. He's a crack. But the Hatha Yoga Pradipika says in the verse #61:

"Pressing the perineum/vagina with the heel and contracting the rectum so that the apana vayu moves upward is mula bandha."

Confusing. Isn't it?

--------------------------------

Men suffer a pranic drain when we ejaculate. We have to preserve our bindu at any cost. Seriously.

[Karin]

Originally Posted by gartxott

But the Hatha Yoga Pradipika says in the verse #61:

"Pressing the perineum/vagina with the heel and contracting the rectum so that the apana vayu moves upward is mula bandha."

No. 62 says: "By contracting the perennium the downward moving apana vayu is forced to go upward. Yogis call this moola bandha."

The comment of Swami Muktibodhananda says: "... it should be clearly understood that in moola bandha there should be absolutely no anal contraction."

So, I think its quite a good idea to talk about small and big M.B.
Anyway also the big M.B. has its effects.

Men suffer a pranic drain when we ejaculate. We have to preserve our bindu at any cost. Seriously.

Well, I don't believe too much in that (my boyfriend doesn't seem to suffer ... and isn't it natural? How could humans survive without?) and men also tell that it's possible to have orgasm without ejaculation.

Did you ever felt anything like loosing your bindu before you heard or red about it? (How con you loose your bindu? It will stay where it is. Isn't the talking about the amrit?)

Not only in new Newspapers or books, also in old scriptures is written a lot of bullshit. And there are so many different opinions about everything.

If you personally want to live a bramachari lifestyle that's fine. But it would be a pity if you just do that (and maybe have lots of problems with it) because you are afraid of loosing something. With this lifestyle you can't experience the bliss of an intimate relationship.
Of course doing extensively yoga and meditation can give you a lot. But I think many people use it also as an escape from live itself.

[gartxott]

I like your explanation of big and small Mulabandha, but the Book of Yoga of Swami Vishnudevananda also speaks of contracting the anal muscles, and other sources too... Are they refering to big MB also? If it is so, it would be awesome...

------------------------------------------------------

You say it's natural... Death is also natural. Having an orgasm without ejaculating is pretty difficult, we have to master Vajroli Mudra first.

Personally i have always felt drained and miserable after ejaculation. Actually, in my current sadhana, after an ejaculation it takes two weeks to retrieve the lost prana level, felt at pranayama.

Please have a look to verses 83-91 (Vajroli Mudra).

[Hubert]

Originally Posted by Karin

Well, I don't believe too much in that (my boyfriend doesn't seem to suffer ... and isn't it natural? How could humans survive without?) and men also tell that it's possible to have orgasm without ejaculation.

Most religions (spiritual ways) state celibacy as a requirement. It is easier this way. This is not a requirement for householders but for those who decided to follow a strict discipline in order to advance faster. As such, this is not natural. Following a spiritual way is not natural. If it would be, everyone would be saints. Following a spiritual way takes you beyond the natural, to supernatural.

Originally Posted by Karin

Did you ever felt anything like loosing your bindu before you heard or red about it? (How con you loose your bindu? It will stay where it is. Isn't the talking about the amrit?)

