Uddiyana Bandha

Krishnamacharya in Uddiyana Bandha

Definition: Uddiyana means “to fly up” or “to rise upward” signifying a light or weightless quality. The subtle energy of prana is forced (ha-tha) at the navel center (manipura chakra) into the central energy channel (sushumna) and rises to the upper chakras (ajna and sahasrara).

Practice Position

• Practice on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning. Begin after evacuating the bowels and bladder. If you didn’t empty yourself, this should do it for you.
• For beginning students: Stand with the feet hip distance apart, the knees bent, and the hands above the knees on the thighs with the fingers pointing inward. Keep the elbows straight. Do not place the head below the heart. Keep the eyes open and gaze toward the earth. Activate pada bandha (spread toes, open soles of feet, and stay grounded).
• For advanced students: Sit in Vajrasana with the fingertips on the floor shoulder distance apart. Activate mula bandha in conjunction with uddiyana bandha.

Technique

1. Inhale deeply through nose and exhale slowly and completely through the mouth with the lips pursed. When exhaling, round the back, tuck the tailbone and squeeze the abdominal muscles without straining to empty almost all of the air from the lungs (residual lung volume). Not all of the air will empty otherwise the lungs would collapse!
2. Very Important: The next step, after the air is completely exhaled, is to relax the abdominals. This action of relaxing the abs will create a suction action.
3. As the suction automatically begins, take a mock inhalation (don’t actually inhale but act as if you will) by pulling the belly and its contents inward and upward toward the chest cavity.
4. Retain the breath in bahira kumbhaka (retention after exhalation) as long as you can without straining. Tuck the chin into the sternal notch (jalandhara bandha) to assist in retention. Lift the low ribs and chest up and out.
5. Before inhaling, lower the lower ribs, release the contraction of the belly, release the tailbone tuck, and lift the chin. Inhale through the nose slowly. If you gasp for air, you held the breath too long.
6. Repeat 3-10 times with an experienced teacher (or as your intuition guides you for advanced students).

Benefits

• Compresses, massages, and tones the “organ ring” of the stomach, liver, pancreas, spleen, and gall bladder, hence, stale blood flow and toxics are removed and the organs are energized. The adrenal glands are balanced thereby removing fatique and creating a soothing and calming effect.
• Assists in digestion and elimination – saves money on those expensive detox kits!
• Stimulates the solar plexus and its ganglion of nerves innervating the nervous system and open the pathway of the fire element in the body.
• Inspires respiratory functioning by stretching the diaphragm and activating the vagus nerve.
• Encourages the cardiovascular system by giving the heart a subtle massage as the heart sits on top of the diaphragm and is connected by a layer of fascia.
• Stimulates the functioning of the senses by cleansing these energy channels, thereby assisting in seeing reality as it truly is, knowing right knowledge vs. wrong knowledge.
• Induces upward energy flow (prana-vayu) connecting our subtle body with higher consciousness, the spirit realm and one’s higher power.

Contraindications

• High blood pressure: Holding the breath for anyone with high blood pressure is always contraindicated, even those on medication which reduces such pressure is also contraindicated. Especially dangerous is the rush of venus blood back to the heart after release of the breath. Avoid practicing uddiyana if this condition is present.
• Ulcers: An ulcer is a sore, which means it’s an open, painful wound. Peptic ulcers are ulcers that form in the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. Avoid practicing uddiyana if this condition is present.
• Hernia: A hernia is a protrusion of an organ or tissue through an abnormal opening in the body. Most hernias occur when a piece of intestine slips through a weakness in the abdominal wall, creating a bulge you can see and feel. Hernias can develop around the naval, in the groin, or any place where you may have had a surgical incision. Some hernias are present at birth. Others develop slowly over a period of months or years. Hernias also can come on quite suddenly. Avoid practicing uddiyana if this condition is present.
• Hiatal hernia: The upper part of the stomach may herniate through the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity.
• Inquinal hernia: The abdominal organs (especially the small intestine) may herniated through the inguinal canal, through which the testis pass around the time of birth into the scrotum. Less common in women than in men.

• Menstruation: practicing uddiyana bandha before menstruation is reported to relieve conditions associated with PMS. However, yogic texts advise not to practice uddiyana during menstruation.
• Pregnancy: practicing uddiyana bandha during pregnancy is contraindicated. Never hold the breath during pregnancy. Avoid practicing uddiyana if you think you may be pregnant as there is the possibility the embryo can be dislodged from the uterine wall. Avoid practicing uddiyana after pregnancy. The fascia that connects the two rectus abdominis muscles in the midline may have weakened during pregnancy and childbirth and may be pulled uncomfortably part.

Going Deeper: Hatha Yoga Pradipika

• Maxim #55: Uddiyana bandha is named by the yogis because through its practice, the prana is concentrated at one point and rises through the sushumna.
• Maxim #56: The bandha described is called the rising or flying bandha, because through its practice, the great bird (shakti) flies upward with ease.
• Maxim #57: Pulling the abdomen back in and making the navel rise is uiddyana bandha. It is the lion which conquers the elephant (death).
• Maxim #58: Uddiyana is easy when practiced as told by the guru. Even an old person can become young when it is done regularly.
• Maxim #59: The region above and below the navel should be drawn backward with effort. There is no dobut that after six months of practice, death is conquered.
• Maxim #60: Of all the bandhas, uddiyana is the best. Once it is mastered, mukti (liberation) occurs spontaneously.