13)Moola Bandha and Kumbhaka

Moola Bandha with Antar Kumbhaka (inner retention) Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or any other comfortable posture that enhances awareness he mooladhara trigger point. Relax your body and close your eyes.

Witness the natural breath flowing in and out of your body. Spontaneous, natural breath… Now bring your awareness to mooladhara trigger point. Expand your awareness to include both the breath and

mooladhara.

Intense awareness, breath and mooladhara. Now feel, or imagine, that as you breathe in you are drawing the breath up from mooladhara to ajna chakra in the mid-brain behind the eyebrow centre. As you breathe out your awareness flows back from ajna to mooladhara. Inhale from mooladhara to ajna.

Exhale from ajna to mooladhara.

Some people experience this movement of the breath straight up and down the spine, directly between mooladhara and ajna chakra. Others feel it moving up the front of the body from mooladhara to the pubic bone, centre of the chest, throat, nosetip, to the eyebrow centre, and then down again.

Yet others experience the movement up the front of the body to ajna and down the spine to mooladhara. This is a matter of personal sensitivity and preference. Simply choose your pathway and become aware of the movement of the breath along that pathway. Inhale from mooladhara to ajna.

Exhale from ajna to mooladhara. Your awareness should be exactly synchronized with the breath.

As you reach the peak of inhalation, your awareness reaches ajna chakra. The moment your awareness arrives at mooladhara, your exhalation should be complete. Inhale from mooladhara to ajna. Exhale from ajna to mooladhara.

You will notice that your natural breath has become slower and deeper. Now, at the peak of inhalation, in ajna chakra, hold your breath. Bring the chin to the chest (jalandhara bandha). This will help you hold the breath. Retain the breath in ajna for a comfortable length of time.Then raise the head and take a short breath in, then slowly exhale down to mooladhara.

Inhale to ajna, chin to chest, hold the breath, raise the head, exhale to mooladhara. Do not strain. Do not over-extend your breath retention. Maintain a relaxed, natural rhythm.

When your breathing pattern is established, add moola bandha. As you breathe in, slowly contract mooladhara. Draw the inhaled breath up from mooladhara while slowly tightening the contraction of the chakra. Make sure the rest of the body is relaxed. Bring the chin to the chest.

The peak of inhalation at ajna is also the point of maximum contraction at mooladhara. Hold it.  Then raise the head, and very slowly release the contraction as you breathe out. The point of complete exhalation at mooladhara is also the point of total relaxation.Breathe in, contracting mooladhara.

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Chin to chest.

Hold the contraction and the breath in ajna. Rotate your awareness between ajna and mooladhara. Then simultaneous awareness of both. Raise the head. Breathe out to mooladhara and release the bandha.

This is one round. Begin with three rounds and gradually build up to ten. Allow your breath to return to normal after each round. As you become established in this practice, you will spontaneously become more and more aware of the psychic dimension of moola bandha. As you contract mooladhara, feel the psychic energy rising with the breath. While holding the bandha, be aware of the powerful energy impulses fired from mooladhara and exploding in ajna.

As you breathe out, watch the dark space behind the forehead (chidakasha) and feel this vital energy diffusing throughout the body. After completing your practice, sit with eyes closed in the same asana.

Rest your mind in the warm, friendly darkness of chidakasha, and allow yourself to be aware of your physical reactions.

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How is your heartbeat?

What is happening with your breath? Let every bodily sensation pleasant or otherwise come before your relaxed awareness … Then move from your body to your feelings. Does this practice arouse any special emotion?

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Or memory?

Do you feel afraid, tearful, happy, exhilarated? Watch the play of your sentiments as if you were watching an actor on the stage. Witness them with the objectivity of a news reporter. Remember, in chidakasha there is nothing good and nothing bad.

Simple awareness … When both body and mind are tranquil, then chant om mentally three times. And end the practice, or move into your usual meditation practice.

Moola Bandha with Bahir Kumbhaka (external retention) Sit in siddhasana, siddha yoni asana or any other comfort able posture that enhances your awareness of the mooladhara trigger point.

Relax your body and close your eyes. Witness the natural breath flowing in and out of your body.

Spontaneous, natural breath… As you watch your breath, it will spontaneously slower and deeper. At this point, take a deep breath in. become At the peak of inhalation, hold the breath for an instant. Then breathe out fully, contracting the abdominal muscles to empty the lungs completely.

As you breathe out, bring the head down until the chin rests on the chest (jalandhara bandha). When exhalation is complete, allow the abdominal muscles to relax.

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Just let them go – let them sag – relax.

Hold the breath outside the body.

Contract mooladhara and maintain the bandha for as long as you can without strain. When you are ready, raise the head, breathe out a fraction, and then breathe in.

Release the bandha in time with the breath. Only when you have completely filled the lungs should you release the final pressure of moola bandha. At the peak of inhalation hold the breath inside for an instant, then breathe out and relax.

This is one round.

Allow your breath to return to normal.

Now practise another round, this time intensifying awareness of the flow of prana. Breathe in deeply and feel, or imagine, that you are drawing psychic energy up from mooladhara to ajna. Hold the breath in ajna for an instant.

Breathe out fully, contracting the abdominal muscles. Bring the chin to the chest, simultaneously experiencing the withdrawal of energy back to mooladhara. Your exhalation is complete – relax the abdomen.

Your awareness is focused in mooladhara. Hold the breath outside, and apply moola bandha. Feel moola bandha redirecting the apana vayu so that it spontaneously flies upwards to mingle with the prana in manipura, the navel centre. Visualize this union with respect and reverence. Experience this union, a subtle initiation, a spiritual rebirth.

Raise the head, exhale slightly, and then inhale from mooladhara to ajna chakra while releasing moola bandha. Experience the tremendous surge of power from mooladhara piercing through ajna, hold the breath for an instant at ajna, then breathe out and feel this energy gently diffusing throughout the body. This is one complete round with both physical and pranic awareness.

Begin with three rounds and over several months build up to a maximum of nine rounds. Allow the breath to return to normal after each round. When your practice is complete, remain seated in the same asana with your eyes closed. Rest your mind in the warm, friendly darkness of chidakasha, and allow yourself to become aware of each and every sensation in your physical body.

Feel your heartbeat. Do you feel hot or cold?

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What is happening with the breath?

Total awareness on the physical plane . . . and the emotional plane. Does this practice awaken any particular feelings?

Do you feel fear, anxiety, sadness, relief, contentment, exhilaration? Watch your feelings like sunlight and shadow beneath a tree, observe them as if they were being portrayed by an actor on the stage. Remember, in chidakasha there is nothing good and nothing bad. Simple awareness.. of your physical self, emotional self, true, inner self.

When every dimension of your being is tranquil, chant om mentally three times, and end the practice. Or move into your usual meditation practice.