Well. Women have to understand that most men have sex instead of making love. Having sex is detrimental because it is mostly a physical experience. For most men having an orgasm and ejaculating is the same, while in reality it should not be so. Having an orgasm is a mental-emotional experience, ejaculation is physical. In fact making love should combine both aspects. Male physiologic sexuality is erruptive, fast and exhausting. This is natural. Our physical bodies are animal bodies. When an animal mates, it makes every effort to succeed in procreation, ensuring the survival of the race. Time is short. There are rivals. There are predators. But animals are wise. They have mating periods, so they have time to recover.
The tragedy of todays male consist in the confusion of sex with making love. He also confuses quantity over quality. A person I know confessed to me that he had an extra marital affair. He had sex both at home and with his mistress. He had sex several times a day, until his "orgasms" went dry. He lost 7 kilos in a few months, neglected his job, and ruined his health to a level from he did not come back even now, a year later.
My point is, that men learn very soon how to have a physical orgasm, and because of this their development on emotional and mental levels of lovemaking might suffer. Men are also wired differently. We are much easier aroused and able to have sex without emotional involvement. So we have to be careful. Being careful might mean a lot, but for me it means making love any time my partner or I want, but ejaculating only when I want. This is easier if one has a strong relationship. Of course all this should apply to every men who takes hmself seriously.
I don't know about bindu, but If I have sex, I lose self awarness, vigor, I feel empty and I also feel alone. Making love with orgasm and ejaculation is also tiring but most of the time you get some of your losses back, feeling gratitude, love, and oneness with your beloved. Making love can also be a spiritual experience ... but because it is rarely the case, and this way has so many traps where the disciple can fall, the recommandation of celibacy is easily understandable.

Originally Posted by Karin

Not only in new Newspapers or books, also in old scriptures is written a lot of bullshit. And there are so many different opinions about everything.

True. Except that I would be not that harsh on the old scriptures.
But seriously. While opinions might be many, some laws apply to everyone. Like we are all born, and we all die, we all are men or women, we all eat, mate, love and hate. You are right about written things. That's why I spoke from personal experience.

Originally Posted by Karin

If you personally want to live a bramachari lifestyle that's fine. But it would be a pity if you just do that (and maybe have lots of problems with it) because you are afraid of loosing something. With this lifestyle you can't experience the bliss of an intimate relationship.

You might not experience the bliss of an intimate relationship with another human being. But you might experience the bliss of an intimate relationship with something else.

Originally Posted by Karin

Of course doing extensively yoga and meditation can give you a lot. But I think many people use it also as an escape from live itself.

Doing extensively yoga and meditation - yoga and meditation should not be separate things. In fact, life and yoga should not be separate things.
But you are again right here. Maybe some of us try to escape life because it proved to be hard, we were not that successful, and we need time to recover. There are so many examples of celibate men who after a short time of spiritual journey realised it's not what they want or need and got back to a worldly life. Even so, everyone has the right to make his/her own decisions. The only thing we have to be faithful to is ourselves.

[Hubert]

Originally Posted by gartxott

Hi Daya!

Yes, i have also read that contraction af anal muscles is Aswini Mudra. And Mulabandha that of the central perineal body, that is in my opinion, the bulbocavernosus muscle.

Have you ever heard about having sensations similar to that when one is about to have an orgasm, when practicing mulabandha? I'm quite worried as i'm a bramachari and don't want to lose my bindu.

Thank you!

Don't be afraid. Experience it, while keeping maximum awarness.
What kind of orgasm are you talking about ? Some men report orgasmic feeling if their prostate gland is massaged. The gland can be milked, leading to fluid loss without contractions of the penis. I can imagine the prostate being massaged by mula bandha, but I might be wrong. You are the one who have to find the answer for yourself. It is your body. It is your awarness.

Also practicing brahmacharya without sublimation or partial sublimation can lead to accumulation of energy. That must be dealt with. Until you have perfect control of swadisthana, your brahmacharya is forced. That means you will have accidents from time to time. Don't let them bring you down.

[Karin]

Originally Posted by Hubert

Most religions (spiritual ways) state celibacy as a requirement. It is easier this way.

It's easier to give something up totally than to handle it in a "healthy" way.
For people with eating problems it's often easier to fast than to eat according to the need of the actual situation. ...

Maybe some of us try to escape life because it proved to be hard, we were not that successful, and we need time to recover. There are so many examples of celibate men who after a short time of spiritual journey realised it's not what they want or need and got back to a worldly life. Even so, everyone has the right to make his/her own decisions. The only thing we have to be faithful to is ourselves.

