02/04/2020
Developing Core Strength Through Mulabandha
By Christopher Ken Baxter
In the ancient scripture of the Yoga Sutras, written by the revered sage Patanjali, an asana posture, is described as embodying both sthira, steadiness, and sukha, comfort. There are many methods in yoga by which to establish, at a muscular level, steadiness and comfort in our practice. These functional concerns are also the crux of Western physiological research. Inevitably they all must address the questions of:
What puts our muscles into their best anatomical advantage?
What needs to be relaxed and strengthened to provide optimum alignment?
By first opening and then strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor, we can build a strong physical foundation on which to anchor a physiologically safe practice. This broadening and strengthening, relaxing and steadying of the foundation is accomplished through a unique movement known in yoga as mulabandha*.
What mulabandha does structurally
While there are various techniques for practicing mulabandha, for the general purposes of this article, mulabandha is best described as a subtle lifting or arching up of the perineal floor into the core of the body. This is accomplished by a contraction of the muscles of the pelvic. The lift is accompanied by slow, steady, and continuous breathing (dirgha and ujjayi pranayama). In addition, when you lift your sternum and bring a soft smile to your face, the effect of the perineal lift extends through your esophagus and into the soft palatte at the back of the roof of your mouth.
Imagine yourself standing. Can you visualize how the arch of your foot carries the entire weight of your body and distributes it through the ball and heel down into the ground? In a similar way, as the weight of our torso is pulled down by gravity, the domed "arching up" of the perineal floor gives an equal and opposite lift through the central structure. As a result, your ankle, knee, and hip joints subtly realign. Your upper and lower leg bones move slightly into a more efficient weight-bearing position above the feet.
This alignment enables your body weight to flow more easily through the pelvic bones and hip joints down into the arch of the foot, and back into the ground. Because the weight-bearing is directed more finely into the bones, muscles, and ligaments, we instantly reduce stress and its associated anxieties. Because we use less energy, we feel less fatigued. We actually can smile and experience more joy in our practice!
In addition, when the perineal floor lifts, it stimulates the core abdominal muscles to also lift and hold. This lift enables the chest and upper back to more easily lengthen. As a result of this "inner lift," the back of the neck elongates, causing the crown to lengthen. The integrative effect is a subtle repositioning and alignment of the entire skeletal structure. As a result we feel stronger, we move easier and we can hold our position longer without strain. Because of the unique way in which it unites many different branches of the musculoskeletal system, mulabandha enables the core muscles of the neck, shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, sides, hips, groin, and buttocks to be firmly
"rooted" all the way down into the pelvic floor. Paradoxically, we feel more "grounded" even as we feel lighter.
Core strength
With practice, this perineal "rooting" strengthens your core and enables your entire body to move into, hold, and move out of a wide range of positions with greater freedom, easier alignment, and more safety. When your body feels safe and open, you naturally relax, you breathe easy, and you feel uplifted physically, emotionally, and energetically. As a result, you experience more happiness in your body.
Our intention in this approach, then, is to empower our core to be comfortable, strong, and mobile through establishing stable support via a strong foundation. When we shift our emphasis from imitating postures to "coming from core," we feel an ease of movement and stability that even others recognize. We let go of unnecessary contractions and receive enhanced benefits. We learn to support ourselves from the "ground up" and the "inside out." We move in our bodies and our lives with more grace, power, and ease.
Distal support
If we are not confident in having a strong and stable foundation in our body, the insecurity will motivate us to seek external forms of stability. We do this by contracting muscles "at a distance" from the center of our body. In Western physiology this occurrence is referred to as "distal support." For example, if we squeeze the buttocks and legs firmly together in the Cobra, Bhujangasana, we may feel solid, but this distal support is actually a rigid contraction. It is an unnecessary movement in relation to fulfilling the core The musculoskeletal purpose of the posture, which is to actively strengthen the back and passively lengthen the front of the torso. By using only distal support, the breath and brain will feel constricted, the lower body unnecessarily tense, and the energy disconnected between the upper and lower halves of the body. If the distal support of the leg and buttock squeeze is released and our core remains unengaged, we will feel weak and wobbly. Through regular use of mulabandha, we learn that the protective tension and rigidity can be transformed into internal strength and lift. This enables us to reduce unnecessary injuries, release trapped energy, and live in our body with more joy. With mulabandha to anchor your own power,you can create safety during a long sustained stretch, strengthen your trunk, and redistribute precious energy from contraction into conscious awareness. Once you have that core strength in place, you can choose the patterns of distal support that enhance your aims.
Range of engagement
Mulabandha is not an "all or nothing" technique. It can be held as a gentle intention, a fully energized perineal lift, or somewhere between. For example, in the Child Pose a light lift of mulabandha will assist the body in feeling safe. In everyday walking, a "20 percent" mulabandha gives relief to the knees and spring to the step. In a standing backbend, a fully engaged mulabandha, firmly held for the duration of the posture, gives firm safety and structural support. Mulabandha can be consistently lifted through the holding time of a posture or rhythmically engaged and relaxed.