Do you know the movie "Samsara"? A monk leaves his monastry to live a "normal" live. He has a wife and children ... . After some years there arise some big problems an he gets into his monk clothes, shaves his had and is on the way back to the monastry. Then he has a vision of his wife. She is telling him that he makes it easy for himself, leaving her back with the children. She is talking about Buddha who also left his family. Maybe his wife would have also liked to go on a spiritual path, but she was not able to, as he left her without asking, without telling her anything. In the movie the ex-(and maybe soon-again-monk) had a breakdown as he had this vision. There the movie ends.

I don't mean nobody should live a monastery life, but ... .

[gartxott]

Hi Hubert!

Few days ago i talked to a doctor about mulabandha, aswini mudra and vajroli mudra and he warned me about sensations that could arouse due to massaging the prostate gland. Your reply does make a lot of sense.

And "accidents" usually occur, normally nocturnal emissions. What do you mean for "control of swadisthana"? Having an awakened swadisthana? Howmany kinds of male orgasms are there? I just know one...

Thank you!

[Hubert]

Originally Posted by Karin

It's easier to give something up totally than to handle it in a "healthy" way.
For people with eating problems it's often easier to fast than to eat according to the need of the actual situation. ...

The analogy does not work because sex is not something your body needs as it needs food. It is possible to live perfectly healthy without sex, but you can't live without food.

Originally Posted by Karin

Do you know the movie "Samsara"? .................

I know it though I did not see it. (My sister told me about it)
I am not commenting it because I don't know it in detail. But I'd say it is a story of one man, one family. As such, you can't generalize it's conclusions - if there are any.

[Hubert]

Originally Posted by gartxott

Hi Hubert!

Few days ago i talked to a doctor about mulabandha, aswini mudra and vajroli mudra and he warned me about sensations that could arouse due to massaging the prostate gland. Your reply does make a lot of sense.

And "accidents" usually occur, normally nocturnal emissions. What do you mean for "control of swadisthana"? Having an awakened swadisthana? Howmany kinds of male orgasms are there? I just know one...

Thank you!

I tried to answer more in detail but I realised I really don't know that much about this as my former replies would make anyone believe.

I did try myself in celibacy. It is hard, maybe impossible without seclusion. As a man of the world, I have periods of total abstinence, (months) but that's the best I could achieve. Anyway, I consider myself lucky, because my sexual instinct is not that strong as it is in most men. Of course I avoid meat and alcohol, I am not very social, and I have a job where I might unvoluntarily sublimate my creative energies. Fortunately my wife she's not a nympho either. I said to her she can cheat on me if she feels so, but she said this way it's no fun.

Now, seriously, sex is in the mind. When the mind is controled by various tehniques, brahmacharya is much easier.
On the other hand, a few orgasms won't kill anyone. Just don't be a slave of the animal instinct.

[gartxott]

Thanks Hubert.
Namaste

[Karin]

Hello gartxott and Hubert,

you obviously think its better to have as less sex as possible. If it's your choice ... .

I just want to write a few words for people who just start to get interested in yoga.
My teacher lived many years in an ashram and they all told themselves that they don't have "THIS". Now she is over 50 and tells us how important it is to free our sexual energy ... .

Its not at all yoga to give up your sexlife!

Karin

[Sunflower]

Maybe you can say that yoga is about embracing ALL that is you? At least that's how I understand it, that it is about honouring, feeling and getting to know yourself.

[Hubert]

I must confess that I feel quilty because I expanded this subject, here, where it is off topic. While gartxott's post was about mulabandha, my later ones were not. Brahmacharya is a touchy subject, it deserves another thread.
Still, while I could add a few thoughts, I won't start a new one on brahmacharya. (for my own reasons) That does not mean I will not post if someone starts one.

[Mukunda]

For those seeking control over the senses such practices as mula bandha are helpful but only when the teacher recommends it. I caution readers from taking guidance from those who are not experienced or authorized by their teachers to give advice.

First let me say that while asana can be done by mixing various traditions as it is all working on only first body or kosha. In contrast pranayama, mudra and bandha need to be given from same tradition and ideally from same tradition. Quoting from various texts is seeking various traditions and leads to confusion. There is not one yogic tradition; there are many. I do not recommend one practice control of prana as a way to regulate the mind without guidance from one authorized by their teacher to give this. while all paths are valid, mixing paths creates a mess.

Secondly, while having a forum may be of use in the general forum. This particular strand is focused on offering spiritual mentoring from myself. If any other readers are authorized by their teacher to be a spiritual mentor they are welcome to make recommendations. Again i caution you not to give advice until you have taken enough that your teacher says now you can teach.

Thirdly, yoga is practiced in much of the West as a physical practice not as a spiritual practice. Its original teachings are spiritual only. For those who are sincerely seeking spiritual life. For those who wish to overcome the stresses of life yoga is beneficial but that is not its purpose. So it is effective at promoting health and eliminating dis-ease; it is not given for that purpose.

Also let me point out that as i travel extensively i often cannot respond to your querries in a timely manner but i will.

namaste mukunda

[gartxott]

Dear Mukunda,

Your reply is well guessed but too abstract in my opinion. The fact is that although i haven't mixed paths a 'mess' has been found. I will show you an example:

The famous hatha/kundalini yoga book of one of the disciples of Sivananda, Swami Vishnudevananda, named The Book Of Yoga, states that mula bandha is contraction of anal muscles.

However, Swami Satyananda also disciple of Sivananda, and Swami Muktibodhananda also of the same lineage, say in their books Kundalini Tantra and Hatha Yoga Pradipika that mula bandha is contraction of the central perineal body.

You see? I haven't mixed nor paths nor lineages but the contradiction is evident.

Besides, you advice us to follow the guidances of qualified teachers. Let me tell you Mukunda that not everybody has the luck or good karma to find a true master in our lifes. Many of us, have to 'survive' by books and internet and are obligued to be fed from different paths and in the same time to be our own masters. I do not fear 'playing' with my subtle koshas, it is my duty to fully go on with my sadhana and asume all risks. I'm sure you understand me.

Finally, even i knew that this thread was more suitable for the general forum strand, i posted it here because i wanted your opinion to be published and available to others, also pray of the same confusion.


Warm regards

[gartxott]

Dear Karin,

You have to understand that sexuality differs in a great degree from males to females. As women have seven times more sex force, men rapidly deplete our pranic reservoir due to sexual intercourses.
Taoism says that woman has infinite yin energy. In tantrik love woman is encouraged to have as many orgasms as possible while man is supossed to preseve his semen at any cost.
This is why your teacher told you to free your sexual energy. She talked from a female standpoint.

[siddhyogi]

dear deciples

in mulbadha the main thing is that why you are doing this ? what is your purpose to do this ?

if your purpose is to get benefitted by the mulbandha exercise then do the streching of muscles. but if wanna increase a energy then there is a same method but with some additional spiritual adding in exercise.

so fir st you have to clear your purpose then only once can give you answer

[gartxott]

Dear Siddhyogi,

My purpose is to activate the Muladhara Chakra by means of Mulabandha (and Nasikagra Dristi). It is part of a full Kundalini Yoga practice i'm bringing on.

Thank you

[Karin]

Originally Posted by gartxott

Dear Karin,

You have to understand that sexuality differs in a great degree from males to females. As women have seven times more sex force, men rapidly deplete our pranic reservoir due to sexual intercourses.
Taoism says that woman has infinite yin energy. In tantrik love woman is encouraged to have as many orgasms as possible while man is supossed to preseve his semen at any cost.
This is why your teacher told you to free your sexual energy. She talked from a female standpoint.

Hight Gartox,
I just think we have at least as different oppinions and experiences as there are differences between male and female sexuality
(My teacher talked to the class with men and women participating and her partner was also there ...)
Many greetings,
Karin

[gartxott]

Ok Karin.
Wish you well.